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

As annual payments in naval materials which were badly viewed in the
United States, the sail of a battleship of the nascent U.S. navy under the flag of
the regency of Algiers was also inconceivable for Americans. The
consequences of that were waves of fulminations and indignation in the United
States which have since continued unabated in American writings. 38
As a
matter of fact, the Americans did not only consider the hoisting of the
‘Algerine flag’ as a national humiliation but they also considered the salute of
“seven guns, as customary” given by the George Washington, as an expensive
compliment which cost the United States $40,000. 39
Considering that the
Algerines did not only return the salute with ‘eight guns’ as customary but had
always saluted the American flag with twenty one guns every time American
men-of-war appeared at Algiers and provided them with “fresh Provisions on
board as is Customary, Gratis”—according to article 20 of the 1795 treaty, the
cost was probably far enormous for Algiers than the ‘seven guns’ in question.
In 1800, however, what was viewed as shocking and humiliating in the
United States was probably not considered as such in Algiers. The
circumstances, custom, and laws of nations were such that, until then, freight of
foreign ships—even men-of-war—by Algiers was common practice and it was
even written in the treaties of Algiers with the western powers including the
one with the United States. Article XIV of the treaty indeed stipulated:
38 See as examples Tucker, Dawn Like Thunder, pp. 23-5; Kitzen, Tripoli and the United States, pp. 40-
2; Wright and Macleod, First Americans, p. 71; London, Victory in Tripoli, pp. 84-90. Irwin qualified
the voyage as extraordinary; Parker, however, considered that the story was ‘long’ and ‘painful’ and
preferred to skip it.
39 ASP/FA, 2:353-4, Copy of a letter from Mr. O’Brien to Captain Bainbridge, October 9, 1800;
Schuyler, American Diplomacy, p. 221.
346