Lyons–Seward Treaty of 1862 facts for kids
The Lyons-Seward Treaty was an important agreement between the United States and Great Britain. Its main goal was to stop the terrible Atlantic slave trade. This was when people were kidnapped from Africa and forced to travel across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves.
This treaty was worked out by William H. Seward, who was the U.S. Secretary of State, and Richard Lyons, 1st Viscount Lyons, who was the British Ambassador to the U.S. It was signed in Washington, D.C., on April 7, 1862. The U.S. Senate quickly approved it on April 25, 1862.
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Why the Treaty Was Made
After Britain stopped its own slave trade in 1807, it wanted other countries to do the same. After winning the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain set up special "Mixed Commission Courts." These courts worked with other European nations. Their job was to judge cases of illegal slave trading and stop slave ships.
The United States had also banned its international slave trade in 1808. However, it did not want to join these mixed courts at first. This was because the U.S. did not want British ships searching American vessels.
The American Civil War and the Treaty
During the American Civil War, the Lincoln administration wanted to keep Britain from helping the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy wanted to continue the cotton trade with Britain. To keep peace with Britain, the U.S. agreed to the Lyons-Seward Treaty in 1862. The United States Senate approved it very quickly.
The main purpose of this treaty was to stop the slave trade in British and American waters. It also aimed to stop the trade in their ports.
What the Treaty Did
The treaty put strong rules in place to end the Atlantic slave trade. Both countries agreed to use their navies to capture merchant ships carrying enslaved Africans. They could also seize any ship that looked like a slave trading vessel.
Signs of a slave ship included:
- Open, grated hatches instead of closed ones.
- Too much food and water for a normal crew.
- Chains or shackles on board.
Britain was allowed to search American ships in waters near Africa and Cuba. In return, American warships could search British ships. This was a big step in working together to end the slave trade. It is important to know that this treaty did not end slavery within the United States itself. Slavery was a major cause of the ongoing Civil War.
Mixed Slave-Trade Courts
The Mixed Slave-Trade Courts were special courts created by the treaty. They had judges from both the United Kingdom and the United States. Their job was to stop the slave trade.
How the Courts Worked
The treaty set up three mixed courts. Each court had an equal number of British and American judges. These judges would decide cases that came up under the treaty's rules.
The courts were located in:
- New York City, USA
- Sierra Leone, Africa (controlled by Britain)
- Cape of Good Hope, Africa (controlled by Britain)
There was no way to appeal the decisions made by these courts. If the British and American judges disagreed, they had a unique way to break the tie. Both nations would pick an "adjudicator." One of these adjudicators was chosen by drawing lots. This chosen adjudicator would then talk with the two judges. Their vote would decide the case.
Impact of the Courts
After the treaty was put into action, the illegal transport of enslaved people from Africa to America greatly decreased. Later, slavery was completely abolished in the United States. This made it very unlikely that large numbers of enslaved people would be brought in illegally.
Because of this success, the judges in these courts never heard a single case. Even though they stayed in office and were paid until the courts closed in 1870, their work was done before it even began.
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