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War of 1812
government. Almost a century before the incident Britain had stopped instructing the commanders of its ships to search foreign naval vessels for deserters. President Jefferson made sure that the incident would continue to be an issue by demanding the end to impressment as well as restitution for damages suffered by the United States during the Chesapeake incident. The British were not about to give in to the impressment demand. The British finally made reparations for the Chesapeake incident but it was too little too late. The Chesapeake affair remained a sore point until the United States declared war. We must consider it a major catalyst in that final declaration.
President Jefferson and Secretary of State Madison felt the United States could change the policies of the European powers by economic means. This belief came from Jefferson's idealism and American experience in dealing with the British using economic boycotts before the Revolution. We must also assume their awareness of United States military unpreparedness played a part as well. Their belief resulted in the Embargo Act. It sought to stop all United States merchant vessels from sailing from United States ports and virtually forbade commerce with any foreign nation.
The Embargo adversely affected all regions of the United States and all segments of the economy. But it merchant vessels from sailing from United States ports and virtually forbade commerce with any foreign nation. The Embargo adversely affected all regions of the United States and all segments of the economy. But it severely hit the New England shipping interests resulting in major hardships for many coastal towns. With cotton prices falling by fifty percent, it also hit the South very hard forcing many planters out of business.
The Embargo resulted in a depression that all but paralyzed the U.S. economy. The intent was for it to do this to the British and French economies but this did not happen. The Embargo complimented Napoleon's Continental system. It also had virtually no affect on the British economy. Brazil and the Spanish colonies opened to British trade about the same time the Embargo started. This had the effect of offsetting any impact the loss of American trade might have had on the British economy. The Embargo actually helped British policy in many ways and it stopped any help the French may have received from American shipping.
The failure of the Embargo was a terrible blow to Jefferson. It caused many of smuggling which flourished along the Canadian border. The effects on the maritime capabilities of the nation were disastrous. The merchant fleet was rotting in port while American seaman sought work where they could find it. This quite often meant the Royal Navy. Where before the Embargo the British could not man their navy now they had a ready pool of out-of-work sailors. Jefferson showed his contempt for a blue-water navy when he wrote to his friend Thomas Paine [next page]