The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland remained officially neutral throughout the American Civil War (1861–1865). ... The British elite tended to support the Confederacy, but ordinary people tended to support the Union.
Why did the British get involved in the Civil War?
The reason behind Great Britain's involvement within the American Civil War was primarily economic interest. In the mid-nineteenth century, a vast majority of the world's cotton was produced within the Southern States of America.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland remained officially neutral throughout the American Civil War (1861–1865). ... The British elite tended to support the Confederacy, but ordinary people tended to support the Union.