That Time the US Paid a $642,500 Ransom to Pirates

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Did you know that the U.S.โ first foreign-fought war was withโฆpirates? After the U.S. declared independence, the Barbary pirates began capturing Americans in the Mediterranean and holding them for ransom. At one point, Congress agreed to pay them a huge portion of their federal budget. In this episode of Rogue History, we uncover the truth behind the pirates that nearly snuffed out the U.S. economy.
Some images are sourced from ยฉ LIECHTENSTEIN. The Princely Collections, VaduzโVienna:
โAdmiral of the Turkish ships, of the Algerian piratesโ and โCaptain of an Algerian pirate shipโ from a series of depictions from Algeria by Andreas Matthรคus Wolfgang
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Rogue History
Shaking off the barnacles from this wildly popular storytelling canon, this Pirates historical series is an enlightening voyage that unravels historical myths, unearths lost narratives, and discovers fresh perspectives. This is the pirate history you were never told.
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:26 These Pirates Existed for Hundreds of Years
00:50 U.S. Government Paid Ransom for Captives
01:20 Who Were the Barbary Pirates?
01:38 Meaning of โBarbaryโ
02:28 Hayreddin Hizir Reis/ Barbarossa
03:03 Selim I Recognized the Value of These Pirates
03:35 A Famous Captive of the Barbary Pirates
04:27 An Ambitious New Nation Challenges Them
05:44 Contradictory Attitudes Towards Enslavement
06:13 The First Barbary Pirate War
06:25 โThe Shores of Tripoliโ
06:50 The Second Barbary Pirate War
07:25 The End of Their Reign
07:46 Were The Barbary Wars Really Religious Conflicts?
Correction:
01:31 This region was called โThe Maghrebโ by settlers of Arab and Ottoman origin, and โTamazghaโ by indigenous people.
@AtomicFreedom
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Wait. Why are you dripped out like Frederick Douglass?
@benzzc3626
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
In public school many years ago, the N. African/Muslim slave trade was glossed over for reasons I can only speculate about. We were led to believe American sailors were simply "shanghaied"–pressed into naval service for the Barbary pirates–and no mention of slave raids on European communities (causing inland flight from the coasts) was mentioned.
@hacksaw5044
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Just to clarify, the Amazigh meaning free people is a made up thing which surfaced in the 70s following a political movement backed by french intelligence in north Africa. The true meaning of it can be traced back to Ibn khaldun , where he asked a tribe in nowadays Morocco about their origins and they answered: we are the sons of Mazir son of Canaan. The r turned to gh because that's how the french pronounce it .
@user-em6ff6lv5z
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Most of the algerian pirates are European lives in Algeria or algerian have vandals origin
@ASTR0_N4UT7
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
This video proves that Algeria is not weak in the past
@rickintexas1584
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
When Jefferson was negotiating the freedom of the US soldiers and merchant marines, the leader of Algeria informed him that Islam granted them permission to take infidels (non Muslims) as slaves. That is why Jefferson bought many Qurans and gave them to members of Congress, so they could study Islam. So there was definitely a religious portion to the Barbary slave trade.
@YouTube_user_G1
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Algerians berber enslave Europeanas and Africans and Americans ๐
@moha_le_dz
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Im algerian and Were the only people who enslave whites and blacks together ๐ถ
@princekrazie
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Maghreb is not รพe indigenous name. It literally means Weลฟt or Sunลฟet, becauลฟe it is an Arabic name.
@SuperiorMoon
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
White Americans were people, as complex and varied. Arenโt we all complex and varied. All nations and cultures so letโs all just stop grifting.
@SuperiorMoon
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Sad. Canโt even listen to pbs without hearing race grifting. Very sad.
@zinoukayba
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
even tho pirates and slavery is a shameful part of our history i still like how this video is accurate , thank you for ur honesty much love from algeria
@nounouounoun4752
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
They were not pirates
@jeremyjacobite7630
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Although the Barbary pirates were barbarians, the etymology of the word Barbary doesn't come from "barbarian". "Barbar" is a corruption of the term Berber.
@zineelabidine5080
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Damn we enslaved white Americans here
@Toolgdskli
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
America is getting much richer. Recently Biden paid $6 billion to the Iranian barbaric regime, as part of a prisoners exchange deal.
