The Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 replaced the Embargo Act of 1807, banning trade between the US and France and Great Britain. It was difficult to enforce and widely violated, leading to economic consequences. The act failed to change the policies of France and Britain, and tension continued until the War of 1812.
The Non-Intercourse Act was a law passed in 1809 by the United States Congress to ban all trade between Americans and the European nations of France and Great Britain. It was designed to replace the unpopular Embargo Act of 1807, which banned international shipments with all nations. Like previous Acts, the Non-Intercourse Act was difficult to enforce and widely violated. He was replaced about a year after he entered law and is generally thought to have been a failure.
On June 22, 1807, the British warship HMS Leopard attacked and boarded the USS Chesapeake in American waters in an event known now as the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. In incidents like this, captured American sailors have occasionally been forced into service in the British Navy, an event that infuriated the US government. US President Thomas Jefferson had reduced the size of the Navy at the time and was unable to respond forcefully to violations of American sovereignty. Instead, he has implemented a series of embargo acts to punish aggressive foreign nations that impact their economies.
On March 1, 1809, the Non-Intercourse Act replaced the Embargo Act of 1807. The new act prohibited all French and British vessels from entering American waters, except in cases of extreme hardship or official government business. He also made it illegal for Americans to trade or offer aid to such vessels that entered. The import of French or British goods, along with the export of national goods to these nations, was prohibited. Finally, the Non-Intercourse Act stipulated that no American vessels would be allowed to dock in French or British ports.
While the act opened up trade with some foreign nations, it was still overwhelmingly opposed by American citizens. Many feared that a ban on trade with these nations, which were important trading partners, would lead to job losses and economic stagnation. While the United States suffered economic consequences from the Non-Intercourse Act, the law was circumvented quite easily in practice. Loopholes in law enforcement effectively allowed goods to be shipped overland routes, such as across the Canadian border, and then sent across the Atlantic Ocean.
Even the Non-Intercourse Act failed to change the policies and behavior of France and Britain. The act was designed to eventually encourage the resumption of trade with both nations respecting the neutrality of American shipping. Emperor Napoleon I of France declared that interference with American shipping would cease, but in fact the acts of interference continued. Britain did not change its policies and tension with the United States continued until open hostilities broke out in the War of 1812. The Non-Intercourse Act was replaced by Macon’s Bill Number 2, which temporarily lifted the restrictions to international trade.
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