Dambargo

=Questions= Write a paragraph or so that states your paragraph, explains why you chose that question, and what other questions you considered but decided against. If Americans were supposed to be neutral, what was so important near Britain and in the Mediterranean Sea that they should put ships there? Was there difficulty in stopping embargo? How did America adjust? We decided against asking questions relating to other countries having problems with the Barbary Pirates. That would detract from the focus of the project, which is how America struggled with isolationism. We also chose not to ask questions relating to one specific person. The struggles were America’s problems as a whole, not something that just Jefferson or just Congress had to deal with.

= Gathering and Evaluating Evidence = Start by explaining where you began and what that turned up. Share the struggles you faced in this stage.

We began by searching for primary documents of the Embargo Act to get firsthand knowledge of what the Embargo Act consisted of. We unsuccessfully tried to find newspaper articles of that time period. We also looked up letters relating to Jefferson. We had trouble finding evidence to support the British/French/Barbary States side in the matter of why American ships were captured. Then share with us the documents used. Describe how you considered source, context, corroboration, etc. What questions and answers came and went in this stage? [|____http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/embargo-1807#Embargo_of_1807____]  [|We used a quote off of this website from Jefferson to Congress to help us in solving the question of how Americans adjusted to Embargo. He delivered the speech on December 18, 1807, a mere three days before the Embargo Act passed. Giving Congress full powers to make a decision regarding Embargo gave the implication that Jefferson was tired of dealing with the issue and was very trusting and confident in letting Congress make the proper decision.] “Their wisdom will also see the necessity of making every preparation for whatever events may grow out of the present crisis." -Thomas Jefferson’s statement to Congress  [|____http://gilderlehrman.org/collections/a0b3698e-1084-412b-9073-485164806320____] In a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Elijah Brown, Jr., near the end of Jefferson’s presidency in october 1808, a different approach on the subject of Embargo is revealed. Jefferson is very passionate about the cause and has a large role in the Embargo Act and is very intent upon stopping the attacks through embargo, in contrast to a general uninterest in the statement to congress, giving them full power to decide what to do without him. The town of Stockbridge was divided against itself, for some were in favor of a halt in commerce, and some were against it. Jefferson speaks of different interpretations which show that the Embargo Act would be a great thing for Stock bridge (where Elijah is from) and the United States. Agriculture would be even worse off in war then in an embargo. Foreign navigation and commerce would be in a state of inconvenience with an embargo, but they would not quickly prefer to decide on whether they want war more. Jefferson ensured that the Embargo Act had given the violent countries time to fix their ways, but had only worked so far for avoiding war. The British and French Edicts make it impossible to return to a peaceable trade while they’re in session. Jefferson wanted the nation to come together through representatives to decide what the nation did next. Jefferson concludes talking of peace and wanting the people of Stockbridge to agree with him. [|__http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html__] This secondary source talks about the Barbary pirates attacking American merchant ships as early as the 1700’s to the early 1800’s. Once these ships were captured the pirates withheld the merchants and made the US tribute to get the them back. This became very expensive, congress agreed to pay $80,000 as tribute in 1784, the pirates asked for $60,000 in 1785 to get back 21 crew members and one ship. Agreeing to pay tribute lead to further demands from the pirates, in 1801 when Jefferson became president Tripoli demanded the US to pay $225,000 but Jefferson refused lowering to price to $25,000. After making deals with Algiers and other Barbary states America became more at peace with the pirates and saw them more as an annoyance than a threat and an ally during war. [|____http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl46.php____] This letter from Jefferson to Adams was written in 1786 before Jefferson was president, near the time when he was a minister to France. Jefferson tells Adams that paying tribute to the Barbary pirates for peace was not an option, they were forced to pay it. “Whatever might be our private opinions, they were to be suppressed, and the line marked out to us, was to be followed.” He expresses a passionate opposition towards peace, which is quite different than his letter written to Elijah Brown, saying reasons why an embargo would be a good thing for America. Jefferson then continues to explain and give reasons to why he wants to declare war against the Barbary states, such as: Justice, honor, respect from Europe; it will help empower the new government; it’s less expensive to go to war than pay off prices from Barbary pirates; and America will end up getting everything they wanted in the first place, just another way. Jefferson then asks Adams for 150 ships and 450,000 pounds of sterling for the ships, which would be manned for 6 months. War would be less expensive than paying tribute for all the ongoing years, and a small war fleet would be generally useful even if America did come to a peace with the Algerians. Even though other countries said war against the Barbary Pirates is pointless, Jefferson still believed it would be best to fight. Other countries attempting war have failed, but paying tribute will just postpone the problem. War overall is a more dependable solution than paying tribute. Thomas Jefferson states that both Naples and Portugal will join their side if a war was proposed. He says the burden would be shared through a Convention with the countries, and would maybe be enough to overpower Algiers and force them to make peace with all three places. Other nations could join in, and most likely would, in order to ensure peace for the future. Jefferson acknowledges that Adams’ opinion differs from him, but he respects Adams for it, because he compared both outcomes were compared without having a biased mind and a sound conclusion was made by Adams. Because they have different views, Jefferson wonders if he incorrectly concluded something, for he respects Adams so much. If another reasonable plan was presented, Jefferson was “ ready to proceed heartily” on it. Jefferson then signs off with respect, and fate is left untold.

