Post on 03-Apr-2018
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
1/17
The Barbary Wars1801-1805, 1815
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
2/17
Introduction
The Barbary Warswere two early 19thcentury wars
fought between theUnited States andthe Ottoman ruledBarbary States ofMorocco, Algiers,
Tunis, andTripolitania inNorth Africa.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
3/17
They were the first
wars formallydeclared under theUS Constitution.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
4/17
Why Did We Go To War?
From the 16th
century to the mid-19th century piracyconducted byMuslim corsairs was
common in theMediterranean.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
5/17
These privateers
demanded regulartribute for safepassage throughtheir waters.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
6/17
If the tribute orransoms were notpaid, the crewwould be sold intoslavery.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
7/17
Once the United Statesseparated from Britain,the government had toallocate funds fortribute as was commoneven among Europeannaval powers. Thesepayments amounted to
20% of the federalgovernments annualrevenues.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
8/17
Thomas Jefferson,then Secretary ofState under
PresidentWashingtonsAdministration,opposed thisdecision but wentunheeded becausethe country had nonavy to speak of.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
9/17
Fifteen years later, thePasha of Tripoli, YusufQaramanli, demanded$225,000 in tribute as
their neighbour Algiershad done in 1785. TheUnited States hadrecently waged asuccessful undeclarednaval war againstFrance so Jefferson,now President feltconfident in refusingthese demands.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
10/17
The Pasha retaliated by declaring war on theUS, its three allies soon following suit.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
11/17
The Way
In response to thisthreat the citizenstook up a popularslogan from theQuasi War,Millions fordefense, but notone penny for
tribute! Enlistmentin the navy
jumped.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
12/17
Major Players
The celebratedCommodore EdwardPreble commanded theAmerican Navy andover 500 Arab, Greek,and Berbermercenaries. Ex-ConsulWilliam Eaton and
Lieutenant PresleyOBannon led thefledgling Marine Corps.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
13/17
Officers such asLieutenant StephenDecantur, Jr.; CaptainAndrew Sterett; CaptainJohn Rodgers; Captain
Oliver Hazard Perry; anddespite his manyblunders, Captain WilliamBainbridge became folkheroes for their daringexploits in the East.
Although local heroes intheir own right, most ofthe Berber commandersremain anonymous inWestern history.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
14/17
The War
Fought intermittentlybetween 1801 and1805, the First BarbaryWar is remembered, ifat all, for two legendaryactions: the burning ofthe USS Philadelphiaand the Battle of Dernawhich is immortalizedin the line to theshores of Tripoli fromthe Marines Hymn andthe Mameluke Swordsworn by the US MarineCorps to this day.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
15/17
Aftermath
Decisive US victories inalmost every encounterensured a successfulconclusion to the war.Threatened with deposition,Qaramanli quicklysurrendered and signed aTreaty of Peace and Amityon June 4 of 1805. Althoughhostilities would again flareup a decade later in theSecond Barbary War (alsoknown as the Algerine War),
this conflict ended thepractice of Christianenslavementat least ofAmericansand began theend of tribute to foreignpowers.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
16/17
Unfortunately, the triumph causedAmericans to become overconfident, leadingto the War of 1812.
7/29/2019 The Barbary Wars
17/17