Alabama Claims
Encyclopedia
The Alabama Claims were a series of claims for damages
by the United States government against the government of Great Britain for the assistance given to the Confederate
cause during the American Civil War
. After international arbitration
endorsed the American position in 1872, Britain settled the matter by paying the U.S. $15.5 million for damages done by several warships built in Britain and sold to the Confederacy, thus ending the dispute and ensuring friendly relations.
and did significant damage to the American merchant marine.
Lord Palmerston and Foreign Secretary
Lord John Russell
had allowed the Alabama to put to sea from the shipyards of John Laird Sons and Company in Birkenhead
, despite the explicit objections of the American Legation in London and charges from the American Minister
to Britain
Charles Francis Adams
that the ship was bound for the Confederacy. Though both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary were thought to favor the Confederacy at the time of Alabama's construction, this position was against British public opinion and MPs such as Richard Cobden
campaigned against it. The subsequent release of the Alabama proved to be publicly embarrassing, and Palmerston and Russell were later forced to admit that the ship should not have been allowed to depart, despite the opinion of the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
that her release did not violate neutrality.
Even so, the next year two ironclad warships under construction in Birkenhead
and destined for the Confederacy were detained after their completion but before their launch. As a direct consequence of the flap over the Alabama, rather than turn the ships over to Monsieur Bravay of Paris
(who had ordered their construction as intermediary for Confederate principals), Palmerston instructed the British Admiralty to tender an offer for the purchase of the ships.
In the particular case of the Alabama the United States claimed that Britain had violated neutrality by allowing the Alabama to be constructed, knowing that it would enter into service with the Confederacy
.
There were other particulars as well. In the summer of 1862, the British-built warship Oreto, later renamed the CSS Florida
, was delivered to Nassau
in the Bahamas with the intention of its being transferred to the Confederate Navy. British Admiral George Willes Watson
(1827-1897) aided the transfer, and Watson's actions were considered by the tribunal.
, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, originally wanted to ask for $2 billion, or alternatively the ceding of Canada
to the United States. When American Secretary of State William H. Seward
negotiated the Alaska Purchase
in 1867, he intended it as the first step in a comprehensive plan to gain control of the entire northwest Pacific Coast. Seward was a firm believer in Manifest Destiny
, primarily for its commercial advantages to the U.S. Seward expected British Columbia
to seek annexation to the U.S. and thought Britain might accept this in exchange for the Alabama claims. Soon other elements endorsed annexation, Their goal was to annex British Columbia
, Red River Colony
(Manitoba), and Nova Scotia
, in exchange for the dropping the damage claims. The idea reached a peak in the spring and summer of 1870, with American expansionists, Canadian separatists, and British anti-imperialists seemingly combining forces. The plan was dropped for multiple reasons. London continued to stall, American commercial and financial groups pressed Washington for a quick settlement of the dispute on a cash basis, growing Canadian nationalist sentiment in British Columbia called for staying inside the British Empire, Congress became preoccupied with Reconstruction, and most Americans showed little interest in territorial expansion.
, worked out an agreement with British representative Sir John Rose in Washington to create a commission consisting of six members from the British Empire and six members from the United States to resolve the Alabama claims, refinancing, and other international disputes between Canada and the United States by treaty.On March 8, 1871 the Treaty of Washington
was signed at the State Department and the United States Senate ratified the treaty on May 24, 1871.According to the treaty, an international arbitration
tribunal met in Geneva. The treaty included the settlement process for the Alabama Claims, settled disputed Atlantic fisheries and the San Juan Boundary (concerning the Oregon
boundary line). Britain and the United States became perpetual allies after the treaty, with Britain having expressed regret over the Alabama damages.
Negotiations had taken place in Suitland, businessman Samuel Taylor Suit's
estate, and the tribunal session took place in a reception room of the Town Hall in Geneva
. This is now named salle de l'Alabama.
The final award of $15,500,000 formed part of the Treaty of Washington
and was paid out in 1872.
, and launched a movement to codify public international law with hopes for finding peaceful solutions to international disputes. The arbitration of the Alabama claims was thus a precursor to the Hague Convention
, the League of Nations
, the World Court
, and the United Nations
.
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
by the United States government against the government of Great Britain for the assistance given to the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cause during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. After international arbitration
International arbitration
International arbitration is a leading method for resolving disputes arising from international commercial agreements and other international relationships...
endorsed the American position in 1872, Britain settled the matter by paying the U.S. $15.5 million for damages done by several warships built in Britain and sold to the Confederacy, thus ending the dispute and ensuring friendly relations.
