XIII. Neutral RightsJefferson’s Foreign TroublesRead Pages 209-215(Omit the section on Lewis and Clark)

XIII. Neutral Rights A. Impressments and Trade Bans

The Barbary States of North Africa Morocco Algiers Tunis Tripoli

Seizing American ships in Mediterranean Sea

A. Impressments & Trade Bans Washington and Adams had been willing

to pay “protection money” to Barbary States to assure safe passage

Jefferson was also willing until Tripoli increased their demand

1801 Jefferson blocked Port of Tripoli Peace won in 1805 ending the Barbary

War

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. With more land and more farmers,

America was producing a surplus that needed to make it to a new market From 1793-1807, Europe (at war) was the

market Britain captured ships most of French

merchant ships France couldn’t supply their colonists in W.

Indies and sugar exports couldn’t be shipped

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. The “Re-export” Business

American merchant ships intervened Picked up cargoes in W. Indies and off-

loaded in American ports Reshipped cargoes to France as if they were

American products (and back the other way)

American trade soared from $300,000 in 1790 to $59,000,000 in 1805

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. Additional benefits to the U.S.

American shippers grew wealthy Invested in the infrastructure

Wharves Warehouses Ships Housing

Boosting the construction trades in seaports US trade grew as Americans also traded

their products w/France & W. Indies

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. The British caught on to the scam and

they weren’t happy Re-export system helped the French

economy which provided funds for Napoleon’s army

US was quickly becoming G. Britain’s #1 trade competitor

British ships began to retaliate

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. British ships began confiscating goods

from US ships and impressing American sailors into service on British ships By 1812, about 6,000 American sailors

were impressed into service on British warships

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. Federalists

Viewed impressments as unfortunate co-lateral costs of doing business on the high seas

Trade w/Britain more imp. Than re-export trade w/France

Dem-Rep Felt British actions

insulted Americans Threatened US’s

economic growth Remember, Dem-

Rep favored strong economic growth through small, family farms

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. Great Britain goes too far

Attacked US Warship, Cheasepeake and impressed US naval personnel into service

US OUTRAGED Federalists and Dem-Republicans agreed

A. Impressments and Trade Bans cont. Jefferson wanted to avoid war w/Britain

US Navy too small to challenge Britain Jefferson didn’t want to invest additional $

Paying down national debt Keeping taxes low

Jefferson feared a strong military would be a threat to the Republic

Jefferson asked Congress to authorize an embargo against Britain

What is an Embargo? an official ban on trade or other

commercial activity with a particular country

Congress ordered all ships to remain docked at port

What did Jefferson hope to accomplish? He expected to break the British, but they

just found other markets in S. America Jefferson had to admit failure

B. War Hawks Young Southerners and Westerners elected

to Congress in 1810 were ready for war with Britain Resented American economic issues that

resulted from impressments and embargo Resented national humiliation that resulted

from impressments and failure of embargo to break Britain

Resented British encouragement of Native American Indian hostilities