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British officials were also concerned about The blockade harmed the treatment economies of crews other countries. Textile manufacturing areas in Britain and France that depended on Southern cotton entered periods of seized shipshigh unemployment. Simultaneously, as well as the seizure French producers of British mail. British Minister to the United Stateswine, Baron Richard Lyonsbrandy, repeatedly voiced his government’s objections to Uand silk also suffered when their markets in the Confederacy were cut off.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward, prompting Seward to invite Lyons to a meeting with President Lincoln. During this meeting Lyons persuaded Lincoln to adopt British neutrality policies by promising Although Confederate leaders were confident that the British Government Southern economic power would continue compel European powers to view intervene in the blockade as a legitimate tool Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy, Britain, and France remained neutral despite their economic problems. Later in the war, developed new sources of cotton in Egypt and India.
The blockade had a negative impact on the economies of other countries. Textile manufacturing areas ====Strong Abolitionist sentiment in Britain and France that depended on Southern cotton entered periods hindered recognition of high unemploymentthe South====Although British Prime Minister Henry John Temple, while French producers of wineViscount Palmerston, was personally sympathetic to the Confederacy, brandy and silk also suffered when their markets many other elite Britons felt similarly, strong domestic abolitionist sentiment in Britain and his cabinet prevented Palmerston from taking stronger steps toward assisting the Confederacy were cut off. Although Confederate leaders were confident that Southern economic power would compel European powers Napoleon III of France was also sympathetic to the Confederacy but wanted to intervene in pursue a joint policy with Britain regarding the U.S. Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy, Britain and France so remained neutral despite their economic problems. Moreover, and later in Napoleon III’s chief concern during the war developed new sources of cotton Civil War years was France’s intervention in Egypt and IndiaMexico.
Although British Prime Minister Henry John Temple, Viscount Palmerston, was personally sympathetic to ====Conclusion====As the Confederacy, war progressed and many other elite Britons felt similarlymore territory came under Union control, strong domestic abolitionist sentiment in Britain and in his cabinet prevented Palmerston from taking stronger steps toward assisting the Confederacyblockade became more effective but less of an international issue. Napoleon III of France was also sympathetic to the ConfederacyHowever, but wanted to pursue a joint policy with Britain regarding until the U.S. Civil Warcapture of Fort Fisher in 1865, and so remained neutral. Moreover, Napoleon III’s chief concern during the Civil War years was France’s intervention in MexicoConfederate Army could still obtain some supplies via blockade running ships.
As the war progressed and more territory came under Union control, the blockade became more effective, but less of an international issue<youtube>https://www. However, until the capture of Fort Fisher in 1865, the Confederate Army was still able to obtain some supplies via blockade running shipsyoutube.com/watch?v=KIXwgB7-uIU</youtube>
* Article: [https://history.state.gov/milestones/1861-1865/blockade| The Blockade of Confederate Ports, 1861–1865]
* The Declaration of Independence from [http://avalon.law.yale.edu/default.asp| The Avalon Project]
Admin moved page Why did the United States blockade the Confederacy during the Civil War? to Why did the United States blockade the Confederacy during the Civil War
[[File:Scott-anaconda.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Cartoon (1861) depicting General Winfield Scott's effort to blockade the South.]]__NOTOC__During the Civil War, Union forces established a blockade of Confederate ports designed to prevent the export of cotton and the Confederacy's smuggling of war materiel into the Confederacy. The blockade, although Although somewhat porous, the blockade was an important economic policy that successfully prevented Confederate access to weapons that the industrialized North could produce for itself. The U.S. Government successfully convinced foreign governments to view the blockade as a legitimate tool of war. It was less successful at preventing the smuggling of cotton, weapons, and other materiel from Confederate ports to transfer points in Mexico, the Bahamas, and Cuba, as this trade remained profitable for foreign merchants in those regions and elsewhere.
The U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward recommended adopting Government successfully convinced foreign governments to view the blockade shortly after as a legitimate tool of war. It was less successful at preventing the Battle smuggling of Fort Sumter cotton, weapons, and other materiel from Confederate ports to transfer points in AprilMexico, 1861 that marked the beginning of Civil War hostilities. Gideon WellesBahamas, the Secretary of the Navyand Cuba, argued as this trade remained profitable for a de facto but undeclared blockade, which would prevent foreign governments from granting the Confederacy belligerent status. President Abraham Lincoln sided with Seward and proclaimed the blockade on April 19. Lincoln extended the blockade to include North Carolina merchants in those regions and Virginia on April 27. By July of 1861, the Union Navy had established blockades of all the major southern portselsewhere.
====US blockades Confederacy 1861====U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward recommended adopting the blockade shortly after the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 that marked the beginning of Civil War hostilities. Gideon Welles, the Navy Secretary, argued for a de facto but undeclared blockade, which would prevent foreign governments from granting the Confederacy belligerent status. President Abraham Lincoln sided with Seward and proclaimed the blockade on April 19. Lincoln extended the blockade to include North Carolina and Virginia on April 27. By July of 1861, the Union Navy had established blockades of all the major southern ports. Following the U.S. announcement of its intention to establish an official blockade of Confederate ports' blockade, foreign governments began to recognize the Confederacy as a belligerent in the Civil War. Great Britain granted belligerent status on May 13, 1861, Spain on June 17, and Brazil on August 1. Other foreign governments issued statements of neutrality.
As the Union Navy took steps to enforce the blockade, controversies arose with foreign governments over the legality of Union seizures of neutral shipping, as well as and other related practices. The most important of these was the arrest of Confederate commissioners that precipitated the Trent Affair in November of 1861, an incident that was resolved by the commissioners' release of the commissioners one month later. Foreign governments acknowledged the right to stop and search neutral ships in international waters, but were displeased by what they saw as violations of the spirit rather than the letter of the law; Union ships typically determined which ships in Caribbean ports were preparing to run the blockade into the Confederacy, and would wait outside the territorial limits for those ships to clear port. ====Britain objected to US blockade, but did little else====[[File:Blockade_connecticut_plan_civil_war_cartoon.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|The efforts to blockade the South were not particularly effective. This cartoon mocks the Northern effort.]]British officials were also concerned about the treatment of crews of seized ships and the seizure of British mail. British Minister to the United States, Baron Richard Lyons, repeatedly voiced his government’s objections to U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward, prompting Seward to invite Lyons to a meeting with President Lincoln. During this meeting, Lyons persuaded Lincoln to adopt British neutrality policies by promising that the British Government would continue to view the blockade as a legitimate war tool.
* Article: [https://history.state.gov/milestones/1861-1865/blockade| The Blockade of Confederate Ports, 1861–1865]
* Republished from [https://history.state.gov/| Office of the Historian, United States Department of State]
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