During the 1800s, the British and the Americans were the worse of enemies. Both claimed victory in the War of 1812 and both were itching for a return match. Newspapers in both countries hurled insults across the Atlantic, insults that make Trump's recent remarks look bland by comparison. Small incidents threatened to become major conflicts. The presence of a British colonies on the northern border of the United States coupled with America's concept of "manifest destiny" made certain that tensions remained high.
Surprisingly, commercial interests of both grew in the heartlands of their enemy. The mills of England demanded cotton as fabrics were 40 per cent of the nation's exports and employed almost 20 per cent of the British population; the America south provided up to 75 per cent of the cotton needed. The U.S. lacked many manufactured goods. For example, most window glass was imported from English manufacturers.
Prior to the Civil War, a minor incident in the Gulf Islands had almost precipitated a war between the two. The Pig Island War over the San Juan Islands was halted by mutual consent when the Civil War started (the American commander on site was George Pickett, later to become famous for Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. He married an Aboriginal woman and the house he built for his family still stands in Bellingham, Wash.).
When the Civil War started, Great Britain for both commercial and other reasons favoured the South. While declaring itself neutral, its interpretation of neutrality was viewed as pro-Confederacy by the Union. Newspapers and public opinion in the U.S. whipped up anti-British sentiment even higher and the British papers responded in kind. If Britain were to give formal recognition to the South, France and other European nations would follow (the only European nation to favour the North was Russia). That would tilt the war in favour of the Confederacy. To lobby for such recognition two Southern diplomats were sent to England to promote recognition of their new nation. They travelled to British colonies in the Caribbean and were to take passage on a mail packet, S.S. Trent to the British Isles.
Into this tinderbox came an elderly 62-year-old America lieutenant whose insubordination and temper had prevented any promotion. He was only a few months from retirement. Given orders to take command of a naval ship off the coast of Africa on anti-slavery patrol for the sole purpose of bringing the ship back to Philadelphia, he broke his orders by cruising for over a month along the West African coast looking for Confederate ships. None were found. Acting again without orders he sailed his ship to the Caribbean intent on finding Rebel ships and, when advised that the Confederate envoys were to shortly set sail for England, he determined to capture that ship and arrest the diplomats regardless of international law.
The unarmed Trent sailed right into his trap. He arrested the two envoys taking them from the Trent to his ship and headed to Northern ports. When he arrived, the American media proclaimed him a hero and lavished praise on his action, insubordinate or not. He was feted and praised by all and enjoyed his brief moments of fame.
The reaction in England was red-hot anger. A British vessel stopped on the high seas by an America warship and two passengers arrested when under the protection of the British flag! This was intolerable, an insult to the nation that had to be redressed. The Prime Minister penned a letter demanding an apology and the return of the two Confederate diplomats while army and navy took steps towards another war with the United States.
The letter was scathing, deliberately so insulting that war would have to follow. It was approved by cabinet but the Queen's approval was deemed necessary. Queen Victoria was hosting a dinner party at Windsor so off the draft letter went for the necessary royal assent. It arrived at an inconvenient time when Her Majesty could simply not be disturbed from her party. Yet speed was of the essence as a ship was held back from sailing so it could carry the letter to America, this happening before the telegraph across the Atlantic. Prince Albert was sent to read it and grant approval on her behalf.
Albert read the letter and knew that if it were send it would mean war with the U.S. So he amended the draft to tone it down. The draft was returned to the Prime Minister who approved the changes. Off the letter went to Washington.
Upon arrival, President Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet met to formulate a reply. They had two choices. They could follow the apparent wishes of the media and public opinion and tell the Brits to "stuff it" which would mean war with Britain or do as the Brits demanded and issue an apology and return the Confederate envoys. The nation's honour demanded the first option.
The Union was already at war with the Confederacy. War with England, which was already dispatching troops and ships to British North America (Canada), would not be easy. The British were ready, willing, and very able to make an already difficult situation much, much worse. The rest of Europe would turn against America as well, recognizing the South and perhaps intervening in the Civil War.
Honour or prudence?
After bickering back and forth amongst the Cabinet, Lincoln came to a conclusion. "One war at a time", he said as he penned a weak apology to the British and ordered that the two Confederate envoys be released from jail and sent to England. For its part, the British chose to accept the weak apology and cancelled mobilization. The two would again come close to armed conflict during the Civil War.
World affairs demand restraint from those who play the game. Nikita Khrushchev's backing down during the Cuban missile crisis prevented a nuclear war. More recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's reply to President Donald Trump's insults was tempered to avoid making a bad situation worse even though the urge to reply in kind must have been substantial.
Even in our personal lives, a hasty and inflaming quick reply can set off a nasty fight when a temperate reply can often diffuse the problem.
