War of Trade 1812

Seizure

 

Both France and Great Britain had in effect decrees that made trade by a neutral country with either of them illegal to the other, subjecting the merchant fleets of all nations to constant threat of seizure by one or the other superpower. As France controlled most of Europe, and Britain the sea, the world economy was under attack.

 

In the spring of 1810 Napoleon issued a decree giving France the right to seize any American vessel entering into any port controlled by France. The Americans felt that the communication of this decree to its government was purposefully delayed in order to make as many American vessels as possible available for seizure and sale. One hundred and thirty-two American ships where seized, there resulting sale brought 8 million dollars to the French government. To put this sum in perspective, as to its value at that time, the United States paid 15,000,000 million for the Louisiana Purchase resulting in almost doubling the countries size. The United States officially complained with no immediate effect.

 

Bad as this was the abuse of Great Britain was worse, according to James Monroe minister to Great Britain, in the years 1803 to 1808; the Royal Navy seized an American ship as a prize every 2 days. Some of this taking place within United States territorial waters. Add to this the Impressments of seaman from American merchant ships, and the “Chesapeake Affair”, this resulted in a greater resentment to the acts of England than those of France.

 

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