Icy Blasts to Balmy Airs: British North America and Lincoln’s Assassination

On the evening of April 13, 1865, Washingtonians of all stripes celebrated the end of the Civil War. The city, reported the Evening Star, was all ablaze with glory. The very heavens seemed to have come down, and the stars twinkled in a sort of faded way, as if the solar system was out of order and the earth had become the great luminary. . . . Far as the vision extended were brilliant lights, the rows of illuminated windows at the distance blending into one, and presenting an unbroken wall of flame. . . . high above all towered the Capitol, glowing as if on fire and seeming to stud the city below with gems of reflected glory as stars light upon the sea. Away to the right a halo hung over the roofs, rockets flashed to and fro in fiery lines, and the banners waved above the tumultuous throng, where shots and cheers rolled up in a dense volume from the city, and with the increase of the grand conflagration, drifted away to the darkness of the surrounding hills.2The Confederacy for all intents and purposes lay dead. Four years of slaughter, despair, devastation, sacrifice, and uncertainty evaporated as a wave of unparalleled optimism and hope washed over Washington, D.C., and the Union. Abraham Lincoln rose the following morning in an uncharacteristically splendid mood. He eagerly chatted with his wife, Mary, about the future, and rejoiced at the return of his eldest son, Robert, from the war. A westerner by birth and character, Lincoln eagerly wished to see California, to marvel at “the production of her gold mines, and to say in person to [the] citizens [of California], ‘God bless you for your devotion to the Union.’”3 He never got the chance, for the day ended in tragedy with Lincoln’s assassination in Ford’s Theatre at the hands of John Wilkes Booth.Devastation replaced hope and optimism. Caroline Cowles Richards of Canandaigua, New York, no doubt spoke for many northerners when she noted, “One week ago tonight we were celebrating our victories with loud acclamations of mirth and good cheer. Now everyone is silent and sad and the earth and heavens seem clothed in sackcloth. The bells have been tolling this afternoon. The flags are all at half mast, draped with mourning, and on every store and dwelling-house some sign of the nation’s loss is visible.”4 Although few bells rang in the South, for there were few bells to ring, southerners appeared to mourn. In New Orleans, Sarah Morgan observed that “to see a whole city draped in mourning is certainly an imposing spectacle, and becomes almost grand when it is considered as an expression of universal affliction. So it is, in one sense. For the more violently ‘secesh’ the inmates, the more thankful they are for Lincoln’s death, the more profusely the houses are decked with the emblems of woe.”5As news of Lincoln’s assassination swept the world, it mourned. Austria expressed the “deepest indignation” at the assassination. Brazil shared the “infinite pain thus inflicted upon American citizens.” China reeled with “inexpressibl[e] shock.” Egypt expressed “detestation of the abominable crime.” On Africa’s Gold Coast, “all true sons of Africa mourned for the cruel and untimely fate of President Lincoln.” Horror enveloped England as “every public body in the British nation, . . . express[ed] their feelings of horror on learning of the dastardly murder of Abraham Lincoln.”6 Yet the most visceral, and surprisingly underinvestigated, reactions to Lincoln’s assassination emerged in British North America.The British North American colonies, later Canada, were and continue to be so deeply embedded in the American consciousness that they often escape reflection. This certainly holds true for Lincoln scholars. While Canadian scholars offer sprinklings and often disjointed glimpses of Lincoln, his assassination, and his meanings for British North Americans and later Canadians, American and international scholars have mostly focused on American or European nations to the exclusion of British North America.7 A case in point is Richard Carwardine and Jay Sexton’s edited collection, The Global Lincoln. Of seventeen chapters and 307 pages, only a sentence fragment on Canadian Confederation appears in Eugenio F. Biagini’s essay on connections between Lincoln, Italy, and Germany.8 The colonies, despite having the closest geographic proximity, tightest blood ties, and most deeply enmeshed history with the Republic, remain conspicuously absent in scholarship about Lincoln. Lincoln’s assassination loomed large in British North America. The ensuing reaction took on, for the most part, what in twentieth-century terms might be called the cult of celebrity and the spectacle of public mourning.President Andrew Jackson’s passing in 1845 and his ensuing public funeral in New York City unleashed unprecedented public mourning and commemoration within the United States.9 Colonial newspapers, however, are silent on not only Jackson’s funeral but also colonial reactions to it. Conversely, the December 1861 passing of Prince Albert barely caused a ripple in American daily life, for as the New York Times stated, it was “without political significance” and “we do not participate in their grief.”10 While colonists mourned for