The Barbary Pirates: America’s First War on Terrorism

Many in our nation feel that the “War on Terror” in a new conflict.  In truth, it is not.  America was fighting a war against Jihadist terrorism since before our Founding Fathers drafted the American Constitution.  In the year 1785, two years after the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War, the U.S.S. Dauphin was attacked by the Barbary Pirates of North Africa.  The ships cargo was stolen and the sailors sold into slavery.  This raid was the first of many U.S. ships to be attacked by the pirates.  Upon being enslaved, the America sailors had little hope of escape.  They could either convert to Islam, escape, or pray that their nation would ransom them.  Richard O’Brien, who was the captain of the U.S.S. Dauphin, would be enslaved in Algeria for 10 years before he was finally ransomed. 

The threat of the Barbary Pirates was not new to the world at this time.  From the 16^th-18^th centuries, the Barbary forces raided ships and the coastlines of Europe for war booty and slaves.  In fact, it is estimated that over the course of 200 years, over 1.25 million Europeans (along with several thousand Americans) had been taken as slaves by the Barbary Forces.  In March of 1785, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams went to London to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman about ceasing hostilities. Our Founding Fathers had no desire to get involved in international conflicts and wanted this matter resolved peacefully.  When Adams and Jefferson inquired into the Mujadhins' propensity "to make war upon nations who had done them no injury," the ambassador replied: “It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every Mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.”  

The only way that the Barbary pirates would grant the U.S. merchant ships safe passage was by paying them an annual tribute.  Initially, the U.S. agreed to pay tribute, but overtime, this proved to be in vain.  The Barbary Pirates continued to attack U.S. merchant ships and when the U.S. pleaded for the Barbary states to stop, they simply responded by demanding more tribute.  By the time Thomas Jefferson was elected as President, nearly 20% of the U.S. National Budget was going to bribe the Barbary Pirates.  Yet, the raids continued, and Jefferson had enough.  He knew that no amount of money would satisfy these Pirates.  Jefferson thus expanded the U.S. Navy and Marines, and after two wars in 1801-1805 & 1815, the U.S. triumphed.  Not only did the U.S. secure safe passage, but their efforts ultimately crippled, and eventually destroyed, a 200-year slave trade.  Though this conflict is largely forgotten today, it served to inspire the Marines Hymn “To the Shores of Tripoli” and served to teach a valuable lesson: Tyrants will never be bought off. 

It is time for our leaders to learn from our Founding Fathers and to heed the words of former President Madison: “The United States while they wish for war with no nation, will buy peace with none.” 

Sources:

Kilmeade, Brian & Don Yaeger.  Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates.  New York: Sentinel, 2015.

Hunter, David L.  “Thomas Jefferson and Radical Islam’s War on the West.”  Frontpage Magazine.  March 19, 2015.  Accessed from https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/257151/thomas-jefferson-radical-islams-war-west-david-l-hunter.

“Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates.”  Jeff Hix.  Filmed [2009].  YouTube Video: 9:52.  Posted [Sept. 2011].  Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui8OCiZsWGw