Which policy sought to coerce Britain and France by restricting trade?

• A. Alien and Sedition Acts
• B. XYZ Affair
• C. Embargo Act
• D. War of 1812

Answer: (C)

Economic pressure through restricting trade is a method of using a country’s own commerce to try to influence others’ policies. The Embargo Act of 1807 was the policy that tried this approach by stopping American ships from sailing to foreign ports and blocking most imports and exports. The goal was to compel Britain and France to respect American neutrality and halt their ships’ seizures by making trade with the United States costly for them. This kind of broad trade restriction represents coercion without direct military action. The other options don’t fit this strategy: the Alien and Sedition Acts were domestic laws limiting citizenship and speech; the XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident with France that highlighted tensions but did not impose a trade restriction; and the War of 1812 was a military conflict that followed rather than the trade-policy attempt itself.