Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson created the Embargo Act of 1807 to avoid warfare and combat the harassment of American shipping by Great Britain and France. However, the Act had little impact on these countries and instead devastated American shipping, leading to economic hardship and loss of popular support for Jefferson and the Republicans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson created the Embargo Act of 1807 due to several considerations. One of the main reasons was his desire to avoid warfare. Despite unsuccessful attempts at diplomacy, Jefferson proposed an economic battle instead. He believed that the Act would have a negative impact on Great Britain and France, leading them to cease their harassment and abuse of American shipping. However, the Act ended up having little impact on both countries, while American shipping was devastated. This resulted in economic hardship and loss of favor for Jefferson and the Republicans, leading to the failure of the embargo and its repeal in 1809.