The Impressed Sailor

In the late 18th century, the British Royal Navy faced a desperate shortage of sailors amid the wars with Revolutionary France. To keep its massive fleet manned, it relied on the brutal practice of impressment—forcibly “recruiting” men into service through roaming press gangs. These armed crews prowled ports, raided taverns, and snatched experienced sailors—or any able-bodied man unlucky enough to be caught—dragging them aboard warships. Low naval pay and harsh conditions drove widespread desertion, so the gangs often pressed civilians as well, turning farmers and landsmen into seamen who learned the ropes on the job.

The practice of impressment sparked fury, especially in the young United States, where British ships boarded American vessels and impressed thousands of American sailors—real or claimed “deserters.” This outrage over sovereignty and stolen freedom became a major spark igniting the War of 1812.