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Explore the historic challenges America faced with Britain and France, encountering piracy in the Mediterranean and seizing of American sailors. Witness pivotal events such as the War with Tripoli, the daring destruction of The Philadelphia, and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair. Discover how Jefferson navigated American neutrality and trade embargoes in the face of foreign threats. Learn about Macon's Bill No. 2 and the Non-intercourse Act in the context of international relations.
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Troubles with Britain and France Chapter 11 Section 3 Pages 368-371
Piracy in the Mediterranean: • America began trading with China, Africa, and Argentina • Pirates of the Barbary Coast States caused trouble with this trade • They captured crews, and cargo; demanding payment for protection
War with Tripoli: • Jefferson refused to pay the tribute and Tripoli declared war on the United States • Jefferson did not want to declare war because the constitution did not specifically give him that power • He ordered the navy to blockade (close off trade) the port of Tripoli
The Philadelphia: • The American war ship The Philadelphia ran aground • Pirates captured its captain and crew • Commodore Edward Preable Ordered the ship to be destroyed • At night Americans boarded the ship and set it on fire • This was called “the most daring act of the age”
Popularity: • This war demonstrated the need for the United States to maintain a navy • Proved to other countries that America would fight to protect its intrest
American neutrality challenged: • Jefferson declared the United States to be neutral during the Napoleonic Wars • However, both Britain and France declared that they would close off American trade to their enemy • They began seizing American trading ships
Seizing American Sailors • The British began taking sailors from American ships – this was known as impressment • The british navy claimed that the American sailors were the Kings subjects • Some of the people they seized were deserters (people who had left British ships to sail on American ships)
The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair: • Chesapeake- American trading ship • Leopard- British War ship • The leopard opened fire on the Chesapeake killing crew members and capturing 4 • Jefferson continued to refuse to declare war because he knew the United States was not ready for war with the greatest sea power in the world
A Ban on Foreign Trade • Jefferson decided to fight back by declaring an embargo (official government ban on trade) • He hoped this would hurt French and British war efforts • This prohibited all American ships and their cargo from leaving the United States and became known as the Embargo Act
The embargo act • This hurt American trade and Jefferson's popularity • People tried to avoid the embargo act by shipping their goods through Canada • One year after the passing of the Embargo act, sailors flew their flags at half mast and paraded through the streets to funeral music to protest the act
Settling the Embargo Act: • Jefferson decided not to run for a third term for president • His successor was James Madison, former secretary of state • Just before he left office Jefferson and Congress repealed the Embargo Act • They replaced it with the Non-intercourse Act (allowed America to trade with any nation except Britain and France)
The Non-intercourse Act • Was less harmful to American traders • However, it did not help Britain and France to respect Americas rights as a nation • Macon’s Bill No. 2 - Stated that if Britain or France agreed to respect the right of America to remain neutral, they would cut off trade with the other one.