A history of the United States for schools . es, and Vancouver, had exploredparts of the coast. In 1804, President Jefferson sent anoverland expedition under Captains Meriwether Lewisand William Clark. These explorers ascended the Mis-souri River to its sources, then found the valley of theColumbia, and explored it down to the Pacific Ocean, thus strengthen-ing our claim tothe possession ofOregon. The story of this greatexpedition is fullof charm. The Mahometanstates of Tripoliand Tunis, Al-giers and Mo-rocco, had longmade a businessof piracy. Theircruisers swarmedupon the Medi-terranean and t
A history of the United States for schools . es, and Vancouver, had exploredparts of the coast. In 1804, President Jefferson sent anoverland expedition under Captains Meriwether Lewisand William Clark. These explorers ascended the Mis-souri River to its sources, then found the valley of theColumbia, and explored it down to the Pacific Ocean, thus strengthen-ing our claim tothe possession ofOregon. The story of this greatexpedition is fullof charm. The Mahometanstates of Tripoliand Tunis, Al-giers and Mo-rocco, had longmade a businessof piracy. Theircruisers swarmedupon the Medi-terranean and the Atlantic, and robbed the merchantships of Christian nations. The plunder which thepirates carried home they divided with theirrobber sovereigns. Distmguished captives withwere held for ransom; all others were sold ^°as slaves. This sort of thing had been going on since ^ The inscription reads as follows: {ohers£) The American Congressto Edward Preble, the gallant commander, {reverse) Defender of Ameri-can commerce before Tripoli, PREBLE MEDAL (REVERSE).I 284 THE FEDERAL UNION. Ch. XIII. the times before Columbus, and vast sums had in vairibeen paid to the robber states to bribe them to keep thepeace. The Americans had begun in this way, and hadmade presents to Algiers and Tunis, to keep them fromseizing American vessels. Then the Bashaw of Tripoliinformed our government that he would wait six monthsfor a handsome present from us, and if it did not comehe would declare war against the United States. Hewas as good as his word, but, to the surprise of all thosepirate states, a small American fleet entered the Medi-terranean and bombarded the city of Tripoli. Afterhostilities had continued for a couple of years, Tripoliwas thoroughly humiliated, and the experiment of levy-ing blackmail upon the Americans was never tried againby those barbarous states. Except for this war with the pirates, which was as creditable to our country as it was successful, Jeffer- , , sons firs
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