The British attacks against the French and the Spanish saw the Americans export over fifty percent of its Military shipments and cargo to the European markets. On May, 1803 Napoleon declared war on the British by invoking the Continental anti-trade policy soon after the selling the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million to the Americans ( Yoo , 2008). The policy barred and captured any British ships transporting goods to British colonies in Europe, which led to the Napoleonic Wars that took place between 1803 and 1815. The booming trade between America and the two warring nations saw them invoke the neutrality law to push America from ceasing all legitimate trade between United States and the European colonies. First of all, the American ships were plundered and seized by both nations. While the French seizures happened close to French controlled ports, the British invoked the 1756 Neutrality that aggravated the situation further by seizing ships around the American shores, an act that violated the American maritime laws. In addition to that, the French took back Louisiana and consequently put plans in place for military occupation. Lastly, the British who initially used impressments to recapture their defecting British soldiers to the American Navy started impressing thousands of American born sailors into joining the Royal Navy thereby risking their lives fighting for the British.
Thomas Jefferson's administration retaliated to these attacks on American economy by enacting an economic embargo on the attacking nations. The embargo banned the export of American raw materials to any of the warring nations and their colonies in order to force them into accepting free trade by neutral nations. The implementation of the embargo was not strong enough and it nearly led to the collapse of the American economy. The patrols by the navy on all water bodies led to Smugglers using rafts to transport goods across the border ( Millett & Maslowski, 2012). Conflict erupted between the smugglers and the colonial militia which led to some deaths. The process of implementing the embargo could have been successful with the support of the local communities. For example, the judicial system and the state governments would have been motivated to prosecute smugglers and resist concealing cargo in the form of food through legal permits and voyages between the American states and the attacking nations.
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According to Yoo (2008) Americas attempt to double its territory by buying Louisiana, and expanding trade outside its borders became difficult after the enforcement of an economic embargo against British and France. The embargo failed because it had little effect on forcing the warring nations into allowing free trade by neutral states. The end result was an increase in crime, Smuggling and rotting ships at the docks that nearly collapsed the American economy and export market.
References:
Millett, A. R., & Maslowski, P. (2012). For the Common Defense . Simon and Schuster.
Yoo, J. (2008). Jefferson and Executive Power. BUL Rev. , 88 , 421.
