Cotton, War and Independence: British Intervention in the American Civil War — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Cotton, War and Independence: British Intervention in the American Civil War

Name: Matthew Wehmeier
Major: History, German
Hometown: Schaumburg, Illinois
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: n/a

Abstract

My paper is on the effects of British diplomacy in the American Civil War, and the reasons for their decision to remain neutral throughout the war. Essentially, my findings indicate that though many in the British government would have liked to see an independent Confederacy as a counterweight to the United States, several factors contributed to the decision. The first were economic. The North Americans were an important trading partner of Britain, and “King Cotton’s” importance was being eclipsed by other sources of the crop in the British Empire.

Fear of the outbreak of war, too, was the second reason for British neutrality. The United States was a large and potentially powerful nation, and the British didn’t want to antagonize them needlessly.

Finally, the British were adamant that the Confederacy stand on its own independent of British subsidy. They awaited the battle that would prove the CSA had what it took to build a sovereign nation, and again and again the British were disappointed until serious talk of recognition finally died in the wake of Gettysburg.

Through the analysis of original and secondary sources my paper seeks to analyze the historical context in which intervention was considered by the Europeans, and the results of this debate both for the Americans and the powers of Europe.

Poster file