Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

total disregard for the navigation laws. 15 Many of those smuggled goods found
a market in European countries and “other Mediterranean ports.” 16
So,
smuggling and illegal trading activities are deeply-rooted in the American
colonial tradition of commerce and, in a sense, they contributed to the
expansion of American overseas commerce—even though illicitly.
Starting from late 17 th century, English shipping in the Mediterranean
was regulated by special passes or passports according to treaties in usage
between England and other foreign countries. At that time, war was raging
between the Muslim corsairs of the Ottoman North African regencies and the
combined forces of crusading Europe and attacks on each others’ shipping
were frequent. Only treaties of peace could suspend hostilities and guarantee
safe passage in the Mediterranean for ships of the signatory countries. For that
reason, England concluded a number of treaties either with the Ottoman
Empire or the North African regencies directly. Under such treaties, Britain’s
Admiralty Courts provided passports for English ships of which “great
numbers were used in America by American-built ships to guard against
capture by the Barbary cruisers.” 17
Trade in the Mediterranean was one of the most lucrative outlets for
American products; and according to colonial views, it was exposed to the peril
of ‘pirates’ of whom “the most dangerous were the Algerine pirates.” 18 Passes
became a matter of concern for them; hence, when they could not obtain them
15 Hofstadter, Conquering a Continent, p. 32.
16 For more about illicit trade and smuggling see Andrews, “Colonial Commerce,” pp. 61-2.
17 Ibid., p. 50.
18 Ibid.
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