tates, while mostly standing by, as its interdependent commerce was being virtually destroyed, took actions in 1807. The United States trade was highly dependent upon the nations of France and Great Britain, but by the Decrees and Orders of Council, the United States was refused trade with each nation. In 1807, the United States established an Embargo Act, preventing all trade. The Embargo Act had been a costly miscalculation. The act was intended to force Britain and France to allow neutral trade. The United States lost millions of dollars, and its diplomatic reasoning was unsuccessful as well. The Embargo Act was soon replaced in March 1809, by the Non-Intercourse Act. The Non-Intercourse Act was a step back on restrictions on trade enforced by the Embargo Act. Now the Embargo was only placed on France and England. Trade was reopened to the world. As a result the United States economy began to improve. An important clause in the agreement was that if either nation was to prevent the invasion of United States vessels the embargo would be dropped. With assurances from the British Minister Erskine that the Orders of Council would be revoked, President James Madison was authorized to drop the embargo on Britain, and he did on April 19, 1809. Instead of dropping its Decrees, France outraged by the release of the embargo on Britain, placed an embargo on the United States considering it an ally of Britain. The British Government disavowed Eskrines assurances to the United States. President Madison was thus forced to enforce the Non-Intercourse Act on both Britain and France. The Non-Intercourse Act expired after its one-year term, and Nathaniel Macon, chairmen of the Foreign Affairs committee, prepared a bill to congress on the issue. The bill came to be known as Macons Bill No. 2. In the bill, he stated that if either Britain or France would revoke their seizure of American vessels, then the Non-Intercourse Act would be im...
