XIII. Neutral Rights

1. XIII. Neutral Rights Jefferson’s Foreign Troubles Read Pages 209-215 (Omit the section on Lewis and Clark)

2. XIII. Neutral Rights • A. Impressments and Trade Bans • The Barbary States of North Africa • Morocco • Algiers • Tunis • Tripoli • Seizing American ships in Mediterranean Sea

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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