Original Site: Liberty & Prosperity
Author: Seth Grossman
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past”. George Orwell (British journalist and author of 1984 and Animal Farm (1903-1950)
In 1783, America won its independence from England after eight years of war. But our peace treaty with England got us into a new war with four Arab kingdoms (the Barbary States) on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa– Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli.
They were allies of the powerful Muslim Turkish Empire conquered much of Eastern Europe, and almost seized Vienna, Austria. While doing this, they grew rich and powerful themselves from the slave business.
The Barbary Kings gave “letters of marque” to Muslim sea captains (including European pirates who converted to Islam) to attack ships or villages of non-Muslim countries they were at war with—and share their profits with the government. This made them lawful “privateers” (“corsairs” in French) rather than criminal pirates.
Scholars estimate that these Muslim “corsairs” captured and enslaved some 800,000 to 1.2 million Europeans during the 300 years between 1500 and 1800. Corsairs even raided villages in Ireland and Iceland, since blond, blue-eyed women got the highest prices in the Turkish slave markets.
The Barbary corsairs outfought most European navies at the time because money from the slave trade bought them the best ships and weapons. Arab ships were faster and did not depend on wind or tide because they were powered by the oars of an endless supply of slaves. And Muslim fighters were fearless, since they believed they went to paradise, redeemed of all sin, if they were killed fighting non-Muslims.
By 1783, most European nations gave up fighting the Barbary corsairs, and paid “tribute” (bribes) to have their ships and village left alone. When America was part of the British Empire, our ships were protected by the English payoffs. But we attacked after 1783 when England recognized our independence.
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson, failed to persuade Congress and the Europeans to fight the Barbara States. It was cheaper for us to pay tribute than to build a navy and go to war.
But the more we paid, the more the Barbary States demanded. Finally, in 1798, Americans said “Millions for defense! Not one cent for tribute!” Congress agreed to spend millions of dollars to build warships and a navy academy in Annapolis. Richard Somers of Somers Point, then 20 years old, was among the first to enroll.
When Thomas Jefferson became President in 1801, he persuaded Congress to send our new fleet to fight the Barbary corsairs. Richard Somers, then 23 years old, commanded one of those ships. The oldest ship commander was 30. The youngest was 15.
The Europeans ridiculed us, and predicted our quick defeat. But those young Americans astounded the world. In three years, they put three of the four Barbary fleets out of action, and blockaded the last one in its home port of Tripoli. On September 4, 1804, Richard Somers and his entire crew were killed as they tried to sneak a ship loaded with explosives into that harbor to destroy that fleet.
Although he failed, Richard Somers inspired both Americans and Europeans to continue the struggle Within 12 years, we ended the Muslim slave trade in the Mediterranean once and for all.
America’s struggle with slavery overseas also inspired many Americans, including Benjamin Franklin, to demand the end of slavery in this country. Slavery was ended in all federal territories in 1787, an in all northern states soon afterwards. The importation of new slaves was outlawed in 1808. When efforts to free slaves in the remaining southern states failed, many in the north, like Abraham Lincoln, organized to contain slavery. Others helped slaves from the south escape. Anger at this “anti-slavery agitation” caused South Carolina to start the Civil War in 1861.
http://libertyandprosperity.org/weekly-update-september-2-2012/