How Did Thomas Jefferson Lead To Fight The Federalist?
Often times, people have to go against their personal morals to get things done. This was especially true in the case of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. He was a member of the Democratic-Republican party, a group that prided themselves on a value of a leading economic class of farmers, strong state governments that were loosely joined by a weak federal government, a strict interpretation of the constitution and a hatred of their opposing party, the Federalists. Thomas Jefferson also individually believed that America should stand clear of fighting any wars, especially with world powers like France and Britain. Certain circumstances of Jefferson’s presidency led him not to follow these ideals though. Namely, buying
…show more content…
Barbary pirates from North African nations like Algeria, Tunisia, and others, would routinely capture any ships passing through their neighboring Mediterranean Sea. They employed this practice for centuries and after a while, world powers like France and Britain started “paying tribute’ or bribing these pirates with money to get them to stop. America under the Washington and Adams administrations were forced to do the same. In 1801, short after Jefferson was elected, the pasha or leader of the Mediterranean island of Tripoli demanded to be paid in the way that America was paying other nations of Barbary pirates, and Jefferson declines because America simply didn’t have enough money to. This causes the pasha to declare war on America, and the previously pacifist Jefferson retaliates by sending the navy to fight on the Tripoli shores. This war is fought for four years until in 1804, a peace treaty is made between the pasha and Jefferson where the pirates pledged not to capture any more ships (but a $60,000 ransom had to be paid for American prisoners of war taken in the conflict). Sending the navy to fight this war went against Jefferson’s moral of not fighting any wars as president, but the predicament of having to pay a random pasha money that America didn’t have, Jefferson ignored this
Barbary pirates from North African nations like Algeria, Tunisia, and others, would routinely capture any ships passing through their neighboring Mediterranean Sea. They employed this practice for centuries and after a while, world powers like France and Britain started “paying tribute’ or bribing these pirates with money to get them to stop. America under the Washington and Adams administrations were forced to do the same. In 1801, short after Jefferson was elected, the pasha or leader of the Mediterranean island of Tripoli demanded to be paid in the way that America was paying other nations of Barbary pirates, and Jefferson declines because America simply didn’t have enough money to. This causes the pasha to declare war on America, and the previously pacifist Jefferson retaliates by sending the navy to fight on the Tripoli shores. This war is fought for four years until in 1804, a peace treaty is made between the pasha and Jefferson where the pirates pledged not to capture any more ships (but a $60,000 ransom had to be paid for American prisoners of war taken in the conflict). Sending the navy to fight this war went against Jefferson’s moral of not fighting any wars as president, but the predicament of having to pay a random pasha money that America didn’t have, Jefferson ignored this