Union in Peril : Crisis over British Intervention in the Civil War : By H. Jones

Description: Union in Peril The Crisis over British Intervention in the Civil War by Howard Jones 1997 - First Bison Books Printing ================================ Condition : Paperback w/ stiff paper covers. Very Good Condition. Light Cover Wear from being in storage / transport with other books for a long time. Seems unread - spine uncreased. 300 pages. Indexed. =============================== From a Review at Texas Christian University During the American Civil War, it remained unclear of the intentions of the European powers. Foremost of concern to the Union and Confederacy, was Great Britain. Would Britain remain neutral in the conflict, or would they formally recognize the Confederacy, thus causeing a confrontation with the United States? In his work, Union in Peril: The Crisis Over British Intervention in the Civil War, Howard Jones investigates this subject thoroughly. Jones follows the footsteps of other notable historian, most notably Jay Monaghan, and presents an updated version of his earlier work. In his book, Jones attempts to look at all possible means of British intervention, including recognizing the Confederacy, acting as mediators between the two parties, using military force against the union blockade or engaging in direct war with the United States. Jones begins his work by looking at the time of succession and the British attitude towards the crisis. He begins by looking at the Queen’s proclamation of neutrality in May of 1861. The Lincoln administration became irate after this proclamation was released, because it felt that it gave some validity to the rebels. Lincoln threatened to wage war against the British if they did not back down. According to Jones, the British never really understood the nature of the war. It was difficult for the British to comprehend how northerners felt about the Union. It also seemed difficult for the British to understand how the issue of slavery became intertwined within the Civil War and how slavery could tear apart the union. According to Jones, the act of neutrality assisted the Union although the British never saw it that way. The south, on the other hand, believed that they deserved British recognition, as the English were the main importers of Southern cotton. The Confederacy knew that it was imperative that they receive European recognition to survive the war. According to Jones, British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston helped to keep the British government neutral and out of the war. Jones points out that the United States held an army and navy that outclassed the British and this probably worried the prime Minister. Many historians have made a point to show that the outcome of the battle of Antietam and Lincoln’s Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation steered the British away from southern recognition. Jones disagrees with this hypothesis. He believes that the British saw the Emancipation proclamation as an attempt to appear as though the Unionist were true abolitionist, in the eyes of the British. The British saw this as a hypocritical move and only heightened sympathies for the south. Eventually, the issue of intervention came before the British Parliament, under the direction of William Lindsey. George Cornewall Lewis, the Secretary for War, circulated a petition that urged the other cabinet members to not intervene in the Civil War. Lewis argued that the south could not be supported or recognized due to international law. In his opinion, the south’s independence had not been sufficiently justified. William Gladstone, Chancellor of Exchequer, took the opposing role and rallied for southern recognition. With the support of Prime Minister Lord Palmerston, neutrality became policy. Jones concludes that Lord Palmerton's fear of intervention my have stemmed from a fear of war with America, especially the possibility of an invasion of Canada. In Jones’s opinion, the non-intervention of Britain can be attributed to Lord Palmerston and George Lewis. Overall Jones has done an outstanding job of researching and writing this work. It is incredibly interesting and enlightening to the reader. Although for the most part Jones’s argument is persuasive, this reviewer had difficulty accepting his ideas on the Battle of Antietam and the preliminary Emancipation proclamation. It appears that these two events would have had some effect on the British. Having seen the failure of the south to achieve victory on northern soil and Lincoln’s intentions to abolish slavery, the British would have become more proUnion. Other then this argument, Jones does an excellent job of conveying the situation between Britain, the United States and the Confederacy. This work should remain important for diplomatic and Civil War historians for years to come. ================================== Thanks for Looking !!!----------------------------------------------------------Postage is free (within Continental US - others at cost) either by media mail or priority depending upon the final sale price of the items(s). I always include delivery confirmation, and will insure more expensive packages at my cost.Check my other auctions for Civil War related books, documents, and ephemera.Thank you for looking !===============================================

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End Time: 2024-02-17T02:52:21.000Z

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