When Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address in 1863; he had broader aims than simply rallying a war-weary nation. Lincoln realized that the Civil War had taken on a wider significance—that all of Europe and Latin America was watching to see whether the United States; a beleaguered model of democracy; would indeed “perish from the earth.â€In The Cause of All Nations; distinguished historian Don H. Doyle explains that the Civil War was viewed abroad as part of a much larger struggle for democracy that spanned the Atlantic Ocean; and had begun with the American and French Revolutions. While battles raged at Bull Run; Antietam; and Gettysburg; a parallel contest took place abroad; both in the marbled courts of power and in the public square. Foreign observers held widely divergent views on the war—from radicals such as Karl Marx and Giuseppe Garibaldi who called on the North to fight for liberty and equality; to aristocratic monarchists; who hoped that the collapse of the Union would strike a death blow against democratic movements on both sides of the Atlantic. Nowhere were these monarchist dreams more ominous than in Mexico; where Napoleon III sought to implement his Grand Design for a Latin Catholic empire that would thwart the spread of Anglo-Saxon democracy and use the Confederacy as a buffer state.Hoping to capitalize on public sympathies abroad; both the Union and the Confederacy sent diplomats and special agents overseas: the South to seek recognition and support; and the North to keep European powers from interfering. Confederate agents appealed to those conservative elements who wanted the South to serve as a bulwark against radical egalitarianism. Lincoln and his Union agents overseas learned to appeal to many foreigners by embracing emancipation and casting the Union as the embattled defender of universal republican ideals; the “last best hope of earth.â€A bold account of the international dimensions of America's defining conflict; The Cause of All Nations frames the Civil War as a pivotal moment in a global struggle that would decide the survival of democracy.
#577654 in Books 1999Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 2.00 x 6.00l; 1.95 #File Name: 0465013708736 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Dense read but great premise.By FanterIntersting premise to a fascinating topic. This book details the sectarian motivations which caused the English Civil War; American War of Independence and American Civil War. Phillips weaves several fascinating themes through each period; arguing that they in part drove the Anglo-American world dominance that we are still experiencing today.This is a refreshing and un-apolgetic take on Anglo-American ascendancy which contribts to the cannon of American History.It is however; quite dense and rather academic. Not for the fans who want easy to read history. Enthralling nonetheless this book contributed to my understanding of the cultural underpinnings of our great nation.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Really religious wars?!By Josef the English MajorI'm about half way through and became enthusiastic enough to order A World on Fire to complete the English American connection. Since we now live in the Appalachian mountains; I am curious about the Scots and the Irish. I was most surprised by the anti-Catholic slant to the war to win the Ohio valley. Why the Protestants should be afraid of bishops is as mystifying as it is humorous.Addendum in April: I still haven't finished the book but I have learned so much about the Scots Irish immigrants in the Appalachians. He explains why they were there and the history of their time in Ireland. As I read into the section on the Civil War; I am cross referencing with an excellent book - The Southern Cross- which tries to find out why abolitionists moving south became defenders of the slave owners. In the Southern Cross she thinks the reason was economic and social; needing the local Episcopal plantation owner's permission to meet and his seasonal feasts were the only decent meals some of the plantation workers ever had.Phillips explains the theological defense of slavery was part of the second awakening -"the elite southern denominations" but he doesn't say what those were. I would think Episcopalian for sure; and maybe Presbyterians or Southern Baptists - I think this is where many denominations split on the issue. I know the Episcopalians split as well. When I finish the book; I'll write more.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Never thought about it like thisBy John T.The author puts facts out that were never shown to me in any history class. The view we had was the North was united and the South became united after the Union forces invaded Virginia. He shows the relationship got started all the way back in the English Civil War and with the coming to America the old feelings came too. They also intensified. It made me read more carefully so that I would not miss all the author had to offer. For the person who wants to see more deeply into why America is the way it is I recommend this book and this author.