a man the Toronto Globe described as “of great worth, noble principles, and of sound judgment,” public mourning, perhaps because Prince Albert’s death occurred in the middle of the Trent Affair and news reached colonial ears only after his funeral, was rather muted in comparison with public colonial grieving over Lincoln.11The colonies responded to Lincoln’s assassination on a massive and unprecedented scale disproportionate to the esteem they held for Lincoln while he lived. British North Americans engaged in a surprisingly frenzied and frenetic outpouring of public grief and collective mourning of a man many disliked and few knew. 12 The horrifying nature of Lincoln’s death gave birth to a cult of celebrity and the tight ties of blood, history, and geography uniting the colonies and the Republic explain the profound colonial reactions to his death. Such reactions helped thaw icy relations between the Union and the colonies and craft new, meaningful, and lingering images of Lincoln.In the antebellum era, the British North American colonies initially seemed to favor the North. With slavery abolished and colonial courts refusing to extradite fugitive slaves to the United States, the colonies became a haven for runaway slaves, including Josiah Henson, “Uncle Tom” in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous novel.13 The colonies also hosted John Brown who, in 1858, planned his raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, from Chatham, Canada West. In the aftermath of the raid, the Globe applauded Brown for jeopardizing “liberty and life for the advancement of an alien and despised race.”14 By 1860 few British North Americans had heard of Lincoln, and the Ottawa Citizen expressed surprise that the Republicans had “thrown [William H.] Seward over for Lincoln, a fourth-rate Illinois lawyer.”15 The Globe, however saw Seward’s rejection and Lincoln’s election as typical, for “again has a great American party rejected the chief exponent of principles, to adopt an inferior and less known man as its candidate for the presidency.”16 When war broke out, however, the Globe vocally declared support for the Union, stating in 1861, “We cannot wish for the success of the Southern rebellion in the interest of the slave, and furthermore we object to the separation of the Republic in the interest of Canada.”17 The Quebec Morning Chronicle initially shared the Globe’s perspective. But as the “deplorable struggle” unfolded, “clouds of doubt and uncertainty” began to creep, the Chronicle argued, into the minds of British North Americans revealing that the war was really “simply one between the mob law and tyrannical abuse of the North against the constitutional freedom and the right in proper representation of the South, and a somewhat sudden revulsion of feeling displayed itself” toward not only the North but toward Lincoln, who “seem[ed] to have become the mere mouthpiece of the Northern rowdies.”18Perhaps in part because of these mixed articulations, the colonies swirled with anxiety, ambivalence, and uncertainty. Prior to Fort Sumter’s fall and throughout the war, northern newspapers printed and northern political tongues wagged with annexation threats.19 Thomas D’Arcy McGee, no doubt reflecting on events in 1812, warned the British North American public that the “shot fired at Fort Sumter was the signal gun of a new epoch for North America which told the people of Canada, more plainly than human speech can ever express it, to sleep no more except on their arms—unless in their sleep they desire to be overtaken and subjugated.”20With rumors of annexation and British North Americans in the Union and public the Trent Affair on The Union of British in the of British North America to a toward the While the colonies for war against the Union, British North Americans in the Union for of Canada spoke for many when he that he never an against have in the American not a Colonial Although Lincoln’s good and the war, and in colonial of and the of and in British North America between the Union and the The New York Times on that or good toward in the North is a of the in in and the ensuing of in British North America by the Union an between the Union and the colonies and the colonies into an newspapers the by if the colonies to extradite the the to the United the that the not and the of in British North and the in American newspapers and political The New York for Americans to their hands the Canadian be no more than or about the by the that the the for on to to Canada, where the be of the of the for in at the and a of in his having to Canada, these as a of escape from the nature of this over relations between the colonies and the Union became The of the of some of the and of the of the to American Lincoln, in and to the rather than of Lincoln’s assassination the on and over the Colonial reactions initially the from to and from to The for the for to a of on Lincoln in their of the Toronto city and against a of to the American we the by it. have our but we had of to to our to of and more horrifying to colonial than these were who celebrated and the assassination. that after the news of the death had been in and their to “the of the in of in a public a in of the in which a at the . . . that Lincoln had only to