2 Historical Context
2.1 Barbary Pirates
At the time of the Treaty and for 300 years prior, the Mediterranean sea lanes were largely controlled by the North African Muslim states of the Barbary Coast ( Tripoli, Algiers, Morocco, and TunisTunis is the capital of Tunisia. Population 674,100 ( 1994). Geography The city is located on the Lake of Tunis, and is connected to the Gulf of Tunis, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, by a canal terminating at the port of Halq al Wadi. Economy Products i) through piracy. Hostages were either ransomed or sold into slavery. Over time, most countries found it expedient to simply pay a yearly tribute to the sultans in exchange for free passage through the Mediterranean.
Following the Revolution, America was no longer under the protection of the British tribute treaties, resulting in the pirates crippling American commerce in the Mediterranean. Having no significant Navy, the US decided to form tribute treaties with the Barbary states, such as this 1796 Treaty of Tripoli.
2.2 First Barbary War
In March 1801, the pasha of Tripoli demanded more tribute than previously agreed upon. The newly inaugurated U.S. President, Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson Other images: (, , ) Order 3rd President Term of Office Monday, March 4, 1801 Thursday, March 3, 1809 Followed John Adams Succeeded by James Madison Date of Birth April 13, 1743 Place of Birth Shadwell, Virginia Date of Death Tuesday, Jul, having long disagreed with the policy of paying tribute, refused the pasha’s demand. On May 10, 1801, the pasha declared war on the United States.
307 Americans captured from the ship Philadelphia were forced to work building Tripoli’s fortifications.
On April 27, 1805, Marines led by William Eaton William Eaton ( 23 February 1764 1 June 1811) was an American Army officer, involved with the First Barbary War. He supported Pasha’s brother to win the battle. Born in Woodstock, Connecticut, joined the Army at an early age and served until April 1783, w stormed the Barbary pirates’ harbor stronghold of Derna, Tripoli. It is in honor of this victory that the phrase “To the Shores of Tripoli” is commemorated on the United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps.
On June 4, 1805, under the imminent threat of U.S. action, Tobias Lear negotiated the Treaty of Peace and Amity with the Pasha Yusuf. To the dismay of many Americans, this included a ransom of $60,000 paid for the release of prisoners from the Philadelphia and several American merchant ships.
By 1807, Algiers had gone back to taking American ships and seamen hostage. Distracted by the preludes to the War of 1812, the Americans were unable to respond to the provocations until 1815, with the Second Barbary War, thereby concluding the encompassing Tripolian War (1800-1815).
http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Treaty:of:Tripoli.htm
Thanks.
Additional historical perspective on pirates. Source: To Dare & To Conquer: Special Operations and the Destiny of Nations, from Achilles to Al Qaeda, by Derek Leebaert, 2006.
As early as 1786, Jefferson had proposed a Barbary Fund for the purpose of putting an end to piracy. When we gained independence we lost the protection of Britian against the Barbary pirates. Although Washington and Adams paid tributed “Jefferson was a harder case”. He acted as soon as he became president. Several extremely interesting operations (read the book), some successful and some not were executed. Finally, in 1815, Decatur’s activities encouraged British and Dutch naval forces to end their predations.
It looks as though 200 years has not changed much, we are still in the lead, encouraging Europe to do its part to deal with Muslims and pirates.