| Second Barbary War | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theBarbary Wars | |||||||
.jpg) Commodore Decatur’s Squadron capturing the Algerian pirate ship Mashuda, on 17 June 1815, Irwin Bevan | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |  Regency of Algiers | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| James MadisonStephen Decatur | Omar AghaRaïs Hamidou † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 3 frigates 3 brigs 2 schooners 2 sloops | 5 frigates 7 smaller warships | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 40 killed and wounded[1] | 53 killed Many wounded 486 captured 2 ships captured 1 ship sunk | ||||||
TheSecond Barbary War, also known as theU.S.–Algerian War[2] and theAlgerine War,[3] was a brief military conflict between theUnited States and theNorth African state ofAlgiers in 1815.
Piracy had been rampant along the North African"Barbary" coast of theMediterranean Sea since the 16th century. Algerianpirates andprivateers intermittently preyed on American ships, with Algiers extracting annual tribute from the U.S.since 1795; theFirst Barbary War in the early 19th century, fought primarily against Algiers' neighbors, failed to fully stem the problem.
In February 1815, after the end of theWar of 1812, U.S. PresidentJames Madison requested that Congress declare war against Algiers; legislation was passed on 3 March 1815 authorizing the use of theU.S. Navy to protect American interests and seize Algerian assets. In May, a 10-ship squadron led by CommodoreStephen Decatur—a veteran of the First Barbary War—sailed from New York to Algiers. An even larger force, led by CommodoreWilliam Bainbridge, another Barbary War veteran, was close behind.
Following a decisive U.S. victory off the coast of Cape Gata in June 1815, Commodore Decatur successfully pressedDeyOmar Agha of Algeria to sue for peace. The resulting agreement was formalizedin a treaty ratified by the U.S. Senate on 5 December 1815.[4] However, Agha later repudiated the treaty, as well as similar agreements with several European nations, until a combined Anglo-Dutch forcebombarded Algiers in 1816;[5] the subsequent arrival of a U.S. squadron carrying U.S. commissionerWilliam Shaler led to a new but substantially similar treaty on 23 December 1816, which was ratified on 11 February 1822.[4]
The Algerian War resulted in the United States and Europe ceasing tribute to Algiers and marked the beginning of the end of piracy in the Mediterranean. It also further elevated U.S. military prestige and power projection capabilities that had been demonstrated in the prior Barbary War. Western nations built ever more sophisticated and expensive ships that the Barbary pirates could not match in numbers or technology, and theFrench conquest of Algeria in 1830 fully ended any vestige of piracy in the region.[6]
TheFirst Barbary War (1801–1805) had led to an uneasy truce between the US and the Barbary states, but American attention turned to Britain and theWar of 1812. TheBarbary pirates returned to their practice of attacking American merchant vessels in theMediterranean Sea and ransoming their crews to the United States government.[7] At the same time, the major European powers were still involved in theNapoleonic Wars, which did not fully end until June 1815 (Battle of Waterloo).[8]
At the conclusion of the War of 1812, theUS government under PresidentJames Madison returned to the problem of Barbary piracy. On 3 March 1815, theUS Congress authorized deployment ofnaval power against Algiers, and the squadron under the command of CommodoreStephen Decatur set sail on 20 May. It consisted ofUSS Guerriere (flagship),Constellation,Macedonia,Epervier,Ontario,Firefly,Spark,Flambeau,Torch, andSpitfire.[9]
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During the War of 1812, Algiers had generally aligned with the British (although Britain's Atlantic blockade had limited US trade in the Mediterranean region). President Madison recommended that Congress declare the "existence of a state of war between the United States and the Dey and Regency of Algiers."[10] While Congress did not formally declare a state of war, they did pass legislation, enacted on 3 March 1815, that authorized the president to use the U.S. Navy, "as judged requisite by the President" to protect the "commerce and seamen" of the United States on the "Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and adjoining seas."[10] Congress also authorized the president to grant the U.S. Navy the ability to seize all vessels and goods belonging to Algiers. The legislation also authorized the president to commissionprivateers for the same purpose.[10]
On 20 May 1815, a 10-ship squadron left New York (to be followed by a larger fleet under command ofWilliam Bainbridge).[11] Shortly after departing Gibraltar en route to Algiers, Decatur's squadron encountered the Algerian flagshipMeshouda and captured it in theBattle off Cape Gata. They also managed to capture the AlgerianbrigEstedio in theBattle off Cape Palos. On 29 June, the squadron had reached Algiers and had initiated negotiations with theBey. The United States made persistent demands for compensation, mingled with threats of destruction, and the Dey capitulated. He signed a treaty aboard theGuerriere in theBay of Algiers on 3 July 1815, in which Decatur agreed to return the capturedMeshuda andEstedio. The Algerians returned all American captives, estimated to be about 10, in exchange for about 500 subjects of the Dey.[12] Algeria also paid $10,000 for seized shipping. The treaty guaranteed no further tributes by the United States[13] and granted the United States full shipping rights in the Mediterranean Sea.
Despite having successfully negotiated for their freedom, all 10 US captives perished when the ship returning them to the US,Epervier, sank in theAtlantic ocean on 9 August 1815. Although the conflict was brief and small-scale, it showed US resolve and was a victory for free trade.[11]
In early 1816, Britain undertook a diplomatic mission, backed by a small squadron ofships of the line, to Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers to convince the Deys to stop their piracy and free European Christian slaves. TheDeys of Tunis and Tripoli agreed without any resistance, but the Dey of Algiers was less cooperative, and the negotiations were stormy. The leader of the diplomatic mission, AdmiralEdward Pellew, believed that he had negotiated a treaty to stop the slavery of Christians and returned to England. However, just after the treaty was signed, Algerian troops massacred 200Corsican,Sicilian andSardinian fishermen who had been under British protection thanks to the negotiations. This caused outrage in Britain and the rest of Europe, and Pellew's negotiations were seen as a failure.[14]
As a result, Pellew was ordered to sea again to complete the job and punish the Algerians. He gathered a squadron of five ships of the line, reinforced by a number of frigates, later reinforced by a flotilla of six Dutch ships. On 27 August 1816, following a round of failed negotiations, the fleet delivered a punishing nine-hourbombardment of Algiers. The attack immobilized many of the Dey's corsairs and shore batteries, forcing him to accept a peace offer of the same terms that he had rejected the day before. Pellew warned that if the terms were not accepted, he would continue the action. The Dey accepted the terms, but Pellew had been bluffing since his fleet had already spent all its ammunition.[15]
A treaty was signed on 24 September 1816. The British Consul and 1,083 other Christian slaves were freed, and the U.S. ransom money repaid.[16]
ARTICLE 3rd The Dey of Algiers shall cause to be immediately delivered up to the American Squadron now off Algiers all the American Citizens now in his possession, amounting to ten more or less, and all the Subjects of the Dey of Algiers now in the power of the United States amounting to five hundred more or less, shall be delivered up to him, the United States according to the usages of civilized nations requiring no ransom for the excess of prisoners in their favor.
ARTICLE 2d It is distinctly understood between the Contracting parties, that no tribute either as biennial presents, or under any other form or name whatever, shall ever be required by the Dey and Regency of Algiers from the United States of America on any pretext whatever.
