Non-Intercourse Act (1809)

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Non-Intercourse Act (1809)
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Long titleAn Act to interdict the commercial trade between the United States and Great Britain and France, and their dependencies; and for other purposes.
Nicknamesthe replacement for the embargo act
Enacted bythe 10th United States Congress
EffectiveMarch 7, 1809
Citations
Public law Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States)  10–24
Statutes at Large 2  Stat.   528
Codification
Acts repealed Non-importation Act
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 48
  • Passed the Senate on February 21, 1809 (21-12)
  • Passed the House on February 27, 1809 (81-40)
  • Signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson on March 1, 1809

The Non-Intercourse Act of March 1809 lifted all embargoes on American shipping except for those bound for British or French ports.


Enacted in the last sixteen days of President Thomas Jefferson's presidency by the 10th Congress to replace the Embargo Act of 1807, the almost unenforceable law’s intent was to damage the economies of the United Kingdom and France. Like its predecessor, the Embargo Act, it was mostly ineffective, and contributed to the coming of the War of 1812. In addition, it seriously damaged the economy of the United States. [1] The Non-Intercourse Act was followed by Macon's Bill Number 2. Despite hurting the economy as a whole, the bill’s prohibition on British manufactured goods stimulated domestic production and helped America begin to industrialize. [2]

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References

  1. United States Non-Intercourse Act - March 1, 1809 Archived September 20, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Rockcastle Karst Conservancy
  2. Heidler, David Stephen; Heidler, Jeanne T. (2004). Encyclopedia of the War of 1812. Naval Institute Press. pp. 390–91. ISBN   9781591143628.