The Trent Affair With Great Britain Analysis
Thesis Statement: The United States weighs its option in handling the Trent Affair with Great Britain, pondering whether to apologize and be humiliated or to prepare for a war they cannot afford to fight.
Primary Source
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln, Memorandum on the Trent Affairs." Library of Congress. 1 Dec. 1861. Web. 8 Sept. 2015. Primary.
This memorandum written by President Abraham Lincoln to Great Britain, regarding the turmoil when Captain Charles Wilkes kidnapped two confederates from the British ship, the Trent. Lincoln recognizes that if the facts presented to him are true, then the U.S. is willing to negotiate an appropriate solution. He makes it known that Captain Wilkes acted on his own accord without any direction from the U.S. Government. Lincoln requests more information in regards to James Mason and John Slidell’s reasoning for their voyage and if the Master of the Trent knew the relationship the men had with the U.S. Lincoln hopes an agreement can be reached and would like it to become a permanent …show more content…
President Millard Fillmore writes to President Lincoln offering him advice on how to alleviate the tensions with Great Britain, caused by the arrest of two confederate officers traveling on the British Mail ship, the Trent. Fillmore is reluctant to overstep his boundaries in the matter, but his concern of going to war with Great Britain compels him to write. He explains that either the U.S. submits to Great Britain’s demands or we prepare and anticipate a coming war. Fillmore is extremely concerned in part, because they are already involved in a civil war with the Confederate states. He concludes in suggesting that the U.S. take the blame, but insist this is an international concern involving all maritime nations. Fillmore was not a man that offered advice, so the fact the he was so concerned reiterates the danger the U.S. was facing. It is another piece of evidence that correlates the situation we were facing with Great
Primary Source
Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln, Memorandum on the Trent Affairs." Library of Congress. 1 Dec. 1861. Web. 8 Sept. 2015. Primary.
This memorandum written by President Abraham Lincoln to Great Britain, regarding the turmoil when Captain Charles Wilkes kidnapped two confederates from the British ship, the Trent. Lincoln recognizes that if the facts presented to him are true, then the U.S. is willing to negotiate an appropriate solution. He makes it known that Captain Wilkes acted on his own accord without any direction from the U.S. Government. Lincoln requests more information in regards to James Mason and John Slidell’s reasoning for their voyage and if the Master of the Trent knew the relationship the men had with the U.S. Lincoln hopes an agreement can be reached and would like it to become a permanent …show more content…
President Millard Fillmore writes to President Lincoln offering him advice on how to alleviate the tensions with Great Britain, caused by the arrest of two confederate officers traveling on the British Mail ship, the Trent. Fillmore is reluctant to overstep his boundaries in the matter, but his concern of going to war with Great Britain compels him to write. He explains that either the U.S. submits to Great Britain’s demands or we prepare and anticipate a coming war. Fillmore is extremely concerned in part, because they are already involved in a civil war with the Confederate states. He concludes in suggesting that the U.S. take the blame, but insist this is an international concern involving all maritime nations. Fillmore was not a man that offered advice, so the fact the he was so concerned reiterates the danger the U.S. was facing. It is another piece of evidence that correlates the situation we were facing with Great