How did the United States become involved in a conflict with Tripoli?
1 Answer
Muslim pirates operating out of Tripoli were attacking American shipping and commerce.
Explanation:
The pirates were protected and supported by the Islamic governments of the Barbary coast, including Tripoli. These pirates would attack American ships taking the sailors as slaves, and keeping the ships and goods. Regarding the Americans as infidels gave the pirates a religious justification for their actions.
Most European nations paid a tribute to the Ottoman Turkish government as protection from the pirates. Under John Adams the American government also paid the protection money. The government of Tripoli demanded an increase in the amount of protection money from the US. at the same time not respecting the existing agreements, taking numerous American prizes.
Thomas Jefferson instead of paying the tribute persuaded congress to authorized the construction of four large warships to protect the American shipping in the Med. The American fleet then came into conflict with the fleets of pirate ships out of Tripoli. The pirate fleets were not able to fight the large American frigates in open water, but the American Frigates were not able to attack the pirate ships in the shallow waters and protected ports like Tripoli.
This impasse was resolved by the use of American Marines that landed on the shores of Tripoli driving the Islamic defenders back and taking several key ports. The government of Tripoli then negotiated a settlement releasing the American ships and prisoners ending the conflict with Tripoli .
( Read Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates. )
