Alabama Claims Documents
Collection
Identifier: MSS-4160
Scope and Contents
The collection contains historical documents relating to the Geneva Award claims which were the result of a post Civil War action by the US government against the British government for damages suffered by American merchant ships, primarily whalers, resulting from attacks by the CSS Alabama and other Confederate ships.
Dates
- 1870-1886
Creator
- Crapo, William Wallace (Person)
Biographical / Historical
The Alabama Claims were a series of suits sought by the U. S. government against the British government in 1869 for the attacks on American merchant ships by the CSS Alabama and other Confederate warships. Despite its neutrality, Great Britain did little to stop the sale of several ships built in private British shipyards to the Confederacy. These ships, the most famous being the CSS Alabama, converted into warships and armed outside of Britain, became commerce raiders that created havoc with the American merchant marine fleet.
After the war, the U. S. government and private citizens sought restitution from Great Britain, claiming millions of dollars of damage and loss at the hands of these cruisers, particularly the Alabama. In 1871, Hamilton Fish, President Ulysses S. Grant's Secretary of State, worked out an agreement with British representative to create a commission in Washington comprising six members from the British Empire and six from the United States, with the assignment to resolve the Alabama claims. Representatives of the two governments met in Geneva to argue their cases before an international tribunal, the first of its kind. The tribunal session was held in a reception room in the Town Hall of Geneva, Switzerland (the room has since been known as salle de l'Alabama.). The final award of $15,500,000 formed part of the Treaty of Washington and was paid out by Great Britain in 1872. The United States in turn paid to Great Britain $1,929,819 for illegal Union blockade practices and ceded fishing privileges.
On March 8, 1871, the Treaty of Washington was signed at the State Department; it was ratified by the U.S. Senate on May 24, 1871.
The Treaty of Washington established the principle of international arbitration and launched a movement to codify public international law with the hopes of finding peaceful solutions to international disputes.
After the war, the U. S. government and private citizens sought restitution from Great Britain, claiming millions of dollars of damage and loss at the hands of these cruisers, particularly the Alabama. In 1871, Hamilton Fish, President Ulysses S. Grant's Secretary of State, worked out an agreement with British representative to create a commission in Washington comprising six members from the British Empire and six from the United States, with the assignment to resolve the Alabama claims. Representatives of the two governments met in Geneva to argue their cases before an international tribunal, the first of its kind. The tribunal session was held in a reception room in the Town Hall of Geneva, Switzerland (the room has since been known as salle de l'Alabama.). The final award of $15,500,000 formed part of the Treaty of Washington and was paid out by Great Britain in 1872. The United States in turn paid to Great Britain $1,929,819 for illegal Union blockade practices and ceded fishing privileges.
On March 8, 1871, the Treaty of Washington was signed at the State Department; it was ratified by the U.S. Senate on May 24, 1871.
The Treaty of Washington established the principle of international arbitration and launched a movement to codify public international law with the hopes of finding peaceful solutions to international disputes.
Extent
0.2 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Overview
Historical documents relating to the Geneva Award claims
Provenance
gift of Lawrence, Marcia, and Micaela Schuffman and Theodore B. Robinson, 2015
General
To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. Email us at archives@ua.edu if you find mistakes or have suggestions to make this finding aid more useful for your research.
Processed by
Martha Bace, 2015
Source
- Schuffman, Marcia (Donor, Person)
- Schuffman, Lawrence (Donor, Person)
- Robinson, Theodore B. (Donor, Person)
- Schuffman, Micaela (Donor, Person)
Creator
- Crapo, William Wallace (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Alabama Claims Documents
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- November 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository