Rule of 1756 facts for kids
The Rule of 1756 was a special policy made by Great Britain during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). This rule said that Britain would not trade with countries that were neutral (not taking sides) if those neutral countries were also trading with Britain's enemies.
The British courts that dealt with sea matters, called the Admiralty courts, created this rule. They believed that if a neutral country wasn't allowed to do a certain type of trade during peacetime, it shouldn't be allowed to do it during wartime either. The main idea was that trading with the enemy was helping them. This rule was never officially accepted as part of international law. It later became one of the reasons for the War of 1812.
What Was the Rule of 1756?
During the Seven Years' War, France and Britain first fought over land in North America. The war soon became a big fight on the seas and about money, spreading to French and British colonies all over the world. The Rule of 1756 was made to stop France from trading with its colonies in the West Indies.
In 1757, a newspaper in London said that French trade with the West Indies had dropped by 70% since the war started. This big drop happened because British privateers (private ships allowed to attack enemy ships) were capturing French ships. France couldn't get supplies to its West Indies colonies because Britain had a stronger navy and controlled the trade routes.
The French government then suggested that neutral ships from places like the United Provinces (now the Netherlands) or Spain could carry French goods. This way, French goods could still reach their destinations, and the neutral countries would make money from this special trade. France had to let go of its trade monopoly (being the only one allowed to trade) with its colonies and let other nations supply them.
In 1758, the Rule of 1756 was changed to close this loophole. The updated rule allowed British privateers to capture any ships carrying French goods, even if they were neutral. British privateers were given permission to act even more aggressively at sea and could search neutral ships.
How the Rule Led to the War of 1812
In the years before the War of 1812, France and Britain were fighting again. Tensions between these two European countries grew after the French Revolution. In 1805, Britain brought back the old Rule of 1756.
American shippers had been taking advantage of the wars in Europe. They would use American ports as a stopover when shipping goods to French and Spanish islands in the West Indies. By stopping in an American port, they thought they could avoid having their ships seized under the Rule of 1756.
Britain noticed this trick and changed the Rule of 1756 with something called the Essex Case. After this change, Britain started seizing many more American ships. This increase in seizures caused a lot of problems between Britain and the United States, and it was a big reason for the War of 1812.
France responded to the Essex Case by creating its own rule, called the Berlin Decree. Both the Berlin Decree and the Essex Case led to nearly 1,500 American ships being seized by either Britain or France.
