Member-only story
The Bill That Would Have Annexed All of Canada For The United States
Thus creating one of the largest nations on Earth
After the Civil War, the United States was engulfed by a wave of anti-British furor. Citizens of the victorious Union were incensed over the perceived British support for the Confederacy. The British Empire flirted with openly acknowledging the Confederacy for years. Many British ships and captains ran the Union blockade and smuggled goods for the South. The Confederacy also bought ships and arms from the British during the war. All of this information came to light after the conclusion of the conflict.
The United States wasn’t exactly on rosey terms with the British during the 1860s, and many average people saw the British as the United States’ longtime enemy. A recent influx of Irish immigrants also fueled the anti-British sentiment. The Irish had no love for the English, and as they showed up by the boatload, they brought their hatred for the English with them.
Picking up on this sentiment, many politicians were all too happy to cash in. Congress was awash in controversial bills during Reconstruction. Intermixed with new civil rights bills, military occupation strategies, and post-war budgets were anti-British bills. Political red meat to be thrown to the anti-British masses.
