A particularly moving event occurred when the USS Chesapeake refused to be boarded by the British Leopard. The Leopard opened fire on the Chesapeake and killed three. Citizens from the town of Norfolk, the town the Chesapeake had sailed from, were angry and vengeful. They sailed out in sailboats examining every ship that came in until they found one ship with 11 survivors from the Chesapeake on it. The citizens held a mass town meeting at which it was unanimously agreed that they would stop relations with any British men in the area (Tucker 1). Other Americans were outraged and united at this violation of their neutral rights and demanded that something be done about Britain's horrendous actions. .
In 1807 the Embargo Act was passed and American ships could not go to foreign ports. Since President Jefferson had never explained his "experiment" to the people, no one understood it and feelings of outrage were soon resounding throughout the country. Americans in New England were losing money in their trade business, ships were rotting in harbors, many sailors were unemployed, and many bank funds ran dry. The New York and Canadian border was in a state of insurrection and there was talk of secession in New England. Southern farmers were hurt as well, since agriculture prices dropped and they couldn't get the imported supplies they often needed and depended on. The country was driven into a depression, so in 1809 Congress repealed the Act and replaced it with the Non-Intercourse Act, which only forbade trade with France and Britain.
The Napoleonic Wars in Europe had a strong effect on the United States. The Federalists and New England supported the British throughout the war; the Republicans and the West and South supported the French. Both the British and the French, which gave the Federalists and Republicans basis for argument, threatened America's right as a sovereign nation.
