Jefferson,+the+Agrarian,+and+His+Embargo+of+1807

Source@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embargo_Act_of_1807Jefferson, the Agrarian, and the Embargo Act of 1807 Jefferson believed in an agrarian economy and a government controlled by the people, not a strong central government. He believed that America would be a great nation if everyone could have land, become farmers and be self-sufficient in supplying their daily needs. It was a simple way of looking at the people of the country, but not preparing for the growth that would come. Not every farmer would be like him, earnestly working the land and then becoming educated at the same time. He didn’t account for lazy people who would gain land, but not produce anything or enough from it. This factor is what complicates and changes the good idea. Greed also began when some people wanted more land and were not satisfied with just their family farm. Also, the desire to acquire more land for the United States led to westward (ho!) movement which required more people. The population grew so much that it was inevitable that the small farmer could not produce enough to feed himself and his family and sell to everyone else as well. Some people had to live in the cities where the technology and factories were and they also needed food and agricultural products, but they couldn't produce for their own needs. They were consumers of goods. In addition, the developing United States’ economy was moving more toward a commercial, technological and trading economy. We needed goods that were produced only in Europe and they needed raw materials that were produced here. For example, milled cotton was exported as cloth to Europe. Britain and France were fighting each other during the Napoleonic Wars. The British, through the Orders in Council, told the U.S. that we couldn’t trade with France or any of their friends. Likewise, through Napoleon’s Continental System, France told us we couldn’t trade with Britain or any of her friends! So, Jefferson decided to implement the Embargo Act of 1807 to tell European governments that America would not be a loyal customer for any of their goods. No American ships would deliver cargo to foreign ports and we would not unload any foreign cargo in our ports. Europe also experienced good agricultural production the next year, so they just told the U.S. they didn’t need to trade with us after all. We had a surplus and couldn’t sell our usual goods to Europe or buy things we needed and wanted from them. Scarce supply here made the prices on some things rise dramatically, so the American people were those most harmed by the Embargo Act. When the Act was enforced it impoverished the very people who had voted for him by causing inflation and allowing our (their produced) goods and ships to rot. Enforcement also cut back on liberties he valued, namely free and open trade. ~kathomp07

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"I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural." -Thomas Jefferson On December 22, 1807 Congress passed a new Embargo Act at the request of President Thomas Jefferson. The new law prevented trade between the United States and other nations. The Embargo Act lead to Agrarianism, which according to wikipedia is “a social and political philosophy which stresses a rural or semi-rural lifestyle, most especially agricultural pursuits such as farming or ranching. Proponents claim that it leads to a fuller, happier, cleaner, and more sustainable way of life for both individuals and society as a whole. ~caseyysmith12

The Embargo Act of 1807 was signed and passed by congress and Jefferson. Basically, the law stopped all trade between the US and other countries to hopefully keep the US out of the Napolean wars. The act was put to an end in 1809 because it help cause an economic depression for the US. []

On December 22, 1807, in response to British impressment and other aggressive behavior towards the United States, Congress passed a new Embargo Act. The new law required, among other things, that American vessels would be prohibited from landing in any foreign port unless specifically authorized by President Jefferson. Secondly, trading vessels were now required to post a bond of guarantee equal to the value of both the ship and its cargo, in order to ensure compliance with the law.

At britanica.com, Jefferson's Embargo is somewhat surprisingly named as #7 of the Top Ten mistakes made by United States Presidents. The article starts with the message:

Lesson for President Obama: When it comes to the economy, do no harm.

The mistakes that "top" all other mistakes are #3 Watergate #2 Vietnam and #1 The Alien and Sedition Acts.

I'm not so sure I agree with this assessment. The Embargo dealt our economy a blow that was as severe as the blow it took when the original version of the Patriot Act (Alien and Sedition Acts) was put into effect.

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/01/7-thomas-jeffersons-embargo-the-10-worst-decisions-by-us-presidents/

Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo Act of 1807 was a failed foreign relations policy that was essentially an attempt to establish America as an independent power and harm Britain and France by banning foreign trade until a suitable trade agreement could be established. Jefferson also hoped the Act would end the British impressments of Americans, which occurred when American sailors were imprisoned on the open seas and forced to serve in the British navy. Jefferson’s attempt backfired because, although the Act significantly reduced impressments, it drove up domestic shipping prices and, for the most part, harmed only Americans. Realizing that Act was an utter disaster, Congress repealed it in 1809. Even once Madison took over the presidency, the embargo remained a heated subject which generated Anti-Jeffersonian propaganda, which even included a cartoon turtle mascot named O-Grab-Me (embargo spelt backwards). With the end of the embargo came the return of British impressments, which in addition to other issues, led to the War of 1812. ([|1]) In //Notes on the State of Virginia// (written in 1781 and published in 1784), Jefferson idealized agrarianism and argued that the American economy should be built around agriculture rather than manufacturing. The purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 was a step taken by Jefferson to encourage the expansion of the agrarian republic. With the War of 1812, however, he recognized that domestic manufacturing was an absolute necessity. ([|2] - includes an excerpt from the book) -- Dea_De_Amore