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

Conclusion
Although Algiers and the United States concluded a peace treaty in
1795, differences were not settled. Whereas Algiers considered that the United
States had to honor the treaty in matters of naval stores’ deliveries, the United
States was reluctant to do so. Part of the reason was that the Americans viewed
badly tribute and interpreted it as submission to the will of a Muslim power.
During the administrations of George Washington and John Adams, the
Americans more or less respected the treaty albeit with delays in delivery of
stores. However, starting from 1801, the advent of the administrations of
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, which were radically opposed to tribute,
complicated relations between Algiers and the United States. During the period
1800-1812, a number of event developed which heightened distrust of
Americans at Algiers and led to further problems. The George Washington
incident of 1800 was decried by Americans as national humiliation and
Madison reserved to the United States the right for ‘retaliation’ and
‘punishment’ of Algiers. The crisis of 1807 which culminated in the capture of
two American vessels was quickly contained; but the departure of Lear from
Algiers in 1812 on a background of tensions and the capture of another ship
shortly afterwards provided the Americans with the ideal opportunity for
asserting United States presence among the rank of the major maritime powers.
Meanwhile, the United States was working towards other objectives,
particularly assertion of American commercial and naval presence in the
Mediterranean. For that, the Americans engaged in wars not only with the
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