[|__http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/state-of-the-nation-1808.php__] This is a state of the nation document in 1808 written by Thomas Jefferson to the Senate and House of Representatives. In this primary document it states in the good outcomes the Embargo act did to help America. For example, America was forced to start producing some of the goods they got from other countries before the Embargo, doing this became cheaper than having ship goods back from other countries. This created new manufacturing industries that stayed long after the Embargo act was ended. Also, Americans created a better alliance this Indians during the Embargo, promising them peace and progress of their civilization. History Alive Textbook The History Alive textbook was the first source we discovered, and gave a brief summary of the event that happened. It focused on the American side of the issue, and told about how America had paid the Barbary Pirates for many years, and Jefferson wanted to stop the issue once and for all. After a small war fleet unsuccessfully attempted to take back the imprisoned Americans from France, Britain and the Barbary pirates, Jefferson called for an Embargo Act. There were positive and negative effects, but many people went through a tough time while trying to succeed in business under an embargo. Jefferson eventually repealed the act, and Americans returned to the sea, in turn to be  captured by Britain, France, or pirates again. This is a map of the Barbary states (below the Mediterranean Sea.)

Thomas Jefferson was President from 1801-1809. He dealt with the Barbary pirates during 1807. Interpretation What did you find? How do you feel about your conclusion? Was your conclusion surprising?

Throughout our search to find the answer to our two questions; If Americans were supposed to be neutral, what was so important near Britain and in the Mediterranean Sea that they should put ships there? and was there difficulty in stopping embargo? How did America adjust? We found a lot of documents to clarify our understanding of what happened throughout the early 1800’s and what caused the issue of the Barbary pirates. The Barbary pirates began attacking American ships in the 1700’s. These pirates came from the Barbary states (Tripoli, Egypt, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco.) The Barbary pirates captured over 6,000 ships from Americans. During Jefferson's term as president (1801-1809), he proposed an embargo. The Embargo act was enforced in 1807 which forced America to halt trade with other countries. This isolated America’s shipping and trading. 55,000 sailors lost their jobs by the time the embargo was repealed. Throughout the tough times of American ships being seized by Britain, France and the Barbary States, Thomas Jefferson was torn. Paying tribute had proved to be successful in the past, but only temporarily. And Jefferson believed that the problem should be solved once and for all- through war. However, America had to uphold the policy of neutrality, so naturally, tribute would be the most obvious answer. But in a letter to John Adams before his presidency, Jefferson expressed a nasty opposition towards the pirates and wanted war instead. He said it “became our duty to do this to the best of our power.” and “Whatever might be our private opinions… were to be suppressed…” He was tired of willingly paying the pirates far too often. For a long time, Jefferson was in favor of “peace thro' the medium of war.” His opinion would lead us to believe that in his statement to Congress was after a lack of decision-making on his part. Jefferson sent a small war fleet to the Mediterranean Sea which lasted for only two years until the ship called the Philadelphia ran aground and was held for ransom. Thomas Jefferson couldn’t find a way to stop Napoleon and the British too, He proposed an embargo, and left Congress to form the Embargo Act. (“Their wisdom will also see the necessity of making every preparation for whatever events may grow out of the present crisis.") All the men who were captured by America’s enemies were now stuck overseas, waiting to come home, some to families which have no way of income without head of the household. America lost millions of dollars paying tribute to get sailors such as these back home and safe. (“By the time Jefferson became president, the United States had paid the Barbary States almost $2 million.” -History Alive Textbook, page 166)After paying tribute for over 10 years Americans finally got rid of the Barbary pirate bases in 1815 with the help of European forces. Before this happened however Congress had a hard time deciding what America should do. Some Americans thought the best way to settle the problem was through war, others thought it was best with the Embargo act and simply staying neutral. (a “portion of the citizens of Stockbridge...have declared their approbation of the present suspension of our commerce” -Letter to Elijah Brown, Stockbridge from Thomas Jefferson) The Embargo act was ended in 1809. America was trading with Europe, France, and the Barbary states during the early 1800’s, before the Embargo act passed in 1807. As a new nation, only roughly 31 years old, alliances had to be kept, and trading partners were essential. When America was struggling for independence, and had a very small army, so most likely a huge militia was not yet established. Ships that were already on their route to trade when the Embargo act passed would have had a huge inconvenience. They would come to Britain or France’s shores and receive word that America called an embargo, and all the sailors would sail back home with nothing to get money for, if they weren’t captured first. “For years, pirates from Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, And Tripoli had preyed on merchant ships entering the Mediterranean Sea.” (Secondary source, page 167 History Alive Textbook). The Embargo Act taught America how to be more independent. Through out when the Embargo Act was still being enforced manufacturing industries started to grow inside American walls. This was essential since a lot of the goods Americans were used to getting from other countries were not being delivered anymore. “ The situation into which we have thus been forced has impelled us to apply a portion of our industry and capital to internal manufactures and improvements. The extent of this conversion is daily increasing, and little doubt remains that the establishments formed and forming will, under the auspices of cheaper materials and subsistence, the freedom of labor from taxation with us, and of protecting duties and prohibitions, become permanent.” (State of the Nation, primary source). Not only did the Embargo act create new businesses but also better alliances with Indians living in America. “The commerce with the Indians, too, within our own boundaries is likely to receive abundant aliment from the same internal source, and will secure to them peace and the progress of civilization, undisturbed by practices hostile to both.” The Embargo Act helped America become stronger from the inside out so they would be able to withstand on their own.

= =