MAY 29TH, 1865: Charles Francis Adams, American Minister to Great Britain, claimed that the cruiser policy England had encouraged during the war had destroyed the United States' thriving merchant marine.
In a letter to the British Foreign Minister, Adams held English policy directly responsible for the 110,000 tons of American shipping burned or sunk then went on to broaden the indictment by adding that "the action of these British built, manned and armed vessels has had the indirect effect of driving from the sea a large portion of the commercial marine of the United States."
Although the American flag disappeared from the sea the merchant ships that had flown it (other than the ones destroyed) did not. More than 800,000 tons of American owned shipping was either transferred to foreign registry or sold to foreign shipowners in order to gain shelter of a neutral flag.
Prior to the Civil War, the United States had become the world's leading maritime carrier by both tonnage of bottoms and value of cargo. The Civil War cost the nation this number one position.
For Britain, this was a win-win situation. After all, they supported the Confederacy for the most part. Then to sweep the U.S. flag from the seas, that was just gravy. And, then who would become the #1 merchant fleet?
Sounds Like An idea. --Old B-Runner
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