Embargo Act repealed; Non-Intercourse Act replaces it

Background. The Embargo Act of 1807 was a general trade embargo on all foreign nations, enacted by the United States Congress. It represented an escalation of attempts to coerce Britain and France to cease interference with American merchant shipping during the Napoleonic Wars. The law was codified as 2 Stat. 451 and was drafted at the request of President Thomas Jefferson, passing the 10th Congress in December 1807.

Political Context. The Embargo Act triggered economic chaos in the United States and was strongly criticized. The presidential election of 1808 showed Federalists regaining strength, convincing Jefferson and Madison that the embargo should end. Jefferson abandoned the policy a year later, leading to the repeal shortly before he left office in March 1809.

Legislative Transition. The Non-Intercourse Act was enacted in the last sixteen days of President Thomas Jefferson's presidency by the 10th Congress to replace the Embargo Act. It lifted all embargoes on American shipping except for those bound for British or French ports. The intent was to damage the economies of the United Kingdom and France, though it remained mostly ineffective.