The topic I chose was how did The American Civil War affect economic and diplomatic decisions of European Powers. I chose this topic because of my interest in how the Civil War affected foreign countries. Overall, I thought it was a very researchable topic that would still be completable.
Finding research on the topic was difficult, but not impossible. Searching online was very effective in finding primary sources and valid information. I used various government sites, along with other Civil War sites. These proved to hold valuable information, and was the sole base of my project.
The difficulty of the research was finding valid information. Many of the websites I had found online lacked credibility and primary information. These poor sites were easily avoided using filters, and reliable sources were found and used instead. A problem with the project was the development of the website and building the paragraphs. I would not yet call myself skilled in the art of computer programming and web design, as I struggled to properly format the website, and present it in a professional way. Furthermore, I programmed the entire website myself, and have only learned the basics of HTML and CSS from by trial and error and the help my Uncle Steve gave me.
The research and information I had found was disappointing, yet very obvious. I was expecting to see articles upon articles of Austro-Hungary, Italy, France, Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and other countries stating how their economies were in peril because of the Civil War. Of course, this is not the case, for no foreign country actually intervened. The information was disappointing, for the effects were very limited and had no long term affects to the United States or Europe as a whole. Still, if Europe was economically effected, it could have meant a totally different scenario in the world we know today.