Canada and the American Civil War facts for kids
When the American Civil War happened (from 1861 to 1865), Canada wasn't a single country yet. Instead, what we now call Canada was made up of different British colonies. These included the Province of Canada (parts of modern southern Ontario and southern Quebec), plus separate colonies like Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, and Vancouver Island. There was also a large area called Rupert's Land, which was run by the Hudson's Bay Company.
Britain and its colonies officially stayed neutral during the war. But there was a lot of tension between Britain and the United States. This was because of events at sea, like the Trent Affair, and when the CSS Alabama was built in Britain for the Confederates.
Most people in Canada were against slavery. Canada had even become the end point of the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. Because Canada and the US shared a long border and had strong economic ties, many Canadians supported the Union side. Between 33,000 and 55,000 men from British North America joined the war. Most of them fought for the Union. Some newspapers and churches in Canada supported the South, while others did not. In 1861–62, there was talk in London about helping to end the war or recognizing the Confederacy. Washington warned that this could mean war. London worried that the Union army might quickly take over Canada.
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What Was the Trent Affair?
In November 1861, problems grew between Washington and London. An American warship stopped a British mail ship called RMS Trent on the ocean. They took two Confederate diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell, from the ship. London demanded that the diplomats be returned and that the US apologize. To show they were serious, Britain sent 14,000 soldiers to Canada and the Maritimes. Canadians also planned to get 40,000 militia ready.
President Abraham Lincoln helped calm the situation. He released the diplomats, but he didn't apologize. He told his Secretary of State, William H. Seward, "One war at a time." After this, the British decided that joining the North American colonies into one strong country was very important. A new, strong dominion would mean Britain wouldn't need to keep so many soldiers in British North America for defense.
Protecting Railways: The Grand Trunk Railway Brigade
As the Civil War raged in the United States, people in Canada worried about the safety of their railways. This led to the creation of the Grand Trunk Railway Brigade in 1862. This special group of Canadian volunteer militia was made up of railway employees. They had infantry (foot soldiers) and artillery (cannon) companies. These units were placed along the railway lines in Canada East and Canada West.
Confederate Activities in British North America
Confederate agents secretly used Canada, especially the Maritimes, as a base. This went against Britain's promise to stay neutral. Some people in the Maritimes wanted to stay independent from Canada. This made them sympathetic to the South's wish to be independent from the North. For example, a merchant from Halifax named Benjamin Wier helped many Confederate blockade runners. These ships tried to get past the Union blockade. In return for ship repairs in Halifax, the Confederates gave Wier valuable cotton. He could then sell this cotton to Britain. This was a risky but profitable business for Wier.
The Chesapeake Incident
On December 7, 1863, a new Union tugboat called Chesapeake was getting ready for duty. It was going to help with the blockade in the South Atlantic. But 17 Confederate agents, pretending to be passengers, took over the ship off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. News of the takeover quickly reached Portland on December 9 and spread fast. Federal officials at northern ports acted quickly.
On December 17, a recently captured blockade runner, the Ella and Annie, caught up with the Chesapeake near Sambro, Nova Scotia. Soon after, the Northern gunboat Dacotah arrived. Its commander stopped Ella and Annie from taking the recaptured tug back to Boston. He worried this would harm relations between Britain and the US. Instead, to follow diplomatic rules, he escorted Chesapeake to Halifax. There, he asked the local court to return the ship to its owner. The court decided the Confederate attack was illegal and gave the SS Chesapeake back to its Union owners. However, the Confederate supporters escaped with help from some people in Halifax. This caused more international tension.
The CSS Tallahassee
On August 18, 1864, the Confederate ship CSS Tallahassee, led by John Taylor Wood, sailed into Halifax harbor. It needed supplies, coal, and repairs to its mainmast. Under neutrality laws, Wood could only stay for 48 hours. He started loading coal at Woodside, on the Dartmouth shore. Union ships Nansemont and Huron were heading towards Halifax. But Wood secretly left the harbor at 9 p.m. on August 19.
It's believed he left through the seldom-used Eastern Passage. This passage is between McNab's Island and the Dartmouth Shore. He used it to avoid any Union warships that might have arrived. The channel was narrow and tricky, with shallow tides. So Wood hired a local pilot named Jock Flemming. All the lights were out, but people on the Eastern Passage mainland could see the dark ship moving through the water. It successfully avoided capture.
