MC_A Concise History of Africa

A Concise History of Africa

OPPOSITE: Old Algiers where the majority of European Christian slaves were kept. BELOW: Meknes, Morocco was founded by Moulay Ismail.

United States could no longer rely on the protection of the British navy and, like other European nations, agreed to pay tribute to the Barbary states for unmolested passage into and through the Mediterranean. In May 1801, the United States refused to succumb to the increasing demands for tribute by the Pasha of Tripoli, as a result of which the First Barbary War (1801–05) was declared. While Tripoli was not a strong power, and little effort would have been necessary to blockade it, it was feared that the other Barbary powers would join in against the United States. The Barbary Wars were mostly naval conflicts, beginning with the Tripoli conflict and later with that of Algiers (Second Barbary War 1815).

Although annual payments had been maintained to the other Barbary states, Algiers continued to seize American merchantmen, for which increased payments were demanded and secured. As a result, the United States declared war on Algiers, following which a treaty, humiliating to the once-proud piratical state, was secured, whereby no future payments would be made, all American property would be restored, Christian slaves would be emancipated, reparation would be made for a merchantman recently seized, and civilized treatment would be accorded to prisoners-of- war. Tunis and Tripoli were forced to accept equally stringent terms, and an American presence remained in

Moulay Ismail (who ruled Morocco from 1672–1727) used mostly European slaves on the construction of his new capital at Meknes. Death tolls were high and his total consumption of slaves may have been several hundred thousand. He also sold slaves back to Europe for exorbitant sums. After the American Revolution (1775–83) and independence, the

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