a his Lincoln’s to was by British Canadian American between President Lincoln’s death and death but of the for a The 1865, of Quebec that the Union for the on by Lincoln’s a on her to The Lincoln as a for to the on for it to the day to to the of colonial the assassination by on the of Lincoln and the The Thomas to Lincoln’s of and as a in his an assassination that the was was for or for one colonial which the to but was most the Toronto or the Quebec Morning that Lincoln’s death the of to the A in with a and the United the to and to a man who and this of one of the the has He his Toronto Lincoln’s assassination as for “the of in the by the and of the Northern The of New that for the assassination in the and tyrannical . . . Lincoln’s to the Prince he was for than be The Northern a more that at the of the its desire for the of slavery a for the most and on, to the of their if a and war, in to the of the of the the assassination somewhat and seemed to be of a for Lincoln’s death a and surprisingly and in most British North Lincoln never the colonies, his colonial to and his was Yet his death unleashed an unprecedented wave of mourning in part to the ties of blood, history, and geography between the colonies and the and in part to the cult of celebrity surrounding Lincoln. the New York is no in the history of a whole of to the of the of a the news of the were and it was one universal expression of horror the A of the of while in “the news . . . of John the news as and when there no be doubt of its they were for a almost have the colonies our but one feeling is at the of this the to the mourning enveloped the colonies and colonial and almost Lincoln’s as a and The Globe no doubt spoke for many when it expressed Lincoln’s death as that of a or Chronicle the loss of Lincoln on a universal for has her its and one of its Prince the Lincoln’s assassination to that of and his death as to the of a Colonial and Lincoln’s death their for Abraham Lincoln of that and the of and from colonial and his The of President Lincoln as “the his on the news of Lincoln’s assassination and Lincoln’s death as that of a and of Colonial and expressed their to American on the horror at the murder of President but expressed that Lincoln’s assassination not . . . the of The John of declared the assassination against the of a against and and a unparalleled in the of history for the horror and of its Such in from to that in the of British North Lincoln’s death held in the colonies, however, on Colonial and and of the Union. British North America in of of the great of assassination, and for the in its bells mourning in public took to the to their In Americans that had or might over the of the your grief is from the as of the of the we with you the with which you have been and we that all events for his you and The of Canada held a and to express and with the American and the human of of Canada for a funeral in of Lincoln and to a of mourning for as a of to the of the of in Canada his that the of the that “all of in to political be American and Canadian citizens in with only of the President . . . in of the with the of upon the their were and the colonies the of the mourning public mourning public and bells and flags at In the reported that many were draped in many citizens on their . . . the to the a funeral was the draped in and the in of the out in a by a of which was at the with a On were the British and American flags draped in The whole had a very Canada the mourning of the day and displayed “every of and on the . . . . . . were hung with flags at the colonies, as a of and Lincoln’s funeral In and Canada in and Quebec Canada in in John and New in Prince and in in of has been for great nation, our and of our blood and declared the Evening of British North America in public to to Lincoln. In of every with Americans in to the of a great and good The of Canada at the for “the . . . for many years on every public they expressed at the and dastardly murder of Abraham and for that be from the of hosted a of the and most that ever within the wall of the with of all of political the as as the of the “the in was on the and the assassination as an and which the Republic, the world, of a great man and in their desire to express to great nation, our and of our blood and our upon the loss of its of and most on the part of his for on . . . the as we they for on a one, were to we have the one, in its that in no of has been In to the colonies where the Union ended and British North America one of Canada the might have they were in New York or with the American the colonies, bells and Union at American flags birth and to an in grief over the colonies In for the the people of for “the expression of the and of a and that it be by the and people of the United The citizens of were for for the great loss this has . . . by of and the of their flags at New York Times reported that “the between the icy and of and the of the of is not than the in public toward the United the New York not to good in of that the have for the which has on their for that a death has the of the Republic, public has somewhat with to the of the The reported that the outpouring of grief we are to an in the The stating that the which have been to the of their chief and as their becomes