Was The Second War For Independence - 1199 Words

During the last few years of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, he was surrounded by conflict. Britain and France had been at war for several years. During the battle of Trafalgar, in 1803, Britain destroyed what was left of the French navy. Napoleon took steps to attack British trade. â€Å"The result was called the Continental System, designed to close the European continent to British trade† (Brinkley, 171). Britain had established a blockade requiring cargo being delivered to Napoleon’s Europe be aboard a British or neutral countries ship, â€Å"†¦precisely what Napoleon’s policies forbade† (Brinkley, 171). The War of 1812, also known as the â€Å"Second War for Independence†, was not caused by one definite reason but there were many factors that†¦show more content†¦When word of the account began to surface in the United States, Jefferson and Madison attempted to sustain peace by endeavoring to cease any future incidents. Jeffe rson â€Å"expelled all British warships from American waters† (Brinkley, 172). Later on in the year, Jefferson passed the Embargo which â€Å"prohibited American ships from leaving the United States for any foreign port anywhere in the World† (Brinkley, 172). The shortage of foreign trade caused a severe depression. When Jefferson’s term came to an end, he disposed of the Embargo officially by â€Å"approving a bill ending his experiment with what he called the â€Å"peace coercion† (Brinkley, 173). The Non-Intercourse Act replaced the Embargo and resumed trade with all nations except Great Britain and France. As Madison was President in 1810, the Act expired and was replaced with Macon’s Bill No. 2 which allowed open trade once again to Britain and France. The President then had the authority to prevent commerce with either country if they â€Å"continue violating neutral shipping laws after the other had stopped† (Brinkley, 173). Napoleon Bonaparte convinced Madison and Congress to reinforce an Embargo against Britain. Napo leon claimed France would cease interference with American shipping. In 1811, an Embargo against Great Britain went into effect. The Embargo eventually swayed England to revoke