Why did France EVER support America in it's bid for freedom?

Question

Why did France assist the Union in it's attempt to hold the United States together during it's Civil War?

Answer 1

Both France and England needed Southern Cotton. Their textile industries were booming at the time and the sudden loss of cheap Southern Cotton was a bit of a problem. The Union Blockade was keeping the South was shipping cotton to either of the two and of course kept them from supplying the South with badly needed armaments.

France and England both toyed with the idea of lending recognition to the Confederacy as both a way to get the resources they needed and to weaken the potential power of the United States.

The only problem was Slavery. Neither France or England could openly support a regime that codified slavery.

Southerners should have heeded Pat Cleburne's 1864 Proposal which would have had the South free the slaves and arm them to fight for the South and their own freedom. Such a move might possibly have allowed France and England to support the Confederacy.

But alas Jefferson Davis and others allowed their dark racist side to compel them to reject such notions and in the end damning the Confederacy in the eyes of the rest of the world.

In some ways it is the saddest moment in the history of the Confederacy. Cleburne and so many other officers (who cared nothing for the institution of slavery) saw the struggle of the South as that of a new nation and were more than willing to do away with Slavery if by doing so they could prevail against the North. Sadly, those who embraced the twisted notion that one man is inferior to another prevailed and denied the Confederacy any hope of enduring.

Answer 2

What?

Where did you get that? You need a history lesson, because France really had nothing to do with the US during the Civil War era, other than them trying to oppose the English. They did however play a much larger part during the Revolution, so you have your wars backwards.

The US and France have been nipping at each other since the 1700's pal. France helped us during our revolution, seeing it as an opportunity for them to one up the English.
A few years later, the French revolutionaries came to the United stated asking for help to overthrow their monarchy. The United States was in fact an ally to the French Monarchy that helped the US revolt against the English. This was the first foriegn policy dilemma the US ever faced.

Fast forward... 1941. France is occupied by Germany. They put all their faith in guns pointed at Germany that would not turn, and an "impassible forrest". The Germans went right through that Forestation and around the guns. When it came time to free France, thousands of soldiers gave their lives to rid the Germans from France. Once free, the French Celebrated. To this day however, France has never issued a thank you to those thousands of troops and their families. Thousands of English and American gave their lives to free France with death tolls on bothg the English and American side reaching into the tens of thousands!

Lets look again a few years later. France lost "French Indo-China", later known as Vietnam. Do you want to guess how many American soldiers lost their lives in the mess France made there?

Since then France's government has done nothing but seem to stand against the English and Americans. My most recent example would have to be in the war on terror. The UK, Poland, Austrailia, and USA all gave their troops and resources to get the Taliban out of Afghanistan. The same countries have stood together against Saddam Hussein with no help from the French. Then the world was shocked that France thought of themselves as the ones who should have the billions of dollars in contract money for the rebuilding of these countries.

Now hopefully you have a better idea and understanding why the Americans have a distaste for the French, and don't think it's only Americans. The English don't like the French either.

Answer 3

The answer to this question actually goes back to the 1780s. Luis XVI was a huge supporter of the United States in our revolution against our soverign king. This was not because he thought that people should rebel against their king, but rather because England was the historic enemy of France. France and England were actually at war at that time, and the American Revolution was seen as a side-show war. France thought that by supporting the US, it would harm her enemy, England.

Here's where the real irony comes in. After the overthrow of the French Monarchy in 1789, the people of France continued to support the US. They saw our revolution against our king as akin to their revolution against theirs; despite the fact that Louis had supported us. This is why France gave the statue of liberty to the US. It was a sign of anti-royalism. At the same time, the Bourboun Monarchy was trying to re-establish itself in France.

Twenty years earlier, during the American Civil War, France was actually considering supporting the South, not the North. So was England. This is because both nations had trade interests (i.e. cotton) in the South. However, once the emancipation proclamation was signed, this ended all hope for France or England helping the South. The only reason that they didn't help the South more in the beginning was their opposition to slavery. Now that the Union had taken an anti-slavery stance, this forced France into Lincon's pocket.

Answer 4

Because, France considered the USA an ally against England at the time. The English were supporting the Confederates.

Answer 5

The British were considering joining the South to protect the cotton trade (even though slavery was already illegal in Britain), and France has always wanted to pick the other team from Britain. We didn't assist the South in the end, though, because we were ideologically in kind with the North.

Answer 6

France didn't support the Union. They took the opportunity during the civil war to invade Mexico. It was Russia that put its Navy along the coast keep Europe at bay.

Answer 7

yes France supported us in our own revolution in 1776. Remember Lafayette? The French aid provided us in the Civil war was mostly talk. No French troops were involved.

Answer 8

The British were helping the Confederacy, so France contributed to the Union. It was a sort of proxy war.

Answer 9

Wanted to get back at the British for the French and Indian war. GOOD LUCK=)

Answer 10

It wanted to undermine the British and the British supported the South, kind of.