Question

In what ways did Britain interfere with American shipping on the high seas?

Answer 1

The British at that time were at war with France.  British ship blockaded certain routes that prevented American ships from passing through.  The reason for this was because Britain did not want the Americans to trade with France.  Tension grew further when British naval officers blocked American ships and took sailors from those ships to serve Britain.  This was call impressment and President Thomas Jefferson was outraged by these acts against the American Navy.  He tried to solve the issue through diplomatic negotiations but things came to a head when a British ship fired on the American ship Chesapeake and its captain surrendered.  This brought tensions between the two countries to the edge and later was one of the causes of the War of 1812.