Why did the confederate States want Britain and France to recognize them?
Britain was the most powerful country in the world at the time; France was also seen as a major power.Had Britain in particular officially recognized the Confederacy, this would almost certainly have led all the major European powers to follow suit.Britain and France bought the majority of American cotton, so were seen as natural (or,at least, economic allies) by the Confederacy. In a wider sense, international recognition by Britain and France would have given the Confederacy legal status as an independent nation.This would have enabled them to officially negotiate loans, buy arms and supplies overseas, even conclude alliances with other countries.Further, Union interference with foreign merchant ships through the blockade of the Confederate coast would have been a clear act of war,potentially involving the Union in war with other countries. So, recognition by Britain and France would have confirmed the Confederacy, both in the eyes of the world and international law, as a fully fledg
