Americans at War in the Ottoman Empire examines the role of mercenary figures in negotiating relations between the United States and the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century. Mercenaries are often treated as historical footnotes, yet their encounters with the Ottoman world contributed to US culture and the impressions they left behind continue to influence US approaches to Africa and the Middle East. The book's analysis of these mercenary encounters and their legacies begins with the Battle of Derna in 1805-in which the US flag was raised above a battlefield for the first time outside of North America with the help of a mercenary army-and concludes with the British occupation of Egypt in 1882-which was witnessed and criticized by many of the US Civil War veterans who worked for the Egyptian government in the 1870s and 1880s. By focusing these mercenary encounters through the lenses of memory, sovereignty, literature, geography, and diplomacy, Americans at War in the Ottoman Empire reveals the ways in which mercenary force, while marginal in terms of its frequency and scope, produced important knowledge about the Ottoman world and helped to establish the complicated relationship of intimacy and mastery that exists between Americans in the United States and people in Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, South Sudan, and Turkey.

Americans at War in the Ottoman Empire

THE TRUE STORY OF WILLIAM EATON AND THE UNITED STATES’ FIRST ATTEMPT AT REGIME CHANGE April 27, 1805. The impasse in the four-year war between the Barbary pirate state of Tripoli and the United States is about to be broken. William Eaton has led his ragtag army of Greeks, Arabs, and U.S. Marines across five hundred grueling miles of sun-scorched desert from Alexandria, Egypt, to Tripoli’s heavily defended port fortress of Derna. Outnumbered ten to one, the exhausted, thirsty men carry out Eaton’s daring charge on the pirate fortress–and enter the history books and anthem of the U.S. Marines. David Smethurst vividly chronicles America’s Barbary War and the pivotal role of William Eaton–firebrand, soldier, and statesman. From the former army captain’s appointment as consul to the Barbary Coast in 1799 to the enemy’s capture of the USS Pennsylvania and her three hundred sailors to Eaton’s valiant attack and its stunning aftermath, Tripoli is a fascinating tale of polished diplomacy, raw heroism, and a man as fearless and independent as the young nation he represented. From the Paperback edition.

Tripoli

Having taken part in all American wars, the Marine Corps is often the first branch of the military to see action. Part of the U.S. Department of the Navy, the Marine Corps is a separate military group, although it is closely associated with the U.S. Navy. Attention-grabbing photographs and historic images correlate closely with this informative and engaging narrative, which teaches young readers about the history, purpose, and current state of the United States Marine Corps.

The U.S. Marine Corps

The Barbary War - the first American war against Libya - was the first war waged by the United States outside national boundaries after gaining independence and unification of the country. The four Barbary States of North Africa - Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli - had plundered seaborne commerce for centuries. This was piracy on an extraordinary scale: they controlled all trading routes through the Barbary waters and North Africa: demanding ransom and booty for safe passage. In 1801 the newly elected President Jefferson ordered a naval and military expedition to North Africa in order to put down regimes that endorsed piracy and slavery. The Pasha of Tripoli declared war on the United States. Under the leadership of Commodores Richard Dale and Edward Preble, the US Navy blockaded the enemy coast and engaged in close, bitterly contested gunboat actions. On 16 February 1804 LT Stephen Decatur led 74 volunteers into Tripoli to burn the captured American frigate The Philadelphia. British Admiral Lord Nelson called the raid "the most daring act of the age". In 1805 Marines stormed the Barbary pirates' harbor fortress stronghold of Derna (Tripoli), commemorated in the Marine Corp Hymn invocation "To the Shores of Tripoli." The US Navy troops were recalled before they could secure their gains, but returned after the War of 1812. Their success then won worldwide admiration for the Americans and their Navy. They marked the way for the European nations to finally quash the Barbary States and end the piracy. This event marks the true birth of the US Navy and Marines and is ever remembered in the Marines' battle hymn.

The Wars of the Barbary Pirates

The first novel in award-winning historian James L. Haley’s brilliant adventure series featuring young midshipman Bliven Putnam as he begins his naval service aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. It is 1801 and President Thomas Jefferson has assembled a deep-water navy to fight the growing threat of piracy, as American civilians are regularly kidnapped by Islamist brigands and held for ransom, enslaved, or killed, all at their captors' whim. The Berber States of North Africa, especially Tripoli, claimed their faith gave them the right to pillage anyone who did not submit to their religion. Young Bliven Putnam, great-nephew of Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam, is bound for the Mediterranean and a desperate battle with the pirate ship Tripoli. He later returns under legendary Commodore Edward Preble on the Constitution, and marches across the Libyan desert with General Eaton to assault Derna—discovering the lessons he learns about war, and life, are not what he expected. Rich with historical detail and cracking with high-wire action, The Shores of Tripoli brings this amazing period in American history to life with brilliant clarity.