The St. Albans Raid
The St. Albans Raid was one of the most controversial events. Montreal was used as a secret base for a group of Confederates. They planned secret operations and gathered information from Canada against the United States. To get money for their cause in October 1864, they raided three banks in St. Albans, Vermont. They took US$170,000. They were chased across the Canada–U.S. border by Union forces. This created a big international problem.
Canadians then arrested the Confederate raiders. But the judge ruled that the raid was an official Confederate government operation, not just a crime. This meant they couldn't be sent back to the US under the Webster–Ashburton Treaty. Many Americans wrongly thought the Canadian government knew about the raid beforehand. There was widespread anger when the raiders were released by a local court in Canada. The U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward told the British government that these actions were "impossible to consider... as either legal, just or friendly towards the United States."
Canadians Who Fought in the War
It's estimated that between 33,000 and 55,000 men from British North America (BNA) fought for the Union army. A few hundred also fought for the Confederate army. Many of these men already lived in the United States. Others were volunteers who signed up in Canada with Union recruiters. Canada also refused to send back about 15,000 American soldiers who had left the army or avoided being drafted.
Calixa Lavallée was a French-Canadian musician. He was a Union officer during the American Civil War. Later, he wrote the music for "O Canada", which became Canada's national anthem in 1980. In 1857, he moved to the United States. He lived in Rhode Island and joined the 4th Rhode Island Volunteers of the Union army. He became a lieutenant.
Canadian-born Edward P. Doherty was a Union Army officer. He led the group of Union soldiers who found and killed John Wilkes Booth. Booth was the person who assassinated President Lincoln. This happened in a Virginia barn on April 26, 1865, 12 days after Lincoln was shot.
Another Canadian-born person, Sarah Emma Edmonds, was a well-known Union spy.
One of the longest-living Canadians who fought in the American Civil War was James Beach Moore. He passed away on August 29, 1931.
Anderson Ruffin Abbott was born in Toronto. His parents were free people of color who had left Alabama. Abbott became Canada's first Black physician. In February 1863, he applied to be an assistant surgeon in the Union Army. His offer wasn't accepted at first. In April, he applied to be a "medical cadet" in the United States Colored Troops. Finally, he was accepted as a civilian surgeon working under contract. He worked in Washington, D.C. from June 1863 to August 1865. He first worked at the Contraband Hospital, which later became Freedmen's Hospital. Then he went to a hospital in Arlington, Virginia.
Abbott received many awards and became popular in Washington society. He was one of only 13 Black surgeons to serve in the Civil War. This helped him become friends with President Lincoln. On the night Lincoln was assassinated, Abbott went with Elizabeth Keckley to the Petersen House. After Lincoln's death, Mary Todd Lincoln gave Abbott the plaid shawl that Lincoln had worn to his 1861 inauguration.
At least 29 Canadian-born men received the Medal of Honor. This is a very high military award.
How the War Affected Canada's Economy
The American Civil War brought a time of great economic growth for the British North American colonies. The war in the United States created a huge demand for Canada's farm products and manufactured goods. Most of these went to the Union side. Shipbuilders and ship owners in the Maritimes also did very well during this wartime trade boom.
How the War Affected Canadian Politics
The American Civil War had a big impact on the politics of the BNA colonies. The tensions between the United States and Britain, made worse by the war and later by the Fenian raids, made people worry about the safety and independence of the colonies. This helped build support for the confederation of the colonies in 1867.
The conflict also influenced how the new country would be set up. Many Fathers of Confederation believed that the Civil War happened because too much power was given to the states. So, they decided to create a more centralized federation. They also thought that too much democracy was a problem. So, the Canadian system was designed with checks and balances. These included the appointed Senate and the powers of the British-appointed Governor-General. The main ideas behind the law that created Canada – the British North America Act – were peace, order, and good government. This was different from the American idea of individualism. It became a key part of Canadian identity.
Images for kids
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Grave of a Canadian soldier who fought in the US Civil War, at Old St. Thomas Church, St. Thomas, Ontario
