In this episode we meet Alexander Russell Webb, U.S. consul to Manila in the Philippines turned Muslim missionary to America. We will wrestle with the tension in Webb's life between his identity as an American and as a new convert to Islam. This episode explores the ways in which Webb tried to balance his political and religious commitments until he began to suspect they might be pulling in opposite directions.

In this episode, we travel to Havana, Cuba to meet the consul Nicholas Trist, as he struggles between the dilemma of morals and money. We will explore the role of Cuba and the consul in the slave trade. We dive deep into the story of ship deserters, flag foolery, and international crime! Show notes at consolationprize.rrchnm.org.

In this bonus episode, we delve into questions like "What is a consul?" "How do you get a job as a consul?" and other things. Listen to this if you feel adrift when listening to our regular episodes!

In this episode, we meet Liverpool consul James Maury, whose job included helping American sailors who had been shipwrecked, were out of work--or were kidnapped by the British navy! But how did he (and other officials) know who really was an American? Shownotes for this episode at https://consolationprize.rrchnm.org/.

In this episode, we travel to Vera Cruz, Mexico, to learn about how American consuls helped American businessmen assert their rights in contradiction of Mexican law. You can read more and find the transcript at https://consolationprize.rrchnm.org/blog/.