Barbary Pirates & White Slaves Flashcards
What period marks the United States’ sailors being taken by Barbary pirates from their merchant ships in the Mediterranean?
Between 1780-1790.
Who were the Barbary pirates and which regions did they control?
Muslim pirates that controlled the Barbary Coast/northern Africa, including Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Morocco, part of the Ottoman Empire.
How did the Barbary pirates affect American merchant ships before the establishment of the US Navy in 1794?
They pillaged American merchant ships, kidnapped their crews, and forced them into slavery.
Until what year had Barbary pirates been capturing British and subsequently American sailors?
From the early 1600’s until 1816.
How many sailors are estimated to have been taken as slaves by Barbary pirates?
It’s estimated that 1.2 million sailors were taken away to be slaves in Africa.
How does the number of sailors taken to Africa compare to the number of black slaves sent to America?
Between 380,000 to 390,000 black slaves were sent to America, making the number of sailors taken significantly higher.
Besides raiding ships, what other aggressive actions did Barbary pirates undertake?
They also raided coastal villages and towns in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, etc., capturing people to be sold in North African slave markets.
In 1785, which two American figures went to London to negotiate protection from Barbary pirate attacks?
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
What was Tripoli’s ambassador’s justification for enslaving American sailors?
He claimed that the Quran gave them permission to enslave infidels.
What was Jefferson’s response in 1801 to the ambassador of Tripoli when he told him that the Quran gives his Barbary State permission to attack and enslave American merchant ships and enslave American sailors because they’re infidels?
Jefferson sent warships to the Mediterranean Sea, which eventually began bombarding the pirate bases. The pirates surrendered in 1805 in what came to be known as the First Barbary War.
What misconception about the origins of radical Islamic fundamentalism is addressed in the text?
The text refutes the claim that radical Islamic fundamentalism was created because of American democracy because it was happening before America became a country.
