Unforeseen difficulties at home and elsewhere led the United States to declare war on Great Britain. For instance, violation of U.S. neutrality influenced Congress to institute an embargo on trade. The British and French attempted to stop the United States from aiding the others while they were at war in 1803. So the U.S. had to deal with that inconvenience. Furthermore, American merchant ships were deliberately being halted by the British so they could scrutinize the ships and look for fugitive British sailors. Yet the United States handled it. It was when the ship HMS Leopard bombarded U.S.S. Chesapeake where the U.S. drew the line. After this confrontation, America cut off all attachments and stopped trading with the mother country
