AHC: The British intervene in the American Civil War... On The Union's Side

[Socrates]

TBH I doubt that would happen. The Confederates were fighting to defend a pretty oppressive social system, but they weren't moustache-twirling supervillains.

It was an unstable government in a losing war. That sort of situation can be ripe for a random leader coming in. You get a more brutal military general who has seen an escaped slave rape a family member and that could easily happen.

And I would say chattel plantation slavery is probably the next worse thing to mass slaughter in human history. It's a lot worse than a 'pretty oppressive social system'.

 

[Derek Jackson]

Actual genocide would have been unlikely. From their perspective (which was evil and wrong) it would be the equivalent to an industrialist burning down their factory without any insurance

 

[DougM]

Picture a bunch of slaves revolting and killing a bunch of slave holder families while the “Menfolk” are off to war. That kind of think could end up with a LOT of dead slaves. Add in the CSA representation in England telling the Prime Minister to stick it in his ear when called in to explain the genecide and you could easily see the Royal Navy sailing for America
As for getting “permission” from the Union. One I doubt they would ask. More like.
“Dear Lincoln the CSA is commuting Genecide and just told me where to go and to take my Wueen with me. As a result I am sending the Fleet to teach them manors. So do be a nice potentate and keep out of the way will you? Your the Prime Minister
Now if I ou want to claim Lincoln has an option go right ahead. But England has a long history of not asking permission of anyone so I don’t think Lincoln not wanting them is going to matter to them at all if the get upset.
And with the Largest Navy around Lincoln is sure not going to chance upsetting them and turning them from an alie into a foe. Lincoln was many things suicideal was not one of them.

What you will never get is the Union asking for help. First off as many other threads point out it is all but ASB for the North to Lose so the don’t really need help. And in order for England to be willing to help the south would have had to something so drastic that England is probably going to enter the war no matter what the US says about it.
Thus my reasoning for how it would happen. The CSA does something monumentally stupid and ticks off England (and with the Queen and PMs of the time that is not impossible to do) and England sends in the Fleet to spank them for thier bad behavior

 

[James Ricker]

A Confederate raider operating in the Caribbean takes an American vessel with British citizens on board. The vessel is taken to New Orleans where several of the British citizens are sold into slavery.
A bad Confederate response to the situation, complicated by the fact the British know what happened to their citizens and the Confederate government does not.