What does impressment mean? from the war of 1812 with britain.?

Answer 1

Forced recruitment into Britain's Royal Navy. Little better than legalized kidnapping/enslavement.

Answer 2

conscription is too gentle a word.....a press gang of sailors from a ship would roam the streets......if you were walking down the street, minding your own business and looked faintly usable, the gang would kidnap you on the spot, drag you back to the ship and forcibly enlist you..and maybe if you were lucky you'd get home 4 or more years later and be able to answer the question "what happened to you?"

But you say, that's kidnapping.
That is correct.

British warships would also stop other ships at sea..British for sure, and lots of Americans after the Revolution...they could take any sailor out of any British ship they want ed, and anyone out of an American ship if their i.d. papers weren't in order , or if they looked like they might have been British once.......imagine you're in sight of the coast after 4 years at sea....home tomorrow! Then here come an RN ship and tonight you sleep on a British warship, and do so for the next umpteen years.

As soon as we had a Navy to do something about this it became a primary cause of the War of 1812

Answer 3

The truth is that the main reason for with the British the taking of US citizlzen sailors of Us ships was stoped by Britton prior to the start of the war. Because it took weeks for news to traveo from Europe to the America's the US was unawaren of this. The US invaded Canada and burned the governmant buildings in Montreal(not York). The British retailated by burning down the government buildings in Washington however when the went to invade Baltimore they were stopped. Luckily for the Americans the commandind general of the British forces was killed on the first day of battle and the British withdrew after the British navy failed to take the port of Baltimore. Niether country really wanted to fight this war and quickly came to peace terms. However it took time for the terms of peace reach the Americas and during that time the British suffered a humiliating defeat in New Orleans again when 3 of the commanding generals were killed by snipers. The British at the time had one of the best armys in the world at the time and the soilders had been fighting the French for years and were much better soilders, howeret war in America and war in Europe were fought differently. Rarely in Europe were the commanding Generals of armies killed they were taken prisioner. In the Americas they did not distinguish between class and had no problem killing the commanders. Because of the rifled barrel of the Kentucky Long Rifle and the skill of the frontiers men who had to hunt for survial and were crack shots they were able to target the commanders at a distance that British thought was safe to be. Much like the Viet Nam war, the better army did not win and it could be argued they did not lose as well. They just lost the will to fight.

Answer 4

Involuntary recruitment into the Royal Navy.
No *quite* slavery as those impressed were paid, but they were not free to leave the ships on which they served without having the charge of derertion laid against them.

Oddly to our thinking many of the land-based "Press gangs" which waylaid drinks an otherwise rounded-up candidates were themselves "pressed men."

Since Americans were excempt from the British Press, there was a certain benefit of a British merchant seaman *claiming* to be American, hence the boarding and searching disputes which were part of the build-up to the war of 1812.

The civilian equivalent : "To Shanghai"

Answer 5

British warships would force American ships to heave to. They'd board and take all aboard as prisoners. Once on board the British vessel you were given the option of either joining the British navy and served or you swim home.

Nice guys huh?

Brought to you by the same guys who gave the Indians smallpox infested blankets and logs drilled out and stuffed with gunpowder.

Here you go my Indian friend. Some blankets and firewood to keep you and yours warm this winter.

Answer 6

Impressment was forcing a man (pressing) him into the British Navy. Navy ships would board British ships 9and sometimes other nations ships, like America's) to take trained sailors off to press them into the Navy. They would leave just enough trained men to get the ship back into port.
They also sent squads (gangs) from ships to shore to gather up men for their ship. Gentlemen and various trades were excempted. They looked mostly for sailors, particulary top men who worked the rigging on high.

Answer 7

When the Royal Navy needed extra seamen it sent press gangs ashore to recruit them whether they wanted to become seamen or not. They were pressed into service.This was a rough and ready form of conscription.

Answer 8

I think it means drafting civilians, much against their will, into military service. Not as a vile a practice as being "shanghaied"; where guys were literally kidnapped, and made to serve without pay.

Wotan

Answer 9

The act of conscripting people to serve in the military or navy

Answer 10

the british would stop american ships in the high seas, take saliors off of them and force them to serve aboard the british ships "impressing them into service"