North America’s Wealth War Canada vs. USA

The northern (Union) states and the southern (Confederate) states engaged in the American Civil War (1861–65). The latter withdrew from the United States in 1860–61. The war resulted in the destruction of cities, the dissolution of families, and the loss of approximately 750,000 American lives. The war also affected the residents of what is now Canada, with approximately 40,000 individuals participating in the conflict. The war significantly influenced the process and timing of Canada's independence.Causes of the American Civil War

The most significant factor contributing to the outbreak of conflict was slavery, although there were numerous other factors. The fundamental concept of the 1776 American Declaration of Independence was that all individuals were born with equal rights. However, the 1787 American Constitution guaranteed the continuation of slavery, which involved the ownership and forced labor of human beings. The northern states were primarily founded on small farms and expanding cities that did not depend on slave labor. Consequently, a significant number of them progressively abolished slavery. Nevertheless, the southern states had extensive cotton plantations that were harvested by enslaved individuals.

Slavery was not a moral issue because their economy was dependent on it

In order to experience freedom in a land where slavery had been abolished, thousands of enslaved individuals fled and underwent perilous journeys to what would become Canada (Slavery Abolition Act, 1833). Many runaway slaves successfully escaped to the north on their own, while others received assistance from Americans who operated the Underground Railroad, a clandestine and unlawful escape route. This assistance included food, lodging, and guidance. Southerners were enraged by the British North American colonies' role as sanctuaries and, as a result, they enacted legislation to prevent the migration of fugitive slaves. This exacerbated the tensions between the northern and southern states (see Fugitive Slave Act of 1850).

Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, in part due to his assurance that new states would be free, meaning they would not be subject to slavery. He believed that this pledge would ultimately result in the abolition of enslavement. Southerners perceived him and the anti-slavery concept as a threat to their lifestyle and financial stability. Seven southern states seceded, or withdrew, from the United States between Lincoln's election in November and his inauguration as president the following March.The Confederate States of America was established by the southern states. Lincoln refused to recognize the new nation and declared secession to be unconstitutional.

Following the firing of southern (Confederate) and northern (Union) troops at Fort Sumter, located off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, four additional southern states seceded and joined the Confederacy. The establishment of a Union army was advocated by Lincoln in order to combat the insurgents and restore the nation. Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, also constructed an army, asserting that it was necessary to protect his new nation from a foreign aggressor. In July 1861, the initial significant combat of the war took place in the vicinity of Manassas, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC.

Canadian Response to the American Civil War

At the commencement of the conflict, the British colonies of Canada West and Canada East (now Ontario and Québec) and the Maritime colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland comprised what is now Canada. Britain declared itself neutral, meaning that it would not provide support to either the Union or the Confederacy. As a consequence, Canada and the Maritimes were also neutral.The Confederacy was perceived as a small power that was defying a distant, larger one that was not protecting its interests, despite the official posture. This was not due to any support for slavery, but rather because the majority of Canadian and Maritime newspapers sympathized with the South. Many Canadians and Maritimers opposed Lincoln because he claimed that the war was not about liberating slaves, but about reuniting his country or, as he put it, "preserving the union." Numerous Canadian and Maritime businesspeople provided weapons and other forms of assistance to both factions.

Due to the poor quality of record-keeping, it is impossible to ascertain precise figures; however, approximately 40,000 Canadians and Maritimers participated in the conflict. The majority of individuals fought for the North, despite their sympathies for the Confederacy. When the conflict commenced, a number of individuals were employed in the United States and volunteered with local regiments. Some individuals departed Canada to enlist. Some were deceived, bribed, and even abducted by ruthless American recruiters, known as "crimpers." Almost every battle of the American Civil War was contested by soldiers and sailors from Canada and the Maritimes. Numerous individuals had achieved the rank of officer by the conclusion of the conflict, and 29 had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the most prestigious military decoration in the United States.The Trent Affair posed a direct threat to Canada's involvement in the Civil War.

On November 8, 1861, a Union ship intercepted Trent, a British merchant ship and mail packet, in international waters near Cuba. Two Confederate officials were apprehended in Trent. Britain promised to declare war on the United States unless the men were released and Lincoln apologized. In the interim, Britain dispatched thousands of soldiers to the Maritimes and Canada to prepare for the war that it anticipated would commence with the American army advancing north. Lincoln was advised to invade Canada; however, he maintained that he would only engage in one conflict at a time. The men were released, and the crisis dissipated, despite his failure to offer an apology.In December 1863, a small group of Confederates and their Maritime supporters took the Union steamer Chesapeake off the coast of Cape Cod and diverted it to Saint John, New Brunswick, to replenish, demonstrating Canadian sympathies for the Confederate cause.

The Chesapeake was captured by an American ship that towed it into Halifax harbor shortly after the hijackers were joined by two men from Halifax

The Americans were subjected to verbal harassment by a mob. The Halifax men, who were being removed from the ship, were able to escape as a result of the melee that ensued. Many Americans were incensed by the incident, which was nicknamed the Chesapeake Affair. They argued that it was a violation of British neutrality and the extradition clause of the British-American Webster-Ashburton Treaty.Secret Agents and Threats The Confederacy was experiencing a shortage of recruits, munitions, and money, while the Union was winning significant battles by late 1863. In order to agitate the Union and facilitate a negotiated armistice that would ensure its continued existence, Confederate President Jefferson Davis dispatched lieutenant colonel Jacob Thompson to establish a second front from Canada. Thompson established its headquarters in Toronto and Montréal. He orchestrated assaults to liberate Confederates from Union prison camps, attacked Union ships on the Great Lakes, disrupted the Republican Party convention that was nominating Lincoln to run for president again, and even dispatched agents to set fire to theaters and hotels in New York City. John Wilkes Booth also traveled to Montréal, where he spent a significant amount of time strategizing the assassination of Lincoln.

The St. Albans Raid was Thompson's most significant accomplishment. Confederate agents departed Montréal on 19 October 1864 for St. Albans, Vermont. There, they congregated and harassed the townspeople at gunpoint, robbed banks, and subsequently retreated back across the border. A St. Albans posse that disregarded the boundary pursued them; however, a British soldier intervened and apprehended the 14 raiders. The raiders were released by a Canadian magistrate, and the stolen money was returned to them. Many northern newspapers demanded that Lincoln invade Canada, and Americans were incensed. Nevertheless, the escalation of tensions was mitigated by a new series of arrests and trials. When the conflict was concluding in April 1865, numerous raiders were in custody.