A Union Spy's Mission to Stop the Confederates From Building a Secret Navy in Britain

History Unplugged Podcast · Feb 21, 2023 · 36m

In 1861, just as the Civil War began, the leaders of the Confederacy soon realized they were outmatched when it came to military might, especially in terms of Naval power. (For example, the U.S. Navy had 42 commissioned ships as of the start of the year—the Confederacy had 1.) And the Northern states had much more industrial might in order to get more ships built. With such a stark advantage, the Union was able to form a naval blockade that could choke the Confederacy militarily, and also economically.

The leaders of the Confederacy realized that the only way to outfit a strong navy was to…