Trent Affair

The Trent Affair is the name given to an international diplomatic incident that occurred during the American Civil War. In an attempt to gain support for the Confederate States of America from European nations during the war, the CSA dispatched two diplomats, James M. Mason and John Slidell to Europe via RMS Trent, a British mail steamer. The Trent departed from Havana, Cuba, but the two CSA diplomats were removed from the Trent by Captain Charles Wilkes of USS San Jacinto on November 8, 1861 when the steamer passed through a Union naval blockade. Both men were then held at Fort Warren in Boston harbor.

Related Topics:
American Civil War - Confederate States of America - Europe - James M. Mason - John Slidell - RMS ''Trent'' - British - Havana - Cuba - Charles Wilkes - USS ''San Jacinto'' - November 8 - 1861 - Fort Warren - Boston

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The fact an American warship had boarded a neutral British vessel and removed two passengers nearly caused a war between Britain and the United States. The British government demanded the release of the two CSA diplomats and sent 8,000 troops to Canada to prepare for war. At the same time, the Royal Navy was ordered to prepare for combat.

Related Topics:
Britain - United States - Canada - Royal Navy

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Being a British colony, Canada was directly threatened by the affair. The Canadian militia grew substantially as the Canadas and Maritime colonies were called on by the colonial Minister of Militia and Defence, John A. Macdonald (a future Father of Confederation and later the first Prime Minister of Canada), to increase their active militia from 50,000 men to 100,000. The colony of Nova Scotia alone trained and armed 45,000 men. Britain and the Southern states had very close economic links because of their mutual involvement in the cotton trade (see cotton diplomacy). Finally United States Secretary of State William H. Seward apologized to the British government for the incident. Mason and Slidell were released in January of 1862.

Related Topics:
British colony - Canada - Militia - Minister of Militia and Defence - John A. Macdonald - Father of Confederation - Prime Minister of Canada - Nova Scotia - Cotton - Cotton diplomacy - United States Secretary of State - William H. Seward - January - 1862

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Many consider the Trent Affair one of the great "what ifs" of the American Civil War. Some contend that had the United Kingdom and the United States gone to war, it is entirely possible that the Union war effort would have failed and the Confederacy would have become an independent nation. Nevertheless, others maintain that a British invasion might have unified North and South in defiance against American submission to an old-world power.

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