America Takes a Stand: The Barbery Wars

🏴‍☠️For over 300 years, pirate nations raided merchant vessels in the Mediterranean, including American ships.

⚓The Spanish, French, and British paid tribute to the pirates instead of going to war with them.

🇦🇺After the American Revolution, America became an independent nation, no longer protected by the British Empire.

🚢The pirates continued to attack American ships, leading to the establishment of the United States Navy.

💰Thomas Jefferson campaigned to stop paying tribute to the pirates and instead fight them head-on.

Why did the Spanish, French, and British pay tribute to the pirates?

—They believed it was cheaper to pay tribute than go to war with them.

Why did America start paying tribute to the pirates?

—America, as part of the British Empire, initially followed the same practice.

Who led the fight against the pirates?

—Thomas Jefferson, as the vice president and later president, played a key role.

Did America eventually stop paying tribute?

—Yes, Thomas Jefferson became president and decided to fight the pirates instead.

What was the outcome of the Barbery Wars?

—The United States Navy successfully defeated the pirates and protected American ships.

02:56Pirate nations from Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli raided merchant vessels in the Mediterranean.

04:02The Spanish, French, and British paid tribute to the pirates, but America's ships were still attacked.

05:54After the American Revolution, America became its own country and no longer had British protection.

09:32America established the United States Navy to combat the pirate threat.

10:32Thomas Jefferson campaigned to stop paying tribute and instead fight the pirates.

12:20Thomas Jefferson became president and led America in the Barbery Wars against the pirates.

14:08The United States Navy successfully defeated the pirates and protected American ships.