1859-April-01
1859-April-01: President James Buchanan appointed William L.
HT-DRUS-1941-000310
1859-April-01: President James Buchanan appointed William L. Cazneau as a special agent to the Dominican Republic, tasking him with reporting on the general situation and determining if a commercial treaty was feasible. Cazneau, a known expansionist, was instructed by Secretary Cass to evaluate the stability of the Dominican government in the face of persistent Haitian threats. This mission reflected a continued American policy of “watching” the island’s internal divisions while avoiding formal recognition of either state, as the United States drifted closer toward its own internal explosion over the issue of slavery.
Source · HT-DRUS-1941-000310
Logan, 291 / Bates: HT-DRUS-1941-000310