In April 1861, the United States declared a state of insurrection against the Confederacy of rebellious southern states. In Europe, the ordeal was referred to as "The American Question." The question could not be evaded; a choice had to be made between neutrality and intervention. European attitudes towards the American Civil War would have a significant effect on the war's ultimate outcome (Randall and Donald 355).
Throughout the early months of the conflict, the reaction of Europe was of great interest to both sides; Queen Victoria's Great Britain, in particular. Would Queen Victoria recognize Confederate independence? Such recognition would legitimize the Confederacy and provide it with allies who could furnish weapons and supplies the Southern cause desperately needed (Davis 197).
At the outbreak of the war, most foreigners were poorly informed about America, according to Leslie Stephen in 1865:
The name of America five years ago, called up to the ordinary English mind......

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Title: England And The American Civil War
Approximate Word Count: 1711
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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