> They started to harass American merchant vessels, Britain in particular, to the point of literally kidnapping sailors off U.S. ships and drafting them into the Royal Navy. In euphemistic Brit-speak that was called "impressment."
> "Probably in the neighborhood of 6,000 Americans were impressed by the British leading up to the war of 1812," estimates James Ellis, author of "A Ruinous, Unhappy War: New England and the War of 1812." "This was a real sore point."
Just to give some context impressment had been going on for a long time before that, and by the battle of Trafalgar (1805) over half(!!!) of the navy's 120K men were people pressed into service.
> "Probably in the neighborhood of 6,000 Americans were impressed by the British leading up to the war of 1812," estimates James Ellis, author of "A Ruinous, Unhappy War: New England and the War of 1812." "This was a real sore point."
Just to give some context impressment had been going on for a long time before that, and by the battle of Trafalgar (1805) over half(!!!) of the navy's 120K men were people pressed into service.