Why did gret Britain and France refuse to get involved in the civil war?

Answer 1

Because both these countries had abolished slavery years before, and could not be seen to fight to defend slavery in America.

That is why Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation - to turn the Civil War into a war on slavery (which it hadn't been originally), to keep out the British and French.

NEW ANSWER:

At the beginning of the Civil War, Southern leaders hoped that Europe and nations, such as England and France would be forced to support the Confederacy because their textile industries depended on the cotton which came from the South. The efforts of Southern statesmen to persuade the European powers to help the Confederacy came to be called "cotton diplomacy."

As a result of cotton diplomacy, Britain and France allowed the Confederacy to have several armed warships built in their shipyards. But the South never won European recognition of the Confederacy as an independent nation or obtained major aid.

Northern grain had become important in Europe, which had suffered several crop failures. At the same time, Southern cotton was increasingly replaced by cotton from India and Egypt. The Emancipation Proclamation made the Civil War a fight against slavery. The proclamation deeply impressed those Europeans who opposed slavery.

Answer 2

Britain remained neutral in the Civil War out of self-interest. Both the North and South were important trading partners, and taking a side would have jeopardized trade with the other side.