Lincoln and Seward-- Part 6: Dealing With France and Mexico and Accomplishments After Lincoln's Death.

From the  McHenry County Civil War Round Table.

The British, for their part, would stop construction of any "suspicious ship."  It slowed up construction on the ram "Stonewall" to the point that it arrived into Confederate service too late.  The other Laird ram was sold to Egypt.

Then there was the diplomatic problem of the French, with Emperor Maximillian in Mexico.  This was clearly a flouting of the Monroe Doctrine figuring the United States would be too busy with the Civil War to do much about it.

Lincoln and Seward determined that it would fall apart of its own accord and determined to just sit it out and not send troops or put pressure on it.

Their efforts in foreign policy paid off.  No foreign country intervened or ever recognized the Confederacy.

William Seward continued to serve the country after Lincoln's death.  He bought Alaska from the Russians, negotiated a treaty with Nicaragua to build the canal connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.  He also established an Open Door policy with China and worked on making Midway Island and Hawaii U.S. territories in the Pacific.

Our speaker had mentioned that Seward was wealthy and even had three slaves before he went to Washington.  I asked what became of the slaves and found out that after New York freed slaves they became house servants.

--Old Secesh