American–Algerian War (1785–1795): Difference between revisions

| strength1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Algiers.jpg}} Unknown

| strength2 = {{flagd|United States|1795}} Unknown

| casualties1 = lower{{flagicon thanimage|Flag americanof lossesAlgiers.jpg}} Unknown

The '''Algerian–American War''' was a [[Declaration of war|state of conflict]] which existed between the [[Regency of Algiers]] and the [[United States]] that lasted from 1785 to 1795. Occurring after the U.S. became independent from the [[British Empire]] as a result of the [[American Revolutionary War]], Algiers declared war on the United States after realizing that American [[merchant ship]]ping was no longlonger under the protection of the [[Royal Navy]].

[[Barbary pirates]] operating out of Algiers captured 53 U.S. merchant ships and 1 brig along with 180 American sailors, 83 of whom were subsequently ransomed back by the [[Federal government of the United States|United States government]]. Since the [[Continental Navy]] had been disbanded in 1783, the U.S. had no [[navy]] to protect American shipping, and was forced to sue for peace with Algiers in 1795, agreeing to pay an annual tribute of $21,600. The war led to the [[United States Congress]] to pass the [[Naval Act of 1794]], which created the [[United States Navy]].

Beginning in the [[early modern period]], [[Barbary pirates]] operating out of the [[Barbary Coast]] targeted Christian European merchant shipping, capturing and frequently enslaving their crews as part of the [[Barbary slave trade]]. Before independence, American merchant shipping werewas protected by the [[Royal Navy]]. But after the United States declared independence, British diplomats informed the [[Barbary States]] that U.S. ships were no longer under their protection and in 1785, [[Algiers]] declared war on the United States.<ref>{{cite book|title=National Security and Core Values in American History|author= William O.|year=2009|page=31|publisher= Cambridge University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cED70_yaBwQC&dq=in+1785,+Algiers+declared+war+on+the+United+States.%5B1%5D&pg=PA31|isbn=9780521518598}}</ref>

US diplomats [[Joel Barlow]], Joseph Donaldson, and Richard O'Brien secured treaties with [[Ottoman Algeria|Algiers]], [[Beylik of Tunis|Tunis]], and [[Ottoman Tripolitania|Tripoli]], involving tribute payments.<ref>{{cite book|author= Grégoire Jeanne|title=Histoire des États-Unis|year=1894|page=16|publisher=C.F. Chamerot |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kRkoAAAAYAAJ&dq=Algiers+declared+war+on+England&pg=PA16}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Don Philpott|title=Understanding the Department of State|year=2015|page=267|publisher=Bernan Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMSqCgAAQBAJ&dq=American-Algerian+War+1795&pg=PA267|isbn=9781598887464}}</ref> The Algiers treaty also released [[sailor|83 American sailors]] out of 130 seamen.<ref>{{cite book|title=Islamic Jihad A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism, and Slavery|author= M.A.Khan|year=2009|page=342|publisher= iUniverse|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uHNddAz5cfAC&dq=US+diplomats+Joel+Barlow,+Joseph+Donaldson,+and+Richard+O%27Brien+secured+treaties+with+Algiers,+Tunis,+and+Tripoli,+involving+tribute+payments&pg=PA342|isbn=9781440118463}}</ref>

[[Category:18th century in Algeriathe Regency of Algiers]]