Question

In your own words, explain cotton diplomacy

Answer 1

The cotton diplomacy was a set of diplomatic methods that were used by the Confederate in order to achieve the involvement of European nations like England and France into the US Civil War. Considering that the main export of the southern states was the cotton (Known at the time as King Cotton) and these countries from the old continent were heavily dependent on it for war, the north decide to focus their strategy on blocking the cotton trade, thinking the measure would force Brittish and French to negotiate with them and join their side on the Confederate War, but the south issued an embargo on the Cotton trade to Europe. Neither efforts were effective as France and Great Britain decide to maintain the neutrality on the North Americans armed conflict and opted to get their cotton from other countries like India and Egypt.