The Cotton Deals

[Don1946]

(01-04-2014 09:55 PM)JMadonna Wrote:  In a nutshell - Lincoln needed cotton to keep England out of the war. Licenses and permits were granted for certain shippers from NY to keep the trade going. ...

Spot on, as the Brits would say. Jefferson Davis wanted to starve Europe of cotton and force intervention and recognition. He called for a cotton embargo and even burned cotton. The Union blockade actually helped this strategy, but it also put the Union in the position of denying cotton to Europe. Capturing cotton and selling it in the North or abroad helped relieve pressure and alleviate social distress in Europe. Some things just have to be done in war. One of the common scenes as the war progressed was Confederates burning cotton as the Union army took over a city.