Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution forbade the new nation from passing any law restricting the slave trade before 1808. In March 1807, Congress banned the import and export of slaves, effective Jan. 1, 1808.

Also in 1807, the British Empire forbade slave trading and required every British ship suspected of slaving to allow itself to be searched. The British established a squadron devoted to intercepting slavers or suspected slavers.

International pressure grew, and other nations joined the effort to stop the slave trade. Portugal, Spain and France each passed measures against the slave trade by 1820. In 1819, the United States expanded the definition of "piracy" to include the slave trade, and anyone caught slaving could be sentenced to death.

The impetus behind all of this were the abysmal conditions aboard slave-trading ships, and while abolitionists in the United States were unable to stop the domestic slave trade, they were successful in ceasing the international trade. This was seen as a progressive move by early 19th century standards; it was a compromise that eliminated the "worst" aspects of the trade while reducing the possibility of economic harm to those people who relied on slavery to make a living.

Shortly after the piracy bill was passed, the United States began contributing ships to an African Squadron that worked alongside the British ships monitoring the West African coastline.