English Contemporary Opinion Of The American Civil War

Author

• Vorice Jackson Waters, Xavier University of Louisiana

Date of Award

5-1-1947

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Keywords

American Civil War, British Public Opinion, Anglo-American Relations, John Bright, Richard Cobden, Confederate Diplomacy, Cotton Famine, Emancipation Proclamation, Trent Affair, Alabama Affair, Lancashire, Southern Independence Association

Abstract

This thesis, submitted to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Xavier University in partial fulfillment of requirements for a Master of Arts degree in 1947, presents a survey of British public opinion during the entirety of the American Civil War. Drawing on contemporary newspapers, pamphlets, letters, diaries, parliamentary speeches, and official government records, the study analyzes the conflicting opinions expressed by individuals, organizations, and government officials in England from the outbreak of hostilities through the conclusion of peace. The thesis finds that English upper and middle classes generally sympathized with the Confederacy, influenced by historical parallels to the American Revolution, financial investments in cotton, and aristocratic sentiment, while the working class and labor organizations, particularly in Lancashire, largely supported the Union. Key figures examined include pro-Confederate advocates such as James Spence, Beresford Hope, and the Southern Independence Association, and pro-Union voices including parliamentarians John Bright and Richard Cobden. The study traces major turning points in British opinion including the Trent Affair, the Emancipation Proclamation, the cotton famine in Lancashire, the Alabama affair, and the final Union victories. The author concludes that the Civil War became a turning point in Anglo-American relations, ultimately contributing to the advancement of democratic reform in England itself. No original abstract was included, so this abstract is provided by the XULA Digital Commons editors.

Recommended Citation

Waters, Vorice Jackson, "English Contemporary Opinion Of The American Civil War" (1947). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 59.
https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/etd/59