The CSS Alabama
During the American Civil War, several warships that became Confederate commerce raiders (the most famous being the CSS Alabama) were built in BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and did significant damage to the American merchant marine.
British political involvement
The British Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Lord Palmerston and Foreign Secretary
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
Lord John Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, KG, GCMG, PC , known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was an English Whig and Liberal politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century....
had allowed the Alabama to put to sea from the shipyards of John Laird Sons and Company in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, despite the explicit objections of the American Legation in London and charges from the American Minister
United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
The office of United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom was traditionally, and still is very much so today due to the Special Relationship, the most prestigious position in the United States Foreign Service...
to Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
Charles Francis Adams
Charles Francis Adams, Sr.
Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
that the ship was bound for the Confederacy. Though both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary were thought to favor the Confederacy at the time of Alabama's construction, this position was against British public opinion and MPs such as Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden
Richard Cobden was a British manufacturer and Radical and Liberal statesman, associated with John Bright in the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League as well as with the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty...
campaigned against it. The subsequent release of the Alabama proved to be publicly embarrassing, and Palmerston and Russell were later forced to admit that the ship should not have been allowed to depart, despite the opinion of the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
that her release did not violate neutrality.
Even so, the next year two ironclad warships under construction in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
and destined for the Confederacy were detained after their completion but before their launch. As a direct consequence of the flap over the Alabama, rather than turn the ships over to Monsieur Bravay of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(who had ordered their construction as intermediary for Confederate principals), Palmerston instructed the British Admiralty to tender an offer for the purchase of the ships.
The claims
The United States claimed direct and collateral damage against Britain, the so-called Alabama Claims.In the particular case of the Alabama the United States claimed that Britain had violated neutrality by allowing the Alabama to be constructed, knowing that it would enter into service with the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
There were other particulars as well. In the summer of 1862, the British-built warship Oreto, later renamed the CSS Florida
CSS Florida (cruiser)
CSS Florida was a cruiser in the Confederate States Navy.Florida was built by the British firm of William C. Miller & Sons of Toxteth, Liverpool, and purchased by the Confederacy from Fawcett, Preston & Co., also of Liverpool, who engined her...
, was delivered to Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
in the Bahamas with the intention of its being transferred to the Confederate Navy. British Admiral George Willes Watson
George Watson (Royal Navy officer)
Vice Admiral Sir George Willes Watson KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station.-Naval career:...
(1827-1897) aided the transfer, and Watson's actions were considered by the tribunal.
Payment
Senator Charles SumnerCharles Sumner
Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, originally wanted to ask for $2 billion, or alternatively the ceding of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to the United States. When American Secretary of State William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
negotiated the Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
in 1867, he intended it as the first step in a comprehensive plan to gain control of the entire northwest Pacific Coast. Seward was a firm believer in Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
, primarily for its commercial advantages to the U.S. Seward expected British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to seek annexation to the U.S. and thought Britain might accept this in exchange for the Alabama claims. Soon other elements endorsed annexation, Their goal was to annex British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Red River Colony
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on of land granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. The colony along the Red River of the North was never very successful...
(Manitoba), and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, in exchange for the dropping the damage claims. The idea reached a peak in the spring and summer of 1870, with American expansionists, Canadian separatists, and British anti-imperialists seemingly combining forces. The plan was dropped for multiple reasons. London continued to stall, American commercial and financial groups pressed Washington for a quick settlement of the dispute on a cash basis, growing Canadian nationalist sentiment in British Columbia called for staying inside the British Empire, Congress became preoccupied with Reconstruction, and most Americans showed little interest in territorial expansion.
Treaty of Washington
In 1871, President Grant's appointed Secretary of State Hamilton FishHamilton Fish
Hamilton Fish was an American statesman and politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York, United States Senator and United States Secretary of State. Fish has been considered one of the best Secretary of States in the United States history; known for his judiciousness and reform efforts...
, worked out an agreement with British representative Sir John Rose in Washington to create a commission consisting of six members from the British Empire and six members from the United States to resolve the Alabama claims, refinancing, and other international disputes between Canada and the United States by treaty.On March 8, 1871 the Treaty of Washington
Treaty of Washington (1871)
The Treaty of Washington was a treaty signed and ratified by Great Britain and the United States in 1871 that settled various disputes between the countries, in particular the Alabama Claims.-Background:...
was signed at the State Department and the United States Senate ratified the treaty on May 24, 1871.According to the treaty, an international arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
tribunal met in Geneva. The treaty included the settlement process for the Alabama Claims, settled disputed Atlantic fisheries and the San Juan Boundary (concerning the Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
boundary line). Britain and the United States became perpetual allies after the treaty, with Britain having expressed regret over the Alabama damages.
