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

markets, England set up the foundations for an American colonial empire early
in the 17 th century. From the first colony of Virginia (1607) down to the last
one of Georgia (1732), Great Britain knitted an empire and integrated it in a
worldwide system of trade regulated by navigation acts and treaties with
foreign powers. On the settlers of the colonies it bestowed rights and privileges
enjoyed by the British at home—and even more. In addition to political
freedom, the American colonials pushed trade to the shores of North Africa as
British subjects and enjoyed protection and trading privileges under British
treaties which had already been secured previously. Accordingly, prior to the
American declaration of independence in 1776, relations between the North
American colonies and foreign countries—including Algiers—were regulated
by terms of treaties the English monarchs concluded with foreign rulers.
Consequently, the settlers prospered at the least effort or as John Jay, a leading
politician of the revolutionary era put it:
Prior to the revolution we had little occasion to inquire or know much
about national affairs, for although they existed and were managed, yet
they were managed for us and not by us. Intent on our domestic
concerns, our internal legislative business, our agriculture, and our
buying and selling, we were seldom anxious about what passed or was
doing in foreign courts… As we had nothing to do with the department
of policy, so the affairs of it were not detailed to us, and we took as little
pains to inform ourselves as others did to inform us of them. 26
England extended privileges obtained under capitulations to its colonies.
That was the case of capitulations with the Ottoman Empire but also
subsequent treaties which were concluded separately with Algiers starting from
26 CPPJJ, 3:298, An Address to the People of the State of New York, September 17, 1787.
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