History Quiz!! First anti-islamic terror prez-

[SCW]

Terror history quiz here-

Who was the first US persident to go to war with Islamic terrorist?

Bonus question, where was the terroism taking place and who was affected?


Of course the first prez to combat terrorism could be considered G. Washington when he put down the whiskey rebellion with an iron fist, but I'm talking Islamic here.

[Fergie]

I'd say Adams or Jefferson against the scurvy dogs in Barbary.

[SCW]

I'd say Adams or Jefferson against the scurvy dogs in Barbary.


WINNER!!!!

Here's an interesting quote or two-

"Jefferson's plan for an international coalition foundered on the shoals of indifference and a belief that it was cheaper to pay the tribute than fight a war"

"When Jefferson became president in 1801 he refused to accede to Tripoli's demands for an immediate payment of $225,000 and an annual payment of $25,000. The pasha of Tripoli then declared war on the United States. Although as secretary of state and vice president he had opposed developing an American navy capable of anything more than coastal defense, President Jefferson dispatched a squadron of naval vessels to the Mediterranean. As he declared in his first annual message to Congress: "To this state of general peace with which we have been blessed, one only exception exists. Tripoli, the least considerable of the Barbary States, had come forward with demands unfounded either in right or in compact, and had permitted itself to denounce war, on our failure to comply before a given day. The style of the demand admitted but one answer. I sent a small squadron of frigates into the Mediterranean. . . ."

"In fact, it was not until the second war with Algiers, in 1815, that naval victories by Commodores William Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur led to treaties ending all tribute payments by the United States. European nations continued annual payments until the 1830s."

from http://learning.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html




This is not the first time around the dance floor here. I'm amazed at the short memories around the world. It seems only the Jews and Arabs have a long memory, they still fight like Jacob and Esau did.

[Fergie]

...they still fight like Jacob and Esau did.

x eleventy one

[Captain Ron]

WINNER!!!!

Here's an interesting quote or two-

"Jefferson's plan for an international coalition foundered on the shoals of indifference and a belief that it was cheaper to pay the tribute than fight a war"

"When Jefferson became president in 1801 he refused to accede to Tripoli's demands for an immediate payment of $225,000 and an annual payment of $25,000. The pasha of Tripoli then declared war on the United States. Although as secretary of state and vice president he had opposed developing an American navy capable of anything more than coastal defense, President Jefferson dispatched a squadron of naval vessels to the Mediterranean. As he declared in his first annual message to Congress: "To this state of general peace with which we have been blessed, one only exception exists. Tripoli, the least considerable of the Barbary States, had come forward with demands unfounded either in right or in compact, and had permitted itself to denounce war, on our failure to comply before a given day. The style of the demand admitted but one answer. I sent a small squadron of frigates into the Mediterranean. . . ."

"In fact, it was not until the second war with Algiers, in 1815, that naval victories by Commodores William Bainbridge and Stephen Decatur led to treaties ending all tribute payments by the United States. European nations continued annual payments until the 1830s."

from http://learning.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html




This is not the first time around the dance floor here. I'm amazed at the short memories around the world. It seems only the Jews and Arabs have a long memory, they still fight like Jacob and Esau did.

Thats the most skewed and inaccurate summary of the events I've ever read.

Bainbridge shoulda been keelhauled for losing the Philadelphia and it's crew, and did next to nothing in terms of "victories". He was and remains the single most incompetent skipper to ever command anything bigger than a shoreboat in the US Navy.

Jefferson engineered a completely political cluster f that resulted in absolutely nothing in terms of "winning" a war, and ridding the US and other countries of threats and paying of tribute to the pasha in Tripoli. Jefferson's action before, during, and after the entire affair are shameful, at best.

The only honorable actions during the entire debacle were undertaken by William Eaton, and the First Marines.

This did not stop the activity on the Barbary Coast. Guess who did?

Yep, the French. :D

The whole incident highlights the ineptitude of US foreign policy in the region. Worse, it shows how politicians and US foreign policy has made not one single improvement in more than 200 years when it comes to the Middle East.

--ron

[RichP]

I was going to say it was the first moro rebellion, circa 1899, in the phillipines which would have been President Mckinley. The moros were muslim, pirates and the terrorists of their time attacking christian settlements. We actually did put that one down by threatening to turn over their governance to the phillipino govt which scared the snot out of the moro's, they settled down nicely till the past 10 years or so.. now they are back at it..

