Why did Thomas Jefferson order the embargo against Great Britain in 1807?

During the first fifteen years of the 1800s, France was the dominant continental land power and Britain was the dominant naval power in a series of wars known as the Napoleonic Wars that engulfed Europe.

Britain waged economic warfare against France by enforcing a naval blockade of trade into French territory. In response, France established the "Continental System," which forbade the entry of British goods into French territory.

The US Navy at the time was unable to stop ships from being intercepted and seized during the naval blockade, which caused outrage and humiliation in the US. The British wanted the US Merchant fleet to return because they saw it as a "safe haven" for deserting seamen.

The US was insulted when HMS Leopard attacked and boarded the USS Chesapeake, killing three Americans and detaining four sailors on suspicion of deserting. This occurred off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia.

The result was the 1807 Embargo Act.

Thomas Jefferson ordered the embargo against Great Britain in 1807 as a response to British violations of American neutrality and maritime rights during the Napoleonic Wars. The British Royal Navy had been impressing American sailors into service, seizing American ships, and interfering with American trade with France. Jefferson believed that an embargo, which would prohibit American ships from trading with any foreign nation, including Britain and France, would pressure both countries into respecting American neutrality and maritime rights. Additionally, Jefferson hoped that the embargo would encourage domestic manufacturing and reduce American reliance on foreign trade. However, the embargo proved to be largely ineffective and harmful to the American economy, leading to widespread smuggling, economic hardship, and political opposition.