Barbary Wars

The Barbary Wars were two early 19th century wars fought between the United States and the Ottoman ruled Barbary States of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripolitania in North Africa.

They were the first wars formally declared under the US Constitution

From the 16th century to the mid-19th century piracy conducted by Muslim corsairs was common in the Mediterranean

These privateers demanded regular tribute for safe passage through their waters.

If the tribute or ransoms were not paid, the crew would be sold into slavery.

Once the United States separated from Britain, the government had to allocate funds for tribute as was common even among European naval powers. These payments amounted to 20% of the federal governments annual revenues.

Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State under President Washingtons Administration, opposed this decision but went unheeded because the country had no navy to speak of.

Fifteen years later, the Pasha of Tripoli, Yusuf Qaramanli, demanded $225,000 in tribute as their neighbour Algiers had done in 1785. The United States had recently waged a successful undeclared naval war against France so Jefferson, now President felt confident in refusing these demands.

The Pasha retaliated by declaring war on the US, its three allies soon following suit.

In response to this threat the citizens took up a popular slogan from the Quasi War, Millions for defense, but not one penny for tribute! Enlistment in the navy jumped.

The celebrated Commodore Edward Preble commanded the American Navy and over 500 Arab, Greek, and Berber mercenaries.

Ex-Consul William Eaton and Lieutenant Presley OBannon led the fledgling Marine Corps.

Officers such as Captain Andrew Sterett; Captain John Rodgers; Captain Oliver Hazard Perry; and despite his many blunders, Captain William Bainbridge became folk heroes for their daring exploits in the East. Although local heroes in their own right, most of the Berber commanders remain anonymous in Western history.

Fought intermittently between 1801 and 1805, the First Barbary War is remembered, if at all, for two legendary actions: the burning of the USS Philadelphia and the

Battle of Derna which is immortalized in the line to the shores of Tripoli from the Marines Hymn and the Mameluke Swords worn by the US Marine Corps to this day.

Decisive US victories in almost every encounter ensured a successful conclusion to the war. Threatened with deposition, Qaramanli quickly surrendered and signed a Treaty of Peace and Amity on June 4 of 1805. Although hostilities would again flare up a decade later in the Second Barbary War (also known as the Algerine War), this conflict ended the practice of Christian enslavementat least of Americansand began the end of tribute to foreign powers.

Unfortunately, the triumph caused Americans to become overconfident, leading to the War of 1812.

As for the Barbary States, their defeat signaled their deterioration to the rest of the world which led France to colonize Algiers in 1830 and Tunis in 1869.