The British, however, tended to take anyone who could pass as a British soldier – unless the sailor could prove his American citizenship. In order to retrieve the deserters, British "press gangs" came aboard American ships. After witnessing the horrors of war with France, many British sailors deserted His Majesty's navy and enlisted in the American merchant marines. ImpressmentĪlthough not restricted to the presidential administrations of Jefferson and James Madison, the on-going impressment of American sailors became a key issue for the United States during the Napoleonic Wars. Ultimately, he chose an economic option to assert American rights: The Embargo Act of 1807. After the Chesapeake Affair in June 1807, pitting the British warship Leopard against the American frigate Chesapeake, President Thomas Jefferson faced a decision regarding the situation at hand.
Controversial measures included British impressment of American men and seizure of American goods. As time went on, British harassment of American ships increased.
These restrictions also disrupted American trade and threatened American neutrality. The warring nations of Britain and France both imposed trade restrictions in order to weaken each other's economies. The diplomatic neutrality of the United States was tested during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).
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