What was the effect of the embargo act of 1807? a) southern plantation owners were made rich due to the taxation of foreign cotton. b) northern merchants suffered from having to compete with european goods. c) heavy taxation on imported british goods led to an increase in the national surplus. d) trade between the united states and europe halted, devastating the american economy. i think the answer is either b or d, but i am not sure about d because in my reading another act, i cannot remember the name of it, it was put into place after the embargo one, where it said that both the embargo act and the new act had caused the american economy to be destroyed.