Essential Facts
Background
- Britain and France were at war with each other during the Napoleonic Wars.
- They were using blockades and trade embargoes to disrupt each other’s trade with foreign nations, such as the United States.
- Britain used Orders in Council, while Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of France, used the Continental System.
- The U.S. responded with trade restrictions against both nations.
The Erskine Agreement Fails
- The Erskine Agreement was negotiated between David Erskine, the British Minister to the United States, and Secretary of State Robert Smith.
- The purpose was to end the trade war between the two nations.
- The Agreement was made on April 19, 1809.
- British Orders in Council restricting U.S. trade were dropped, and full trade with the U.S. was restored.
- The U.S. agreed to refrain from trade with France.
- The Royal Navy was allowed to inspect U.S. ships for French products.
Additional Details
- President James Madison rejected the provision allowing the Royal Navy to inspect U.S. ships.
- Erskine submitted the Agreement to his superiors, but it was rejected, and he was recalled to England.
Significance
The Erskine Agreement is important to American History because it failed to reduce tensions between the United States and Great Britain, contributing to the outbreak of the War of 1812.
Erskine Agreement APUSH
The Erksine Agreement is part of the following units, topics, and chapters in the AP US History curriculum:
Unit 4: 1800–1848
- Topic 4.4 — America on the World Stage
American Pageant Notes
- Chapter 11 — Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic (1800–1812)
- Chapter 12 — The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism (1812–1824)
American History Central
- Foreign Affairs in the New Nation
- War of 1812 — Causes of the War, Maritime Disputes
