Ron Majors presents his award-winning exhibit entitled “Canada/British North America (BNA) – Union and Confederate Postal Cross Border Correspondence during the U.S. Civil War 1859-1867.”
The U.S. Civil War was an uneasy time of relationships between pre-Confederation Canada and both the Union and the Confederacy. The border was virtually open and there were Canadians living in both the Northern and the Southern States. However, once the war commenced, President Lincoln imposed a blockade of the Southern Coast and merchandize and mail to/from the South to Canada (and other countries) virtually stopped. Although mail from the Union and Union-occupied Southern cities was barely affected, there were only a few (and extremely difficult) methods where mail could be delivered to/from the South such as blockade runners, flag of truce, prisoner of war exchange, hand carried, etc.
Ron speaks about how postal communications between Canada and the Union and Confederacy were affected before, during and after the war. Using illustrated and non-illustrated covers and letters, he shows the sentiment of the general public during this time as well typical and atypical means of correspondence that took place. In addition, over 50,000 Canadians fought in the war and communications by military personnel sent cross border and even within Canada/BNA helps to understand the more personal side of the War.
Patriotism flourished during the Civil War and beautifully illustrated patriotic covers were an important symbol used to reflect support and many examples will be shown during this presentation.