known to the people of the United States, we the feeling to and the of that which has the people of Canada to for their Lincoln’s death and colonial reaction the Republic and the colonies in shared public which helped thaw relations and between the This and of icy relations not a lingering in the While Lincoln’s cult of celebrity British North Americans to in death, celebrity to in antebellum haven for the colonies so after the Civil and began to In a of as Josiah John and John their out his years as a the his his death in in a with his on the of Canada and New York as the for in the in the colonies, with as John John and John and the was a they were most for as the is a of great to the that they can offer the of their and the of the British to so many is not that in this and British North Americans to in his on from Fort Virginia, into to his their and and his to however, the and British North in part by his and that his had from point to his in in of as the President with cheers and to hands with as the In Toronto the as and at at the of as “all the in the large of Canadians, their to President with the most by his the with to the of the and was only for the that the man in the and of celebrity his to of the for to the out the with their and the of and at “the the up and as was out of the . . . a large that by and Toronto for his celebrity as the whole were at the to many by to see one not only to the from his high public but cruel and by the after he into their has his a in every as as every was also a large who were to their for the and with and the of the and the A of the to the of as and British flags and the up and gave his only speech on Canadian He “the . . . to . . . that true British to which is and be the of Canada, for she has the for many of as she is an to hope that Canada remain a part of the British and bless you and the British never to wave over and cheers for as the the and including and helped in for “the and of the Southern at the On a production of The and with cheers and were in the waved their and the loud and from to . . . The of and as the that so to and to his “We to see the a at which there was a from the The of the heard in the Theatre by the stated, as many had wish England had the South, and her from her and her from While and the New York Times and the The “the for . . . of with and “of as the The Times at Canada for to a by the and by who his however, but a He of his in the colonies with his and his to after his Such in to the and of for the less and nature of Canada where the into the in where his American by and his British North Americans and by for the Southern Northern to more than as a murder all of the cheers and the colonies on following the Civil his death of the reactions or of grief that Lincoln’s assassination. celebrity faded over or the nature of his death, as to Lincoln’s assassination, for less Although most in the colonies news of death, few or the of the Confederacy in the that the newspapers of had for to Canada following her death. The Toronto reported that held very to the her and her by after the war ever her to upon as and their of Canada was a of for the of Yet on death, the newspapers the as they but to on it in it is rather than Abraham Lincoln, who a in Lincoln no on Canadian in a more his assassination and the outpouring of grief from the colonies, occurred between the new of Canada and the Republic over the Thomas D’Arcy assassination, the Seward’s to British and the of to a Yet relations and to Canadians, in of great On Lincoln’s in hosted a With “the with American and American from the life of Lincoln as to the of the The on that called for Canadians, and all the people of the to . . . in to the of be the of the Canada on the on the Lincoln to the to and Lincoln, the of On the of Lincoln’s and in the of the Evening the that Lincoln held for in that by a over this of the new Lincoln, the of and of the of also the Canada celebrated Lincoln’s at the of the in that has become part of in . . . are in our our the to the stating the of in to the of the man who, above all the of the and is at in the of that are to and This is of the of the people of this in of their as Canada the of a of do not do we to this however, that it to be In the of in the on separation and the on Canada for an Abraham Lincoln to the “We are not but not be have it not our of Canadian blood the of to to this we are in . . . to for who have the and for his and The the of also the of a new at Canada which is in of who in the Civil War. doubt Lincoln’s be and at the because of his death and the and to it, Lincoln to the Canadian The mourning on by his assassination in public collective public mourning by not only his horrifying death and ensuing celebrity but also the tight ties of blood, history, and geography uniting the colonies and the Republic in to Lincoln in death became perhaps what he was not or might not have been in the great the universal and the of images of Lincoln in the aftermath of his assassination helped thaw relations between the Union and British North America and certainly in some to the between the United and While celebrity with his death, Lincoln in death perhaps in the Canadian consciousness he in

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