[BSD]

Thats the most skewed and inaccurate summary of the events I've ever read.

Bainbridge shoulda been keelhauled for losing the Philadelphia and it's crew, and did next to nothing in terms of "victories". He was and remains the single most incompetent skipper to ever command anything bigger than a shoreboat in the US Navy.

Jefferson engineered a completely political cluster f that resulted in absolutely nothing in terms of "winning" a war, and ridding the US and other countries of threats and paying of tribute to the pasha in Tripoli. Jefferson's action before, during, and after the entire affair are shameful, at best.

The only honorable actions during the entire debacle were undertaken by William Eaton, and the First Marines.

This did not stop the activity on the Barbary Coast. Guess who did?

Yep, the French. :D

The whole incident highlights the ineptitude of US foreign policy in the region. Worse, it shows how politicians and US foreign policy has made not one single improvement in more than 200 years when it comes to the Middle East.

--ron


Excellent response. Often times, questions or statements about the past are less about what happened and more about what one wants to happen. I think Jill Lepore said it best in her book "The Name of War" (an exploration of King PHillip's War / Metacomb's Rebellion). She wrote that the power of history comes in the ability to ascribe meaning to someone else's life and activities. That is awesome power.
BSD

[SCW]

Thats the most skewed and inaccurate summary of the events I've ever read.

Bainbridge shoulda been keelhauled for losing the Philadelphia and it's crew, and did next to nothing in terms of "victories". He was and remains the single most incompetent skipper to ever command anything bigger than a shoreboat in the US Navy.

Jefferson engineered a completely political cluster f that resulted in absolutely nothing in terms of "winning" a war, and ridding the US and other countries of threats and paying of tribute to the pasha in Tripoli. Jefferson's action before, during, and after the entire affair are shameful, at best.

The only honorable actions during the entire debacle were undertaken by William Eaton, and the First Marines.

This did not stop the activity on the Barbary Coast. Guess who did?

Yep, the French. :D

The whole incident highlights the ineptitude of US foreign policy in the region. Worse, it shows how politicians and US foreign policy has made not one single improvement in more than 200 years when it comes to the Middle East.

--ron

Capitan, you've missed the boat completely. The point is that since 1801 the US government has been ready to send soldiers into battle to protect trade concerns, across the world. This first encounter with Islamic terrorist was a boondoggle, but it set a precedence that continues today.

Lets look at Jeffersons next boondoggle, sending Maj. Leavenworth to subdue the Arikara Indians in the Missouri River basin just a few years after Lewis and Clark returned. Leavenworth lost a lot of men, pissed off an entire indian nation and caused the indians to lose their repsect for the whites. After Lewis and Clark there was a lot of respect on both sides, after Leavenworth there was a war gone so horribly wrong that it continued for nearly a hundred more years. What was he fighting for? Fur companies rights to trap north of St. Louis and up the Yellowstone River.

It's only recently that we have decided we need the cloak of "promoting democracy" to protect economic interests, and I'm tired of the charade. If we were going to "promote democracy" by disposing horrible tyrants, we could start with Cuba. Africa is rife with targets. But were are in Iraq,, and for some reason we don't just call a spade a spade.

[Lawn Cher']

"Popcorn? You'll find that in aisle seven, ma'am."

[BSD]

Sorry, missed the sarcasm in the reference to the Whiskey Rebellion. However, while I think economic interests do play a key role - especially in 20th century U.S. Foreign policy - I do not think that an economic focused interpretation of U.S. foreing policy (aka the Beards or LaFeber) is valid. It does not take into account religous motives (manifest detiny, white man's burden), nationalism, raciism, expansionist desires, or anti-communism. However, I do think we end up at the same place. I to think that current popular foreign policy discussion is overtly simplistic. Any objections are easily swept aside by using the word "terrorists" or "democracy" a couple of times.
BSD

[IXNAYXJ]

Thats the most skewed and inaccurate summary of the events I've ever read.Excellent response. Often times, questions or statements about the past are less about what happened and more about what one wants to happen. I think Jill Lepore said it best in her book "The Name of War" (an exploration of King PHillip's War / Metacomb's Rebellion). She wrote that the power of history comes in the ability to ascribe meaning to someone else's life and activities. That is awesome power.
History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. -----Matt-----