The Shores of Tripoli

The mass market edition of the New York Times Bestseller. 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 was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford. Jefferson found it impossible to negotiate with the leaders of the Barbary states, who believed their religion justified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy, 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 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 500-mile 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.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

A real-life thriller--the true story of the unheralded American who brought the Barbary Pirates to their knees. In an attempt to stop the legendary Barbary Pirates of North Africa from hijacking American ships, William Eaton set out on a secret mission to overthrow the government of Tripoli. The operation was sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson, who at the last moment grew wary of "intermeddling" in a foreign government and sent Eaton off without proper national support. Short on supplies, given very little money and only a few men, Eaton and his mission seemed doomed from the start. He triumphed against all odds, recruited a band of European mercenaries in Alexandria, and led them on a march across the Libyan Desert. Once in Tripoli, the ragtag army defeated the local troops and successfully captured Derne, laying the groundwork for the demise of the Barbary Pirates. Now, Richard Zacks brings this important story of America's first overseas covert op to life.

The Pirate Coast

Relatively little attention has been paid to American military history between 1783 and 1812—arguably the most formative years of the United States. This encyclopedia fills the void in existing literature and provides greater understanding of how the nation evolved during this era. This encyclopedia offers a comprehensive examination of U.S. military history from the beginning of the republic in 1783 up to the eve of war with Great Britain in 1812. It enables a detailed study of the Early Republic, during which ideological and political divisions occurred over the fledgling U.S. military. The entries cover all the important battles, key individuals, weapons, Indian nations, and treaties, as well as numerous social, political, cultural, and economic developments during this period. The contents of the work will enable readers at the high school, college, university, and even graduate level to comprehend how political parties emerged, and how ideological differences over the organization, size, and use of the military developed. Larger global developments, including Anglo-American and Franco-American interactions, relations between Middle Eastern states and the United States, and relations and warfare between the U.S. government and various Indian nations are also detailed. The extensive and detailed bibliographies will be immensely helpful to learners at all levels.

The Encyclopedia of the Wars of the Early American Republic, 1783–1812 [3 volumes]

The history of America's conflict with the piratical states of the Mediterranean runs through the presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison; the adoption of the Constitution; the Quasi-War with France and the War of 1812; the construction of a full-time professional navy; and, most important, the nation's haltering steps toward commercial independence. Frank Lambert's genius is to see in the Barbary Wars the ideal means of capturing the new nation's shaky emergence in the complex context of the Atlantic world. Depicting a time when Britain ruled the seas and France most of Europe, The Barbary Wars proves America's earliest conflict with the Arabic world was always a struggle for economic advantage rather than any clash of cultures or religions.

The Barbary Wars

In the early 1800s, American ships off the coast of North Africa routinely found themselves the targets of Muslim pirates. These sea raiders, or 'corsairs' as they were known, sought captives to enslave in the Ottoman Empire's galleys, mines and harems. When reports circulated of white Christians being shackled to oars, smashing rocks in mines and being sold into sexual slavery, the American public became incensed. The leaders of the young republic were forced to act and with remarkable dexterity built a fleet of ships that grew into a fighting force powerful enough to withstand its first major test: The Barbary Wars.

Dawn Like Thunder: The Barbary Wars and the Birth of the US Navy

At the dawn of a new century, a newly elected U.S. president was forced to confront an escalating series of unprovoked attacks on Americans by Muslim terrorists sworn to carry out jihad against all Western powers. As timely and familiar as these events may seem, they occurred more than two centuries ago. The president was Thomas Jefferson, and the terrorists were the Barbary pirates. Victory in Tripoli recounts the untold story of one of the defining challenges overcome by the young U.S. republic. This fast-moving and dramatic tale examines the events that gave birth to the Navy and the Marines and re-creates the startling political, diplomatic, and military battles that were central to the conflict. This highly interesting and informative history offers deep insight into issues that remain fundamental to U.S. foreign policy decisions to this day.

Victory in Tripoli

Wheelan captures the story of America's first war against terror and the nations that supported it. With telling illustrations, "Jefferson's War" traces the events surrounding the evolution of the third president's resolute belief that peace with the Barbary States, and respect from Europe, could be achieved only through the "medium of war."

Jefferson's War

The First Barbary War (1801-1805), or "America's First War on Terror," as some refer to it, was a pivotal moment in US history. While both the Navy and Marines participated in the Quasi-War with France, it was the war with the Barbary pirates that cemented both the Marine Corps and the Navy as the proud organizations that they are today. This was the war that produced heroes such as O'Bannon, Decatur, Preble, Porter, Hull, and Somers. To the Shores of Tripoli follows three fictional Marine privates as they participate in the watershed moments in the war. Private Seth Crocker is an uneducated, underage Marine who fights from the tops of the USS Enterprise and in battles such as the Gunboat Battle off the coast of Tripoli. Private Ichabod Cone, a veteran of the Revolution, is part of the crew of the USS Philadelphia when it is captured and spends most of the war as a slave of the pasha. Private Jacob Brissey is one of the seven Marines, under Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon, who march 600 miles across the desert against tremendous odds to attack and capture the city of Derne, where, for the first time in history, the US flag is raised over foreign soil. This book is historical fiction, but the events it describes are historical fact. Most of the characters actually existed and fought in the war. Where possible, their actual words are reproduced here. In all other cases, dialogue and characterizations were born in the author's imagination. The First Barbary War is considered the birth of the US Navy. It is equally valid to say that the war created the foundation for the Marine Corps as we know it today.

