Anarcho-Socialist
Anarcho-Socialist's JournalI don't think the UK were particularly close to recognising the CSA
The CSA had a great deal of sympathy from the monarchy, the aristocracy, the House of Lords and sections of the Tory Party. But the working and middle classes were overwhelmingly pro-Union (save for the odd cotton town). It could have toppled any government which attempted it.
British military intervention would have been costly and for little reward. As much as Britain liked the South's cotton and its purchases of shipping, the North was a massive consumer of British exports, more so than the South.
By 1862 British investment had centered on cotton production in India which quickly replaced the trade with the South.
I would argue that the Emancipation Proclamation was crucial for an earlier victory in the sense that it would undermine the basis of the South's agrarian slave-holding economy, thus destroying the South's ability to wage war.
This is how it works
Romney +2 "Commanding lead for Romney"
Romney +1 "Romney nudges ahead"
Tied "Trouble for Obama"
Obama +1 "Obama and Romney in tie"
Obama +2 "Obama and Romney in dead-heat"
Obama +3 "Obama and Romney in statistical dead-heat"
Obama +4 or over "outlier"
Profile Information
Name: None of your businessGender: Male
Hometown: County Durham
Home country: United Kingdom
Current location: England
Member since: Wed Apr 21, 2004, 09:27 PM
Number of posts: 9,601
