Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates : The Forgotten War That Changed American History

"The challenges we face today are not so different from Jefferson's, and we've much to learn from his boldness and from the courage of the marines and sailors who died to protect their country."?Brian Kilmeade This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America's third president decided to stand up to intimidation. When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa's Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new country could afford. Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy?at least not while easy money could be made by extorting America, France, England, and other powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy's new warships and a detachment of marines to blockade Tripoli?launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America's journey toward future superpower status. As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many suspenseful episodes: \* Lieutenant Andrew Sterett's ferocious cannon-battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli . \* Lieutenant Stephen Decatur's daring night raid of an enemy harbor, aiming to destroy an American ship that had fallen into the pirates' hands. \* General William Eaton's unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derna, where the marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country's battles in the air, on land and sea." Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgotten war that changed American history, with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas. From the Hardcover edition. “Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor This is the little-known story of how a newly indepen­dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation. When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa’s Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun­try could afford. Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus­tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy—at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy’s new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli—launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America’s journey toward future superpower status. As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington’s Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus­penseful episodes: ·Lieutenant Andrew Sterett’s ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli. ·Lieutenant Stephen Decatur’s daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates’ hands. ·General William Eaton’s unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot­ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas. Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. Brad Thor This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when Americas third president decided to stand up to intimidation. #160; When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africas Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new country could afford. #160; Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercyat least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navys new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripolilaunching the Barbary Wars and beginning Americas journey toward future superpower status. #160; As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washingtons Secret Six , Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many suspenseful episodes: #160; Lieutenant Andrew Steretts ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli . #160; Lieutenant Stephen Decaturs daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates hands. General William Eatons unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time. #160; Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our countrys battles in the air, on land and sea. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgotten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas From the Prologue... Mercilessly, the pirates stripped O'Brien and his men of shoes, hats, and handkerchiefs, leaving them unprotected from the burning sun during the twelve-day voyage back to the North African coast. On arrival in Algiers, the American captives were paraded through the streets as spectators jeered. [...] “Our sufferings are beyond our expression or your conception,” O'Brien wrote to America's minister to France, Thomas Jefferson, two weeks after his arrival in Algiers. Those sufferings would only get worse. Several of the captives from the Maria and the Dauphin would die in captivity of yellow fever, overwork, and exposure--and in some ways, they were the lucky ones. The ways out of prison for the remaining prisoners were few: convert to Islam, attempt to escape, or wait for their country to negotiate their release. A few of the captives would be ransomed but, for most, their thin blankets wore out as year after year passed and freedom remained out of reach. Richard O'Brien would be ten years a slave. America had not yet elected its first president, but it already had its first enemy. None None None None None None Unprepared and Unprotected Americans Abroad Secretary Jefferson The Humiliation of the USS George Washington Jefferson Takes Charge A Flagpole Falls The First Flotilla Skirmish at Sea Patience Wears Thin The Doldrums of Summer The Omens of October The Philadelphia Disaster By the Cover of Darkness The Battle of Tripoli Opening a New Front Win in the Desert or Die in the Desert Endgame Fair Winds and Following Seas None None None None None None -- George Washington's Secret Six Lieutenant Andrew Sterett's ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship -- Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates From the Hardcover edition