Britain and the American Civil War
Between 1861 and 1865, torn apart by arguments over slavery, states’ rights and the nature of federal government, the northern and southern states of the United States fought a bitter civil war. While war was fought on American soil, the conflict had global repercussions, with Britain playing an important strategic, commercial and diplomatic role. Britain and the American Civil War commemorates this involvement and explores some of our collections from this tumultuous era. It has been generously supported by the American Trust for the British Library.
Highlights
Highlights from the Library's collections
Timeline
A chronology of the American Civil War
Origins
The interconnected issues of slavery, territorial and sectional political control
Anglo-American relations
Britain and the American Civil War
Mapping the Civil War
Popular interest in the course of the war led to the production of many new maps
Legacy
Bringing peace to the nation presented a hugely challenging task
Guide to resources
Find out more about the Civil War
British adventurers
Over half of America's foreign–born population was British and Irish
