Question

What foreign actions tested Jefferson's policy of neutrality ? These would end up being 2 causes of the War of 1812.

Answer 1

Answer:

• British Impressment of American Sailors.

• British restriction of U.S. trade.

Explanation:

Thomas Jefferson tried to follow the ideology of George Washington in that the U.S. must remain neutral in issues relating to other countries especially those of Europe. The British however, were engaged in war with the French and so engaged in policies that angered the United States.

The first was Impressment. The British needed sailors in their fight against the French and so would regularly seize American Sailors and add them to the Royal Navy's ranks to bolster their numbers. This was tantamount to kidnap and infuriated the American public.

The other was the restriction of trade with Europe (France in particular) by the British. The British demanded by American ships go to Britain first if they were going to Europe and captured American ships sailing there so as to deny Napoleon any American supplies. This had disastrous effects on the American economy as many suffered from being unable to export freely.