Embargo

a prohibition of commerce by national authority, laid in various forms and at various times from 1794 until 1815. Upon the declaration of war between France and Great Britain in 1793, each government ordered the seizure of neutral ve els bound for the ports of the other. This caused great excitement in the United States, and the first embargo was laid March 26, 1794, to continue for thirty days and afterward prolonged to sixty. In consequence of the depredations of England and France upon the neutral commerce of the United States, the non-importation act was pa ed April 18, 1806, prohibiting trade with Great Britain and her colonies, but it did not go into effect until December 4. On December 22, 1807, Congre , at the instance of Mr. Jefferson, pa ed an embargo act, prohibiting the sailing of any merchant ve el from any American port, save coasters. The act was extensively evaded. The embargo failed to bring either England or France to terms, and meanwhilc it inflicted great injury on the shipping interest and the export trade of the United States. On February 28, 1809, an act was pa ed repealing the embargo, and replacing it bya non-intercourse law which forbade British or French ve els to enter; American ports. Another embargo act was pa ed in 1813, during the war. 242