Our Man in Charleston

Archival Summary & Scope

In 1853 Charleston, British consul Robert Bunch detested slavery and secretly worked to thwart his secessionist neighbors' Confederate ambitions, particularly their desire to reopen the transatlantic slave trade.

Bunch meticulously documented the growing illegal slave trade, sending clandestine warnings to London that economic necessity would force the Confederacy to reopen it, jeopardizing vital British recognition. As war erupted, Bunch undertook a high-stakes spy mission, navigating volatile US-British relations that threatened international conflict.

This book reveals Bunch as a pivotal, unsung figure in the fight against the Atlantic slave trade, offering a compelling account of 19th-century diplomacy, espionage, and international intrigue during the American Civil War.