The Trent Affair Dbq
The Trent Affair is arguably one of the most outstanding events that took place during the American Civil war in 1861. The whole idea of the Trent Affair came into play after the confederate president, Jefferson Davis, in accordance with the authority, mandated to him by the Confederate version of the U.S. Congress appointed John Slidell and James Mason to serve as diplomatic agents with the end objective of entering into treaties with both France and England. Their duty was to ensure that they convinced Europe that the confederate states were able to maintain a national existence despite the origins of the commissioners, which were diverse. The Trent Affair was used to pursue the voyage that was to be under the leadership of Navy officer,
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In October 1861, James Mason and John Slidell left Charleston, South Carolina for Great Britain under the direction of Jefferson Davis. United States Navy officer, Charles Wilkes, captured the two Southern diplomats aboard the English ship known as the Trent. On their way to Britain, the two men were captured as they passed through the country of Cuba. In response to this capture, while many American Union leaders were in favor of this arrest, Great Britain, a neutral nation at the time, felt threatened by the event that had taken place. They felt that it was a violation of their neutrality and demanded that these diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell, immediately be released. Along with the release of the diplomats Great Britain was also expecting to be given an apology for this incident. In hopes to have their demands met, Great Britain threatened war if the United States did not fulfill their requests. To avoid further conflict, president Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William H. Seward, carefully studied this affair, and after careful evaluation, determined that Wilkes was in no position to arrest the two diplomats without permission. Because William Seward acknowledged Wilkes's mistake, there was no need for war. The two prisoners, Mason and Slidell, were therefor released. The Trent Affair of November 1861 was mainly a result of the arrest of Confederate envoys. This
In October 1861, James Mason and John Slidell left Charleston, South Carolina for Great Britain under the direction of Jefferson Davis. United States Navy officer, Charles Wilkes, captured the two Southern diplomats aboard the English ship known as the Trent. On their way to Britain, the two men were captured as they passed through the country of Cuba. In response to this capture, while many American Union leaders were in favor of this arrest, Great Britain, a neutral nation at the time, felt threatened by the event that had taken place. They felt that it was a violation of their neutrality and demanded that these diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell, immediately be released. Along with the release of the diplomats Great Britain was also expecting to be given an apology for this incident. In hopes to have their demands met, Great Britain threatened war if the United States did not fulfill their requests. To avoid further conflict, president Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William H. Seward, carefully studied this affair, and after careful evaluation, determined that Wilkes was in no position to arrest the two diplomats without permission. Because William Seward acknowledged Wilkes's mistake, there was no need for war. The two prisoners, Mason and Slidell, were therefor released. The Trent Affair of November 1861 was mainly a result of the arrest of Confederate envoys. This