USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -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. Ultimately, he chose an economic option to assert American rights: The Embargo Act of 1807.

Detailed explanation-2: -President Thomas Jefferson hoped that the Embargo Act of 1807 would help the United States by demonstrating to Britain and France their dependence on American goods, convincing them to respect American neutrality and stop impressing American seamen. Instead, the act had a devastating effect on American trade.

Detailed explanation-3: -The British then boarded the ship and took four sailors. Jefferson responded to this episode by signing the Embargo Act of 1807. This law prohibited American ships from leaving their ports until Britain and France stopped seizing them.

Detailed explanation-4: -Jefferson’s Embargo Act outlawed trade between America and any foreign port, effectively closing in the American economy. The Embargo Act was one of the major factors leading up to the War of 1812 as it ended up increasing the hostilities that already existed between America and Britain.