<P> Impressment was strongly criticized by those who believed it to be contrary to the British constitution; at the time, unlike many of its continental rivals, British subjects were not subject to conscription for any other military service, aside from a brief experiment with army impressment from 1778 to 1780 . Though the public opposed conscription in general, impressment was repeatedly upheld by the courts, as it was deemed vital to the strength of the navy and, by extension, to the survival of the British influence and realm . </P> <P> Impressment was essentially a Royal Navy practice, reflecting the size of the British fleet and its substantial manpower demands . While other European navies applied forced recruitment in times of war, this was generally done as an extension of the practice of formal conscription applied by most European armies from the Napoleonic Wars on . The U.S. Continental Navy also applied a form of impressment during the American War of Independence . </P> <P> The impressment of seamen from American ships caused serious tensions between Britain and the United States in the years leading up to the War of 1812 . After the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, Britain ended the practice; later conscription was not limited to the Royal Navy but covered all armed forces . </P> <P> Working and living conditions for the average sailor in the Royal Navy in the 18th century were harsh by modern standards . Naval pay was attractive in the 1750s, but towards the end of the century its value had been eroded by rising prices . Sailors' pay on merchant ships was somewhat higher during peacetime, and could increase to double naval pay during wartime . </P>

What is the british practice of boarding american ships