Civil War. The war created a dichotomy between conservatives and aristocracies versus a liberal middle class. Due to the fact that the United States was one of the last remaining republics in the world, it was viewed as an experiment. The American war, many observers came to believe, would decide the destiny of democracy, and free labor generations to come (Doyle, 7). British conservatives wanted nothing more than to see the Union fail. They took interest in the war because if it ends in a catastrophe for the Union, it would be “an inexhaustible source of argument in their favor” (Doyle, 69). Sir John Pakington, an arch Tory Mp, warned people that “extreme democracy” would inevitably lead to doom and he used the U.S. as an example. He exclaimed, “Had democracy succeeded? Had extreme democracy contributed to promote the happiness of mankind? Take warning from this country” (96). In other words, if republicanism failed, it would ultimately show that constitutional monarchies like Britain’s would be superior and favorable. In the case of Britain, aristocracies and monarchies would always be pitted against …show more content…
While Lincoln and his administration were preoccupied and distracted with the South, France and Spain used the opportunity to blatantly disregard the Monroe Doctrine and recapture Latin American lands they had lost in the past. Spain’s goal was to recapture the island of Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, and Haiti while Napoleon III wanted to reinstate a monarchy in Mexico, to thwart the expansion and influence of the United States in Latin America (Doyle, 125). The Union was late to actually institute the Monroe Doctrine because they were worried that the French would ally with the Confederates. The Confederates, on the other hand loved the French presence in Mexico because it resulted in a monopoly and supply