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== Self-government == |
== Self-government == |
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When |
When the six colonies of the Australian continent [[federation of Australia|federated]] to form a self-governing nation in 1901, Australia favored the British model of government as they had misgivings about America's powerful postwar "monarchical" presidency.<ref>Jupp p.844</ref> Australians also opposed the importation of "coloured labour", in part due to fears of a similar civil war breaking out in Australia.<ref>Irving p.434</ref><ref>Dowling p.73</ref> A further precautionary measure was evident in the addition of the word "indissoluble" to the Federal Constitution of 1897–1898 in [[Adelaide]], to prevent the "political heresy" of secession as engaged in by the Confederacy.<ref>Irving p.329</ref> |
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In 1972 the [[American Civil War Round Table]] of Australia was founded.<ref name="SINC"/> |
In 1972, the [[American Civil War Round Table]] of Australia was founded.<ref name="SINC"/> Its secretary, Barry Crompton, has the largest library dedicated to the American Civil War outside the United States, with over 4,000 pieces as of 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://acwrta.tripod.com/id4.html|title=Group gets Round Table to discuss romance, war|date=February 1, 2005|publisher=The Times|accessdate=2009-02-15}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
Revision as of 22:41, 24 February 2009
Despite being across the world from the conflict, Australia was affected by the American Civil War, economically and by immigration. The almost erupted on Australian soil, just outside of Melbourne.
Accounts disagree as to whether Australians favored the Union or the Confederacy. Sorrowful demonstrations were held in Sydney when news arrived of Abraham Lincoln's assassination.[1][2]
Economics
Together, Australia and New Zealand had 140 citizens who were veterans of the American Civil War, with almost 100 being born in the two countries.[3] Some of these were originally Americans who came to Australia during Australia's gold rush. Officers during the war included one who gave Tasmania its first telegraph service, and another officer who mined for gold in Ballarat.[4]
Confederate blockade runners occasionally supplied themselves in Australia.[4] The Australians had long feared possible naval attack by Americans, a fear rooted in the actions of American privateers during the War of 1812.[5]
The war caused the Lancashire Cotton Famine. As a result, Queensland saw a rise in its cotton industry. Another consequence of the cotton famine was the creation of a National Colonial Emigration Society in Britain, although it had little ongoing relevance. This came about as a result of so many individuals from northern England being affected by the inability of the Southern United States to ship cotton during the war.[6] Once the war ended, little cotton from Southern Australia was imported to England.[7] However, in the aftermath of the war some Australians were interested in acquiring the Fiji Islands and their cotton fields.[8]
Another immigration quirk that was caused by the war was Australia fighting with Canada and New Zealand over increased Irish immigration, as many of the Irish decided against emigrating to the warring nations of North America.[9]
One consequence of the Civil War was the fear of Russians and of the Imperial Russian Navy. During the war the Union and Russia were allies against what they saw as their potential enemy, Britain. Britain on the other hand was willing to support the Confederacy. The Russian blue-water navy was stationed in San Francisco and from 1863 in New York — with sealed orders to attack British naval targets in case war broke out between the United States and Britain. This would happen if Britain gave diplomatic recognition to the Confederacy.
The flagship of the Russian Pacific squadron Bogatyr under Rear Admiral A.A. Popov made a “friendly” visit to Melbourne in early 1863. The likely purpose of the visit was only later revealed to the Australians. According to information passed on to Australian authorities in June 1864, Rear Admiral A.A. Popov had in the first half of the year 1863 received orders and a plan of attack on the British naval ships positioned near the Australian shore. The plan also included shelling and destruction of the Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart coastal batteries.[10] The information was attributed to a Polish lieutenant Władysław Zbyszewski of Bogatyr, who had deserted from service in Shanghai soon after Bogatyr left Australia, and found his way to Paris to join the Polish January Uprising. This information about Popov's plans, true or not, was forwarded by a fellow Pole, a certain S. Rakowsky.[10] Similar attack orders had been given to the Atlantic squadron under Rear Admiral Lessovsky, that was sent to New York at the same time.[11] (see Russian frigate Alexander Nevsky)
The residents of Melbourne, realizing they were vulnerable to attack, hurried to build coastal defense forts, in particular to ward off possible attack by Russia.[12] The government of Victoria requested an ironclad ship to be sent to protect the colony, after the value of ironclads was demonstrated during the American Civil War Battle of Hampton Roads.[13] The monitor HMVS Cerberus was constructed during the late 1860s, and duly arrived in Victoria in 1871.
