The Trent Affair Research Paper

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The Trent Affair was a diplomatic crisis that was between Great Britain and the United States. It took place from November to December in 1861. The Trent Affair really erupted when captain of the USS San Jacinto ordered the arrest of two Confederate envoys sailing to Europe aboard a British mail ship, the Trent, in order to seek support for the South in the Civil War. Great Britain who had a very neutral position at the time was very outraged and angry they then proceeded to claim the possession of a neutral ship by the United States Navy. This was a violation of the international law which made the United States outraged also. President Abraham Lincoln’s administration then released the envoys and averted an armed conflict with Britain. On November 8, …show more content…

Northerners in the United States hailed Captain Wilkes for what he did. But the British were angry and outraged at the news. Word had not made it to the british until November in which they had not taken anyone's side yet. The policy the british had was to accept any paying customer who wished to travel aboard their ships. The british then dispatched a message to the United States demanding the release of Mason and Slidell along with an apology for taking away their rights in the sea. The british then readied their troops and prepared for war sending them off to Canada. They then started banning exports of war materials to America, basically saying we are ready for war. After the United States started taking them serious after seeing all of the things they were ready to do Lord Lyons, the British minister to the United States, met with Secretary of State William Seward. They met in December concerning the fate of Mason and Slidell. Lyons after the meeting then wrote to Lord Russell, the British foreign minister: “I am so concerned that unless we give our friends here a good lesson this time, we shall have the same trouble with them again very

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