Friend or Foe: Foreign Diplomacy in 1861 Civil War America

At the beginning of the American Civil War, as the looming threat of succession hung over the Union, the United States government was commencing its efforts to seek out allies to aid in reuniting the nation. More importantly, they were searching for an answer to whether or not foreign aid would be provided to the Confederacy. In 1861, the State Department began navigating the murky depths of foreign diplomacy in an attempt to ward off foreign intervention. Desperate to preserve a nation, Secretary of State William H. Seward embarked on a political journey to seek new alliances and prevent unwarranted intervention. By examining official communications from the United States State Department, Seward and his deputies, dutifully crafted a narrative that sought Russia as a ally and attempted to stave off Britain from becoming an interventionist in support of the Confederacy.