The role and interests of the British Empire in the American Civil War – both of its government and its people – shaped their part in American wartime foreign policy. As such, prominent diplomatic moments and developments between the belligerents and the British influenced attitudes and action. Though ambivalence towards the whole affair remained commonplace in Britain, polarizing events threatened a shift towards further action. Despite maintaining a stance against intervention throughout the war, the Empire’s diplomatic relationship with the United States fluctuated – even after its conclusion.
Follow the development of Anglo-American relations throughout the era of the Civil War in each section below. From territorial and economic talks to matters of British wartime neutrality, each section covers a separate period. Outlining key events in diplomacy between the North, South and the British, the precursors for early modern U.S. relations with the U.K. are detailed.
Before the War: 1840-1860
The events of the two decades preceding the American Civil War shaped the positions and attitudes of Americans and British alike going into the conflict. Past interaction created precedent for the events of 1861-65, and old agreements would encounter new challenges.
The Opening Shots: 1861-1862
The growing Secession Crisis and the outbreak of Civil War held the potential for a significant reshaping of trans-Atlantic political and economic relations. The first years of the conflict were crucial to the hopes of diplomatic outreach by the North and South. Encountering both controversy and negotiation, British neutrality faced it’s most significant tests.
The Turning Point: 1863-1864
With the increased focus upon the issue of slavery as a driving factor in the war, public perception of the conflict abroad increasingly favored neutrality, if not the Union cause directly. Both military and diplomatically, Confederate attempts to gain a clear advantage were impeded, either by the North or by increasingly ambivalent European governments. Lingering British connections to the South would contribute to Northern frustrations, and to a view that such behavior prolonged the war.
War’s End: 1865 and Beyond
The collapse of the Confederacy’s military capability, and the flight of its government, secured a victory for the United States. In the aftermath of the war, and of President Lincoln’s assassination, issues concerning the British role in the events of the conflict re-emerged. British interests in the security of their Empire and American calls for recompense contributed to a series of political and diplomatic developments going into the 1870s.