OTD 165 YEARS AGO: Captain Charles Wilkes of the U.S.S. San Jacinto halts the neutral British steamship R.M.S. Trent on the open sea and seizes two Confederate envoys under dubious circumstances.
Tag: James M. Mason
King Cotton and Confederate Diplomacy
165 YEARS AGO: The Confederacy continues working to get support from Great Britain, even at the cost of holding the British economy hostage. Meanwhile, President Jefferson Davis reassigns diplomats to strengthen European relations as U.S. officials worry about potential recognition of Confederate independence.
They Will Be Cheerfully Liberated
Abraham Lincoln finally decides upon a course of action regarding Great Britain’s demands to release the Confederate envoys seized aboard the British steamer Trent.
The Passions of the Country Are Up
The U.S. and Great Britain awaited each other’s official reactions to the seizure of Confederate envoys James Mason and John Slidell aboard the neutral British steamer Trent.