AbstractsHistory

Lord Palmerston's diplomatic partisanship in favor of the Confederate States during the American Civil War, April, 1861 - October 24th, 1862

by Benjamin Sacks




Institution: McGill University
Department: Department of History
Degree: MA
Year: 1927
Keywords: Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Viscount, 1784-1865; United States  – History  – Civil War, 1861-1865
Record ID: 1483002
Full text PDF: http://digitool.library.mcgill.ca/thesisfile19779.pdf


Abstract

Spenser Walpole in beginning his life of Lord Russell says that it is the common practice of biographers to anticipate the story of their hero's life by tracing the achievements of his immediate ancestors; and this custom which is perhaps justified by the increasing attention which thoughtful men are paying to the modern doctrine of heredity may at first sight seem peculiarly applicable to the present memoir, for if the qualities of a man be really derived from his forefathers, the eminence of Lord John Russell may be traced to circumstances antecedant to his birth. So the writer believes it to be a necessary complement in tracing Lord Palmerston's attitude during the American Civil War to trace also the antecedants of that policy and so perhaps anticipate the subsequent attitude. It is with this belief that he has essayed in this thesis to go behind the diplomatic relations during the American Civil War and determine whether there was any evidence previous which would tend to explain his subsequent attitude. Accordingly any event which throws light on his actions has been given due consideration.