Letters Across the Atlantic: William Henry Gregory and the Ill-Fated Confederate Bid for British Recognition Public
Craver, Benjamin (Spring 2025)
Abstract
When the American Civil War began, the Confederate states launched an extensive diplomatic effort aimed at seeking recognition as a legitimate nation from the major European Powers. The most significant of these efforts was directed towards the United Kingdom, where Southern diplomats received support from a number of British sympathizers. One of these individuals was named William Henry Gregory, a wealthy Anglo-Irish Member of Parliament. Gregory, through his travels, had developed close relationships with several Confederate statesmen and became a powerful advocate for British support of the Southern cause. This thesis explores why the Confederacy did not succeed in gaining British recognition by analyzing the Gregory Family Papers, a collection of letters sent to Gregory from his Confederate associates and like-minded British individuals primarily between the years of 1861 and 1865. Through a microhistorical approach, this study uses these correspondences to examine Confederate diplomatic outreach. This thesis is structured around three key themes. Chapter I examines how misinformation and rhetorical strategies weakened the effectiveness of Confederate diplomacy. Chapter II explores the Confederacy's “King Cotton” strategy and the miscalculations that undermined its success. The final chapter discusses British liberalism and its role in shaping the United Kingdom’s perspective of the Confederacy. Through close analysis of the Gregory Family Papers, this thesis sheds new light on the limitations of Confederate foreign policy and highlights the broader transatlantic forces that shaped British neutrality.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter I: Letters of Unshaken Faith 8
Chapter II: The Great Gamble on Cotton 23
Chapter III: Reform and Rebellion 36
Conclusion 46
Bibliography 49
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