View example sentences, synonyms and word forms for Impressment.
Impressment meaning
The act of seizing for public use; impressing into public service, especially military service and (most often) naval service.
Example sentences (7)
These soldiers, the backbone—and cannon fodd— for Frederick’s wars of conquest, were often farmhands, wandering youths, school dropouts, and homeless people dragged off the streets or farms by pitiless impressment gangs.
Britain ended the trade restrictions and the impressment of American sailors, thus removing two more causes of the war.
In Britain, King George III ordered redoubling efforts at impressment, including American sailors.
Many of the protection certificates were so general, and it was so easy to abuse the system, that many impressment officers of the Royal Navy paid no attention to them.
Once Napoleon was defeated in 1814, France and Britain became allies and Britain ended the trade restrictions and the impressment of American sailors.
The best source for early American tattoos is the protection papers issued following a 1796 congressional act to safeguard American seamen from impressment.
The Monroe–Pinkney Treaty was finalized but lacked any provisions to end impressment and was rejected by Jefferson who refused to submit it to the Senate for ratification.