My girlfriend and I got to talking about some Civil War history tonight, and I was wondering how our northern neighbor interacted with us during that time. What were their views on slavery at the time? How did they interact with us? Did they favor one side or the other?
Canada was a part of the British empire and like most British colonies and Britain itself was anti-slavery. Canada had been a safe haven for fugitive slaves since the 1820s and self-emancipated communities grew especially large after the passage of the fugitive slave act made fugitives in the North scared for their future in the USA. American and Confederate spies maneuvered in Canada to some extent, but Canada--like the UK that ruled it--stayed out of the war.