Henri Mercier and the American Civil War

As French ambassador to the United States from July 1860 through December 1863, Henri Mercier was in an excellent position to observe, report, and influence the events of those crucial years. Through a description of Mercier’s diplomacy, Professor Carroll gives a new account of the Civil War—the tenacious nationalism of the Lincoln-Seward government, the French economic distress caused by the loss of the cotton trade, the continental perspective on the War, the men and society of Washington and Richmond. He shows, in particular, that while maintaining friendly relations in Washington, Mercier seriously considered French recognition of the South, and intervention if necessary. Professor Carroll outlines the French peace proposals of 1862 and 1863, and also Mercier’s ingenious plan for a North-South common market.

Originally published in 1971.

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