CSS Shenandoah
The CSS Shenandoah arrived in Australian waters on January 17, 1865. Off the coast of Port Adelaide at 39°32'14"S and 122°16'52" E, her crew spotted an American-made sailing ship named the Nimrod and boarded it. Having ascertained it was an English ship, the Shenandoah left it alone.[14]
On January 25, 1865 the Shenandoah made harbor at Williamstown, Victoria, near Melbourne, in order to repair damage received while capturing Union whaling ships. Waddell sent a Lieutenant Grimball at 7pm to gain approval from local authorities to repair their ship, with Grimball returning three hours later saying they were granted permission.[15] The United States consul William Blanchard insisted that the Victorian government arrest the Confederates as pirates, but his pleas were ignored by Victoria's governor, Sir Charles Henry Darling, who was satisfied with the Shenandoah’s pleading of neutrality when requesting to be allowed to do repairs.[16][17] Aside from a few fist fights, there was no direct conflict between the two warring sides.[18] However, there were eighteen desertions while ashore, and there were constant threats of Northern sympathizers joining the crew in order to capture the ship when it was at sea.[19]
The local citizenry was very interested in the Confederate ship being in Port Phillip Bay. While at Williamstown, James Iredell Waddell, the captain of the Shenandoah and his men participated in several "official functions" the local citizens arranged in their honour, including a gala ball with the "cream of society" at Craig's Royal Hotel in Ballarat and at the Melbourne Club. Thousands of tourists came to see the ship every day, requiring special trains to accommodate them.[16][12][17] After being treated as "little lions", the officers of the Shenandoah later reflected that the best time of their lives was given to them by the women of Melbourne.[18]
After leaving Australia, the Shenandoah would capture twenty-five additional Union whaling ships before finally surrendering at Liverpool, England in November, 1865. Those surrendering included 42 Australians who had joined the crew at Williamstown; sources differ as to whether the Australians were stowaways or were "illegally" recruited.[13][4] However, Waddell did refuse to allow Australian authorities to see if Australians were aboard the ship prior to sailing from Williamstown on February 18. Four Australians were arrested to prevent them from joining the Confederate ships, and Governor Darling allowed the Shenandoah to sail away, instead of firing upon it.[17] Waddell's official report said that on February 18 they "found on board" the 42 men, and made 36 sailors and enlisted six as marines.[15] One of the original Confederate crewman, midshipman John Thomson Mason, stated that they just happened to find the stowaways, of various nationalities, and enlisted them outside of Australian waters. He further said one of the stowaway was the captain of an English steamer that was at Melbourne at the time; the Englishman became the captain's clerk.[20]
Aftermath
In 1872 the British government paid the United States $3,875,000 as a result of the assistance provided to CSS Shenandoah and other Confederate ships in Victoria and other ports controlled by Great Britain, after an international jury ruled on the case in Geneva, Switzerland.[16][21]
Self-government
When the six colonies of the Australian continent federated to form a self-governing nation in 1901, Australia favored the British model of government as they had misgivings about America's powerful postwar "monarchical" presidency.[22] Australians also opposed the importation of "coloured labour", in part due to fears of a similar civil war breaking out in Australia.[23][24] A further precautionary measure was evident in the addition of the word "indissoluble" to the Federal Constitution of 1897–1898 in Adelaide, to prevent the "political heresy" of secession as engaged in by the Confederacy.[25]
In 1972, the American Civil War Round Table of Australia was founded.[16] Its secretary, Barry Crompton, has the largest library dedicated to the American Civil War outside the United States, with over 4,000 pieces as of 2005.[26]
See also
References
Footnotes
- ^ Dowling p.24
- ^ Baldwin p.85
- ^ Crompton, Barry (September 2008). "CIVIL WAR PARTICIPANTS BORN IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND". Archer Memorial Civil War Library & ACWRTA, inc. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ a b c Crompton, Barry (May 2000). "CIVIL WAR LINKS WITH AUSTRALIA". American Civil War Round Table of Australia. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ Levi p.60
- ^ Jupp p.301
- ^ Dowling p.31
- ^ Levi p.58
- ^ Jupp p.451
- ^ a b THE RUSSIAN CORVETTE "BOGATYR" IN MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY IN 1863
- ^ A. V. Efimov (А. В. Ефимов) (1958). "Гражданская война в США и Россия". Очерки истории США. 1492-1870 гг (in Template:Ru icon). Moscow: Учпедгиз. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
{{cite book}}
: External link in
(help); Unknown parameter|chapterurl=
|chapterurl=
ignored (|chapter-url=
suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b Stewart, Paul (January 9, 2005). "Last act of war". Sunday Herald Sun. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ a b Mawbey, Vaughan (February 15, 2005). "Who said war's over?". The Times. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ Thomsen pp.282,283
- ^ a b Thomsen p.283
- ^ a b c d Sinclair, Briar (February 1, 2005). "How we helped south in Civil War". Star News Group. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ a b c Mawbey, Vaughan (February 1, 2005). "When Civil War came to Willi". The Times. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ a b Levi p.61
- ^ Stern p.251
- ^ Mason p.326
- ^ Jupp p.168
- ^ Jupp p.844
- ^ Irving p.434
- ^ Dowling p.73
- ^ Irving p.329
- ^ "Group gets Round Table to discuss romance, war". The Times. February 1, 2005. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
Bibliography
- Baldwin, John (2007). Last Flag Down: The Epic Journey of the Last Confederate Warship. Crown Publishers. ISBN 5557760857.
- Dowling, Edward (2008). Australia and America in 1892: A Contrast. BiblioBazaar, LLC. ISBN 0559173075.
- Irving, Helen (1999). The Centenary Companion to Australian Federation. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521573149.
- Jupp, James (2001). The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521807891.
- Levi, Werner (1999). American-Australian Relations. U of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0816600449.
- Mason, John Thomson (August 1898). The Last of the Confederate Cruisers. Century Magazine.
- Stern, Philip Van Doren (1992). The Confederate Navy: A Pictorial History. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0306804883.
- Thomsen, Brian (2004). Blue & Gray at Sea: Naval Memoirs of the Civil War. Macmillan. ISBN 0765308967.