Thomas Jefferson's Anti-Slavery: The Embargo Act Of 1807

Thomas Jefferson was very anti-slavery throughout his life. Jefferson would call it “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot”, he believed slavery was one of the greatest threat to the American nation. He knew that slavery was contrary to the laws of nature, which states that every person has the right to personal liberty. Thomas Jefferson held indigenous people in good views, he saw them as subjects of intellectual curiosity and believed they were enemies in war. Thomas Jefferson’s lengthy public career during a formative time period granted him to shape the relations between the United States and the numerous Indian nations during the eighteenth and even the nineteenth centuries.
The Embargo Act of 1807 established an embargo that made all
exports from the United States illegal. This act was sponsored by Thomas Jefferson and enacted by Congress. The main goal was to force Britain and France to respect American rights during the Napoleonic Wars. This act also effected the disrupting American trade and tested the United States neutrality. The unfortunate result of the embargo act was the increase of smuggling trade. Port authorities were now allowed to lay hands on cargo if they were suspicious of violation of the embargo.