In Armageddon's Shadow: The Civil War and Canada's Maritime Provinces

Graham Adams, Jr., is a professor of American history at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.

Few events in history have so captured the imagination of laymen and
scholars alike as America’s Civil War. Greg Marquis’s study of
Maritime Canada during this era illuminates a hitherto neglected phase
of the conflict.

Maritimers initially favored the Union side, especially since Britain
had abolished slavery in the empire. A Northern blockade of Southern
ports adversely affected Maritime shipping, however, and a series of
Union defeats swayed public opinion toward the Confederacy. When a U.S.
ship stopped the British vessel Trent and removed two Confederate
envoys, Maritimers regarded the act as a violation of British neutrality
on the high seas. Yet, as Marquis notes, the war actually proved a
blessing, since an increasingly industrialized North developed an almost
insatiable demand for Maritime lumber, agricultural products, and
shipbuilding. Blockade running and smuggling, both historic Maritime
activities, enjoyed a profitable rebirth. Eventually a string of major
Northern victories induced Maritimers to renew their support of the
Union.

Many Maritimers participated in the hostilities, particularly those who
had recently emigrated to the States. Most volunteered out of patriotism
and sympathy for the Union. They served in all branches of the army and
navy; some commanded regiments but most fought as infantrymen. They did
not enlist because they wished to abolish slavery. Contrary to
traditional opinion, Marquis observes, Canadians proved no less racist
then Americans. Lack of economic opportunity and white hostility
impelled thousands of blacks to embark for Africa. Those who remained
found themselves excluded from holding public office or serving on
juries, and subjected to social segregation.

Marquis makes an important contribution to our understanding of this
overlooked aspect of the Civil War. Impressively researched, the
book’s tendency toward excessive detail occasionally clogs the
narrative. While some Canadian historians have discounted the importance
of America’s Civil War on the evolution of Canada, Marquis stresses
that for almost five years Maritimers lived “in Armageddon’s shadow
and it touched many of their lives deeply.” This book will stand as
the definitive work in its field for the foreseeable future.