Key Battles of the Barbary Wars, Episode 3: The Barbary States and Their 300-Year Reign of Mediterranean Piracy

Key Battles of American History

History

4.7 • 861 Ratings

🗓️ 30 October 2024

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Barbary States (Morocco, Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis) were the greatest thorn in the side of the young American republic after it won independence, preying on trade ships, enslaving American crews, and demanding levels of ransom that consumed much of the federal budget. But why did the Barbary states rely on piracy for economic survival and why couldn't they engage in typical commerce?

In the 16th century, the Barbary States transitioned from Mediterranean trade to piracy after Spain's conquests and Ottoman expansion disrupted their economy. Algiers and other North African ports became notorious bases for corsairs, launching raids on European shipping under the protection of the Ottoman Empire. By the early 17th century, piracy became central to their economy, with hundreds of corsair vessels operating from Algerine ports, capturing ships and enslaving crews. However, by the late 1800s, the Barbary States' power had waned due to European naval interventions, reducing their fleets and influence significantly.

But they were still a major threat, as the newborn United States was soon to find out. In this episode, James and Scott look at the origins of the Barbary States and understand their perspective in the Barbary Wars.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding
0:10.8	right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its
0:16.5	size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding American history.
0:24.0	Welcome to Key Battles of American History,
0:26.8	a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.
0:32.8	Here is your host, James Early.
0:43.5	Thank you. host, James Early. Welcome back to our series,
0:45.0	Key Battles of the Barbary Wars.
0:46.6	I am Scott Rank, and in the last episode, we left off the American Navy being
0:51.3	somewhere between non-existent and microscopic.
0:54.2	We're going to switch our focus from America and we're going to look at the Barbary
0:59.0	States themselves before we look at the war.
1:01.3	And I guess it's worth asking.
1:02.7	So, James, I consider you someone who knows a thing or two about history.
1:06.5	You know, you've been around a block.
1:07.5	We've read a book here there.
1:08.8	So if there's someone who's knowledgeable about things and has a general knowledge about
1:12.6	a lot of stuff, you probably would.
1:14.8	Before we started this series, what did you know about the Barbary States?
1:19.5	This is a pretty good avatar about someone who's fairly well read.
1:23.5	How much would a general person who generally likes history know about them?
1:27.2	What was your
	...

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