impressment
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of impressment
Explanation
Impressment was the practice of forcing men to serve in the military against their will. Most often used by the British Navy, impressment often involved violence. Forcing someone to join the military might seem a little extreme, but the British navy used the method for centuries. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain was particularly determined to maintain its dominance around the world, and an enormous navy was considered necessary. Sailors were most likely to be strong-armed into service. British impressment of American colonists contributed to the tensions that led to the Revolutionary War.
Vocabulary lists containing impressment
Chapter 9: The Federalist Era
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The Early Republic, Lessons 4–6
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Chapter 7: Life in the Young Republic, Lessons 3–5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Impressment, its exercise by England, 258, 259; discussion over, in Monroe treaty, 262; abandoned in treaty, 262; used as pretext for war of 1812, 308; yet not mentioned in treaty of peace, 308.
From James Madison by Gay, Sydney Howard
Implied powers, 212 Impressment of seamen, 194 Indentured servants, 13.
From History of the United States by Beard, Charles A. (Charles Austin)
South Carolina has set an example in the prices of supplies for the army, under the Impressment Act, fixed by the Commissioners.
From A Rebel War Clerk's Diary at the Confederate States Capital by Jones, John Beauchamp
There was almost universal complaint that government contractors were speculating in supplies and that the Impressment Law was used by officials to cover their robbery of both the Government and the people.
From The Day of the Confederacy; a chronicle of the embattled South by Stephenson, Nathaniel W. (Nathaniel Wright)
Impressment of seamen for the navy has been called 'lawless,' and sometimes it has been asserted that it was directly contrary to law.
From Sea-Power and Other Studies by Bridge, Cyprian, Admiral Sir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
