The influence on Canada of the American Civil War

By MPP Toby Barrett

To The Haldimand Press

This August we saw the fifth US Civil War re-enactment at Circle G Ranch, east of Cayuga. On September 13, 2019 re-enactors of the ‘Blue and Grey’ will go to battle in Otterville.

The American Civil War had a tremendous influence on the British North American colonies, and continues to be of mind.

At the onset of the Civil War, Canada did not yet exist as a federated nation. When the war broke out in 1861, Canada was still a subject of Great Britain and had maintained an uneasy peace with its American neighbours since the War of 1812.

William Seward, the American Secretary of State during the Civil War, was an annexationist who felt that British North America was destined to become part of the United States. As it became obvious that the North would emerge victorious, there was a fear the Union army would turn its eyes north of the border.