How surprised were the British in the American civil war?

The one thing the British were not afraid of in the nineteenth century was the navy of any other country on earth.

It is not a case of backing off. The Confederacy tried very hard to get Britain (and France) to recognise them as a separate country; using cotton as a bargaining chip.

However, though cotton was in short supply to an extent, Britain never seriously considered intervention, or even covert support. Had the Confederacy not consisted of slave states, this attitude might've been different, but as it was support for the Confederacy was impossible.

Surprised? I don't think they were really surprised about anything. And as far as I know, the navy had nothing to do with it.

Some British people and politicians wanted to intervene in the Civil War on the side of the South because British cloth manufacturers depended on Southern cotton. But England was never really close to deciding to join the war.

After Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, that ended it. The British were not about to intervene on behalf of the South once the war became a fight to end slavery.

The British did not help the South. Following the Emancipation Proclamation Jan. 1,1863, any thoughts that England might come in on the side of the Confederacy ended.