impressment, forcible enrollment of recruits for military duty.
Before the establishment of conscription, many countries
supplemented their militia and mercenary troops by impressment.
In England, impressment began as early as the Anglo-Saxon period
and was used extensively under Elizabeth I, Charles I, and
Oliver Cromwell. "Press gangs" forcibly seized and carried
individuals into service; frequently subjects of foreign
countries were taken. After 1800, England restricted impressment
mostly to naval service. The Napoleonic Wars increased English
need for sea power and led to the impressment of a large number
of deserters, criminals, and British subjects who had become
naturalized Americans. (Until 1850, England did not recognize
the right of a man to renounce his nationality.) Frequent
interception of American ships (see Chesapeake) to impress
American citizens was a major cause of the War of 1812. England
generally abandoned such forcible measures after 1835. In
Prussia, impressment was introduced by Freder