BARSARY POWERS, WARS win' THE. From the time of the Middle Ages, the Moham medan powers on the north coast of Africa lived largely by piracy and blackmail, capturing and confiscating (or holding for ransom) the ship ping of such nations as did not pay a liberal tribute. Li 1785 they began to molest the American shipping, which before the Revolu tion had been protected by British passes, and the United States Government, following the example of European powers, concluded treaties with Morocco (1786-87), Algeria (1795), Trip oli (1796), and Tunis (1799), securing immu nity from attack by money payments. The corsairs continued arrogant, however: and in 1801 Tripoli, after having been denied a larger tribute, declared war. American squadrons were sent to the 'Mediterranean under Commodores Dale (1801), Morris (1802). and Preble (1804); the Tripolitan ports were blockaded and bom barded; a number of the piratical cruisers were captured; and ill June. 1805. Tripoli was forced to make peace. The chief events of the war were the grounding and capture of the Philadelphia, in the harbor of Tripoli (October 31, 1803), and her destruction by Decatur (February 16, 1804), the bombardment of Tripoli. and the celebrated laud expedition under William Eaton in 1805. (See
DAINHRIDGE, WILLIAM; DECATUR, STEPHEN; and EATON, WILLIAM.) Renewed attacks by the Bar bary vessels began with the abandonment (in 1810) of the restrictive policy exemplified in the embargo of 1807. (See EMBARGO,) Algeria formally declared war in 1312. and gave consid erable assistance to the British in the years 1812-13. In 1815 Decatur, proceeding with ten vessels to the Mediterranean. speedily brought Algeria to terms, and in addition forced Tunis and Tripoli to sign treaties formally renouncing future exactions of tribute. The United States was the first power thus to cheek the aggressions of the pirates, and her example was soon fol lowed by the various maritime countries of Eu rope. The earlier wars gave an efficient training to the American sailors. and demonstrated the futility of Jefferson's famous 'gunboat system.' C'onsult: Stanley Lane-Poole, The Story of the Barbary Corsairs (New York, 1891), and E. S. Maclay, history of the :Vary (3 vols.. New York, 1894-1901). An excellent account is also given in Henry Adams's History of the United States from 180l to 1817 (9 vols., New York, 1839-91).