The Barbary Wars
The Barbary states were a collection of North African states. They practiced piracy in order to force a monetary tribute from weaker Atlantic powers. The United States fought two separate wars against the Barbary states. The first war (aka the Tripolitan War), lasting from 1801-1805 and the second war (aka the Algerian War) lasting from 1815-1816.
How our topic relates to Foreign Policy: Foreign Policy is a government's strategy of dealing with other nations. During the Barbary wars, the United States had an ever-changing foreign policy with the Barbary States due to the fluctuating tribute prices and piracy against U.S. ships.