- Joined
- Apr 4, 2017
- Location
- Denver, CO
It was the blockade after all.
Lincoln declared his blockade. President Davis had several responses, including embargoing trade with the US. People in Kentucky saw that immediately, and one of the 9 states with enough slaves to secede over, and a wealthy enough economy to make a difference, did not secede. People knew that what no trade with the US would mean, and did not like it in the state of Henry Clay and internal improvements.
River traffic was blocked at Cairo and Columbus. This was a general interruption of the commerce of the Midwest to New Orleans, and New Orleans to New York, and New York to the Midwest. Without this commerce, the very strong revenue system of New Orleans stagnated. Then the US blockaded New Orleans, than they captured the port and its sugar and cotton handling warehouses, and eventually restored down river traffic, at least as to coal and salt.
By the middle of 1862, the US had possession of Kentucky and Missouri, and strong positions in Tennessee, Virginia, and No. Carolina.
In coming traffic from European suppliers was conducted by smugglers. Smugglers charge outrageous prices.
The bigger affect was that in 1863, as the US extended its conquered territory, ordinary people went from inside the blockade zone to back into the regular US trade zone. There was little effort made to get back into the blockade zone. In contrast, Memphis did a good business circumventing the blockade, selling cotton north and bringing salt and clothing into the Confederacy. They did not want to be moved back into the blockade zone.
The blockade runners have to concentrate on items that have a high ratio of value/weight. That excludes railroad iron, but also work clothes, work boots, and farm tools. The plantations and family farms then divert time into making up for those missing items or simply decreasing the work accomplished.
The final affect, mostly invisible, is how many white people refugeed beyond the reach of the blockade. The demographics of the south in 1870 support the inference that refugees went to Texas, Kentucky and US occupied Tennessee. Getting beyond the reach of Confederate conscription and into an area where there was bread to eat may have been the motivation.
When foreign immigration restarted in 1863, and freed people began to support the US military effort, white people in the south had to be responding to the same incentives and voting with their feet.
Lincoln declared his blockade. President Davis had several responses, including embargoing trade with the US. People in Kentucky saw that immediately, and one of the 9 states with enough slaves to secede over, and a wealthy enough economy to make a difference, did not secede. People knew that what no trade with the US would mean, and did not like it in the state of Henry Clay and internal improvements.
River traffic was blocked at Cairo and Columbus. This was a general interruption of the commerce of the Midwest to New Orleans, and New Orleans to New York, and New York to the Midwest. Without this commerce, the very strong revenue system of New Orleans stagnated. Then the US blockaded New Orleans, than they captured the port and its sugar and cotton handling warehouses, and eventually restored down river traffic, at least as to coal and salt.
By the middle of 1862, the US had possession of Kentucky and Missouri, and strong positions in Tennessee, Virginia, and No. Carolina.
In coming traffic from European suppliers was conducted by smugglers. Smugglers charge outrageous prices.
The bigger affect was that in 1863, as the US extended its conquered territory, ordinary people went from inside the blockade zone to back into the regular US trade zone. There was little effort made to get back into the blockade zone. In contrast, Memphis did a good business circumventing the blockade, selling cotton north and bringing salt and clothing into the Confederacy. They did not want to be moved back into the blockade zone.
The blockade runners have to concentrate on items that have a high ratio of value/weight. That excludes railroad iron, but also work clothes, work boots, and farm tools. The plantations and family farms then divert time into making up for those missing items or simply decreasing the work accomplished.
The final affect, mostly invisible, is how many white people refugeed beyond the reach of the blockade. The demographics of the south in 1870 support the inference that refugees went to Texas, Kentucky and US occupied Tennessee. Getting beyond the reach of Confederate conscription and into an area where there was bread to eat may have been the motivation.
When foreign immigration restarted in 1863, and freed people began to support the US military effort, white people in the south had to be responding to the same incentives and voting with their feet.