To the Shores of Tripoli

Set amid the backdrop of political infighting, interservice jealousy, and diplomatic intrigue, To the Walls of Derne is the story of William Eaton’s effort to topple Bashaw Yusuf Karamanli, the ruler of Tripoli, and replace him with his brother, Hamet, who was sympathetic to America. Coming in the fourth year of the war with Tripoli, Eaton’s coup attempt marked the first time the United States attempted “regime change” in another country. Although it had the backing of President Thomas Jefferson, problems – political, military and logistical – beset Eaton’s campaign. At the same time, the US Navy continued its campaign against Tripoli, ranging from blockade to planning for an all-out assault on the city. Neither Commodore Samuel Barron nor John Rodgers, the commanders of the American squadron, support Eaton’s mission and also did not want the former Army captain to grab the glory of the ending the war. Meanwhile, Jefferson sent diplomat Tobias Lear to North Africa with specific orders to negotiate an end to the war. Despite the roadblocks, Eaton’s indomitable will carried him through. He landed in Egypt, searched for and found Hamet Karamanli, assembled an army that included First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon and seven U.S. Marines. Eaton led his army across the Egyptian and Libyan deserts to attack Bengahzi and had to contend with mutinies, cantankerous allies, hunger, thirst, and lukewarm support from Navy. Almost to spite his detractors, Eaton accomplished his mission, with O’Bannon and his Marines leading the charge that took Benghazi and becoming the first U.S. troops to raise the Stars and Stripes over a foreign city. Just as he seemed on the verge of victory and ousting Yusuf, however, Lear negotiated an end to the war, forcing Eaton to abandon Hamet, his army, and his dreams of glory. To the Walls of Derne looks not only at the military aspect of the campaigns but at the character of those involved. It uses Libyan sources to provide insight into the persona of Yusuf Karmaanli, who was far from the mindless brute many as Western historians portray him. Karamanli was a fascinating character and arguably among the first Arab nationalists. This book also breathes new life into Hamet Karamanli, who, despite his shortcomings, was a brave combat leader and devoted family. It also examines the role of the US Marine Corps in the campaign in detail – a role that literally saved the Corps from extinction. It delves into the tangled web of political, military and diplomatic efforts and competing interests that plagued the final year of the Tripoli War and gives new insight into the larger-than-life character that was William Eaton.

To the Walls of Derne

Often-overlooked yet significant and prophetic event in U.S. history, the Barbary War was America's first battle against an Arab despot and President Thomas Jefferson's first major challenge to U.S. foreign policy. As described by A.B.C. Whipple, it is a great yarn as well as first-rate history. The author skillfully combines vivid accounts of derring-do with shrewd appraisals of contemporary politics and diplomacy. Because the Continental Navy had been disbanded, there was an urgent need to develop a new Navy and Marine Corps. Faced with the choice of trading arms for hostages or meeting force with force, Jefferson sent a squadron of warships to the Mediterranean while Congress was in recess, prompting the first major debate on the war-making powers of a U.S. president. The war included a blockade of Tripoli, sustained bombardment by the Navy's new frigates, and finally a ground war fought by a U.S. Army captain, eight Marines, and a rabble of Christians and Arabs sent to free the hostages. Whipple's rousing narrative is filled with fascinating personalities. In addition to Jefferson, there is Commodore Edward Preble, the quarter-deck tyrant who commanded the first naval forces into battle; the bold junior officer Stephen Decatur; the tyrannical bashaw, Yusuf Karamanli; William Eaton, an early-day Lawrence of Arabia; Marine lieutenant Presley O'Bannon; and a host of others.

The Battle of Derna, fought on April 27, 1805, was a significant engagement in the First Barbary War between the United States and the Tripolitan forces of what is now modern Libya. It marked the first time in history that the United States flag was raised in victory on foreign soil. The battle was led by U.S. agent William Eaton and U.S. Marine Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon, who commanded a diverse force composed of eight U.S. Marines and approximately 500 mercenaries—Greek, Arab, and Berber fighters. This small force embarked on a daunting 500-mile march across the desert from Alexandria, Egypt, to Derna, Libya. Upon reaching Derna and after a short but intense battle, Eaton's forces captured the city, leveraging naval bombardment support from the USS Argus, USS Hornet, and USS Nautilus. This victory was instrumental in the eventual peace treaty with Tripoli, which concluded hostilities and established U.S. resolve and military capability on the international stage.

HistoryShelf

Battle of Derna

HistoryMap available:

Visit Shop