@wassimouch1390
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Algeria ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฅ capital of the war
@MsLeighton41
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
The barbery pirates definitely declared jihad and wanted specifically white slaves. They were not like blackbeard or even privateers, they were definitely worse
@BentalebBrahim-zs2ti
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
๐ช๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅVieve algera
@ayzac6277
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Wow itโs crazy to think that the Ottoman/Turkish pirates ๐ดโโ ๏ธ has accomplished that. & Itโs also crazy to think that back in the Ottoman Empire Turkish barbar pirates did hijack warships, trade slaves, tortured slaves & that ๐น๐ท is the only nation that made ๐บ๐ธ to pay tribute to the Ottoman Turks & why because ๐บ๐ธ was taxed by a Turkish ๐น๐ท sailor Hasan Pasha & the Barbary war leader was Turkish origin that made these bad things to happen & made Americans suffer. & Turks are the reason that ๐ท๐บ lost Alaska so ๐น๐ท was a strong world leader back then & no wonder because Ottoman Empire was a United States Of ๐น๐ท.
Greetings From ๐น๐ท No Hatred Only Peace โ๏ธ
@RainFall2112
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
These channel is so bad. I want to like it, but it's clear you're preaching "right side of history" -itis. It's low empathy, spreadsheet logic.
@RainFall2112
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
This is why Jefferson invaded Muslim territories. Islam is and has never been about protecting individual liberty. Just like Hamas today, they had to get their butt kicked to stop this behavior.
@AbdelbakiBerkati-n7r
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Algiers didn't fall for the Spanish invades, Barbarossa helped the natives liberate the other regions then through a controversy he became Sultan
@MatD1979
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Rogue history is very, very cool.!
@SweetBerryWine3000
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Another amazing video on this fascinating topic. That last line "Try to remember the Barbary Pirates for what they really were: thieving, murderous, sea bandits." is perfection! โค
@HAMZA..15-19
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
In this period I think my People in Algeria defend your people (black slave) in America so you must thank Algeria for this
@jacobbrahim5785
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
โููุฏ ูุณูุช ุงูุญุงุฏุซ ุงููุฒูุฑ ุงูุฃู ุฑููู ุฃู ูุทูุจ ู ู ุงูุญุงูู ุงูุฌุฒุงุฆุฑู ุฃู ูุณูู ุนูู ูุฏ ุญุงูู ุงูุฌุฒุงูุฑ ููู ูุจุฑู ู ุนุงูุฏุฉ ุณูุงู ุจูู ุงูุฌุฒุงุฆุฑ ูุฃู ุฑููุง ููู ุฑูุถ ุงูุญุงูู ุงูุฌุฒุงุฆุฑู ๐๐๐๐๐๐
@jacobbrahim5785
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ
@jacobbrahim5785
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ๐ฉ๐ฟ
@jimmysblacksmithing462
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Excellent informative presentation! Thank you so much! Look forward to more! Keep up the great work appreciate it very much, stay well have a beautiful day๐๐
@Americaone1
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Jefferson did not want to pay ransom,when he became president he went to war against the Barbary Pirates which eventually led to their demise ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ
@Djoug-zg
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
Thanks for telling the truth bout Algeria ๐ฉ๐ฟ was controlled the see side
@aminezitouni8427
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
I'm an Algerian from Irish descendents, my first old grandmother was an Irish from Baltimore originally she was treated as a princess in our clan "Ben yaala" and she got married and having a lot of children, Stop telling lies on things you don't know. They weren't pirates or turk as Europeans says they were a Muslim mudjahid or sea privetiers noting that since 1492 they were rescuing the Muslims and Jewish people from the masacers of the catholics"inquisition" in Andalusia or Spain. Note that they weren't forcing people to convert to Islam as they were the first power in the world at that time. Belive me that there is a lot of hidden history as European use to transmit fake things on Muslims…the true reason behind this attack was that the English "which invaded Baltimore" had broken an agreement with Algerian "khilafa sultan " government and then they faced the backlash.. Maybe you don't know that those you call them pirates and barberies were the firstly discovering the new lands US nowadays.
@kwd3109
October 23, 2024 at 11:02 am
In the comments I see a lot of puffed up Algerians boasting about blackmailing the US when we were a new nation and our military was small. But try that today and things will turn out very differently for you, very differently indeed.