Thoughts on America’s first foreign war

People have been living and interacting with each other for thousands of years. Someone once said that history may not repeat but it does rhyme. Looking at current events in light of our history helps me understand the context for what we’re seeing today. For instance, America is still suffering the effects of slavery that was abolished more than 100 years ago. The specific history of slavery may not be forefront in everyone’s minds, but its affects are. Past down through actions of prejudice, discrimination and distrust. The same is true with the West’s interactions with the Arab and Persian peoples. This history goes back to the beginnings of time but events such as the Christian Crusades, European colonization of the middle east and Africa. Europe’s war against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary Coast are directly related to these actions and affect the West’s relationship today. The parallels are clear and though the history isn’t as well known, the beliefs are past down from generations to generation. We are dealing with it today. Just like slavery in America. We can’t apologize our way out of it, nor can we fight our way out of it. We are stuck trying to contain the violence, and look for small ways to change our relationships with these nations. 

I’ve read 2 books in the past month dealing with America’s war with the Barbary States of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli (Libya) in the first year’s of our existence. And the offensive campaign we sought against Tripoli in 1805 to end tribute payments (since we didn’t have the funds and were $83M in debt from the Revolutionary war). And to enable free trade in the region. Richard Zaks: The Pirate Coast, Thomas Jefferson, the first Marines and the Secret Mission of 1805 dealt with William Eaton’s campaign against Derne. And Joseph Wheelan Jefferson's War America's First War on Terror 1801-1805 looked at the situation more broadly describing our policies and interactions in greater context.

I’ve written detailed notes and reviews on both books, if I get comments on this blog, I’ll post them.