Listen here to our penultimate episode on the Trent Affair, and the moment when peace or war hung in the balance!

After a tense wait, Britain's ultimatum finally arrived in Washington. How would Lincoln and Seward respond to its terms? The Confederate commissioners would have to be returned, and a suitable apology offered, if the British were to be satisfied, but there was room for some manoeuvre. This breathing space was thanks to the fact that nobody was particularly enthusiastic about the prospects of an Anglo-American war, even though many had become resigned to the fact that it was inevitable.

Back in Britain, Palmerston's government was preparing for the worst, while hoping for the best. National honour demanded nothing less than complete satisfaction, however painful for the Americans to grant. They would be courteous, polite and respectful, but the message was a sobering one. War was inevitable if America did not concede. Could diplomacy succeed, and persuade Lincoln to relent at the last moment? Let's find out, in our penultimate episode of the Trent Affair!

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