The End Of Barbary Terror: America's 1815 War Against The Pirates Of North Africa
by Frederick C. Leiner /
2007 / English / PDF
2.9 MB Download
When Barbary pirates captured an obscure Yankee sailing brig off
the coast of North Africa in 1812, enslaving eleven American
sailors, President James Madison sent the largest American naval
force ever gathered to that time, led by the heroic Commodore
Stephen Decatur, to end Barbary terror once and for all.
When Barbary pirates captured an obscure Yankee sailing brig off
the coast of North Africa in 1812, enslaving eleven American
sailors, President James Madison sent the largest American naval
force ever gathered to that time, led by the heroic Commodore
Stephen Decatur, to end Barbary terror once and for all.
Drawing upon numerous ship logs, journals, love letters, and
government documents, Frederick C. Leiner paints a vivid picture of
the world of naval officers and diplomats in the early nineteenth
century, as he recreates a remarkable and little known episode from
the early American republic. Leiner first describes Madison's
initial efforts at diplomacy, sending Mordecai Noah to negotiate.
But when the ruler refused to ransom the Americans--"not for two
millions of dollars"--Madison declared war and sent a fleet to
North Africa. Decatur's squadron dealt quick blows to the Barbary
navy, dramatically fighting and capturing two ships. Decatur then
sailed to Algiers. He refused to go ashore to negotiate--indeed, he
refused to negotiate on any essential point. The ruler of Algiers
signed the treaty--in Decatur's words, "dictated at the mouths of
our cannon"--in twenty-four hours. The United States would never
pay tribute to the Barbary world again, and the captive Americans
were set free.
Drawing upon numerous ship logs, journals, love letters, and
government documents, Frederick C. Leiner paints a vivid picture of
the world of naval officers and diplomats in the early nineteenth
century, as he recreates a remarkable and little known episode from
the early American republic. Leiner first describes Madison's
initial efforts at diplomacy, sending Mordecai Noah to negotiate.
But when the ruler refused to ransom the Americans--"not for two
millions of dollars"--Madison declared war and sent a fleet to
North Africa. Decatur's squadron dealt quick blows to the Barbary
navy, dramatically fighting and capturing two ships. Decatur then
sailed to Algiers. He refused to go ashore to negotiate--indeed, he
refused to negotiate on any essential point. The ruler of Algiers
signed the treaty--in Decatur's words, "dictated at the mouths of
our cannon"--in twenty-four hours. The United States would never
pay tribute to the Barbary world again, and the captive Americans
were set free.
Here then is a real-life naval adventure that will thrill fans of
Patrick O'Brian, a story of Islamic terrorism, white slavery,
poison gas, diplomatic intrigue, and battles with pirates on the
high seas.
Here then is a real-life naval adventure that will thrill fans of
Patrick O'Brian, a story of Islamic terrorism, white slavery,
poison gas, diplomatic intrigue, and battles with pirates on the
high seas.