A little history here:
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Muslim priates terrorized any and all ships in the Mediterranean and Northern Atlantic. They took captive the crews and any passengers, subjecting them to barbaric treatment until they were ransomed. The captives wrote heart-wrenching letters to their families and governments, begging them to pay the demanded ransom.
This was extortion at its nastiest.
Before the Revolutionary War, American ships were protected by Great Britain. When America declared its independence, France came to its aid and took American ships under its wing. Once the war was over, America had no protectors and was on her own.
Her ships were considered fair game, that is until Thomas Jefferson intervened.
Independence began with the hearts and minds of the colonists. It saw us through two wars, but we sometimes forget that independence is not a self-maintaining position. We had to guard against threats to our independence in our past. We still do.
ReplyDeleteYour last sentence was a terrific cliff hanger. Tell us more ...
ReplyDeleteI love history. That's why I've gone back to scribbling Victorian romances. I'm eager to follow your blog and learn from your tidbits of history.
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Jane!
I love these little tidbits of history and am looking forward to more. I'm so glad you decided to start this blog.
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