The tribunal
The tribunal was composed of representatives:- Britain: Sir Alexander CockburnSir Alexander Cockburn, 12th BaronetSir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, 12th Baronet Q.C. was a Scottish lawyer, politician and judge. A notorious womaniser and socialite, as Lord Chief Justice he heard some of the leading causes célèbres of the 19th century.-Life:Cockburn was born in Alţâna, in what is now Romania and was then...
- U.S.: Charles Francis AdamsCharles Francis Adams, Sr.Charles Francis Adams, Sr. was an American lawyer, politician, diplomat and writer. He was the grandson of President John Adams and Abigail Adams and the son of President John Quincy Adams and Louisa Adams....
with William Maxwell Evarts serving as counsel - ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
: Federico SclopisFederico SclopisFederico Sclopis di Salerano was an Italian statesman and jurist, best remembered for his role in the unification of Italy and his adjudication in the Alabama claims.-Life:... - SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
: Jakob StämpfliJakob StämpfliJakob Stämpfli was a Swiss politician and member of the Swiss Federal Council .He was elected to the Federal Council of Switzerland on 6 December 1854, and handed over office on 31 December 1863... - BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
: Marcos Antônio de Araújo, 2nd Baron of ItajubáItajubáItajubá is a city and municipality in southeastern Minas Gerais state of the Federative Republic of Brazil.It lies in a valley by the Sapucaí river and has terrain elevations ranging from 827 to 1500 metres, occupying an area of 290.45 km2 , with a population of approximately 86,000 people...
.
Negotiations had taken place in Suitland, businessman Samuel Taylor Suit's
Samuel Taylor Suit
Samuel Taylor Suit was a Maryland politician and landowner. Suit was born in Bladensburg, Maryland, the son of innkeeper Fletcher Suit. At age 14 he left home and traveled first to Keokuk, Iowa, and then to Louisville, Kentucky. In Kentucky Suit became involved in distilling whiskey, eventually...
estate, and the tribunal session took place in a reception room of the Town Hall in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. This is now named salle de l'Alabama.
The final award of $15,500,000 formed part of the Treaty of Washington
Treaty of Washington (1871)
The Treaty of Washington was a treaty signed and ratified by Great Britain and the United States in 1871 that settled various disputes between the countries, in particular the Alabama Claims.-Background:...
and was paid out in 1872.
Legacy
This established the principle of international arbitrationArbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
, and launched a movement to codify public international law with hopes for finding peaceful solutions to international disputes. The arbitration of the Alabama claims was thus a precursor to the Hague Convention
Hague Conventions (1899 and 1907)
The Hague Conventions were two international treaties negotiated at international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands: The First Hague Conference in 1899 and the Second Hague Conference in 1907...
, the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, the World Court
World Court
* any of the international courts located in The Hague:**the International Court of Justice , a UN court that settles disputes between nations...
, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
External links
- Geneva Arbitration, from the Cyclopaedia of Political ScienceCyclopaedia of Political ScienceThe Cyclopaedia of Political Science, Political Economy, and the Political History of the United States by the Best American and European Writers was an encyclopedia edited by John J. Lalor, first published in New York in 1881 by Maynard, Merrill and Co.....
- CartoonCartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
s from Harper's WeeklyHarper's WeeklyHarper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...
:- "John Bull’s Neutrality", 1 November, 1862
- "King Andy", 3 November 1866. Note that the medallion worn by Secretary of the Navy Gideon WellesGideon WellesGideon Welles was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869. His buildup of the Navy to successfully execute blockades of Southern ports was a key component of Northern victory of the Civil War...
is engraved with the number "290", the original dockyard numbder for the Alabama. - "The Apple of Discord at the Geneva Convention", 5 October 1872
- "Columbia Lays Aside her Laurels", 9 November 1872. Note that the "laurels" laid aside are those won at the Geneva arbitration.
- Great Britain and the American Civil War Op. cit. at Project GutenbergProject GutenbergProject Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". Founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart, it is the oldest digital library. Most of the items in its collection are the full texts of public domain books...
- La salle de l'Alabama in the Hotel de Ville, Geneva