University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Longevity of the North African Corsairs: How the European Political Climate Led to the Lasting Success of the Corsairs

Mauch, Spencer

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Spencer Mauch abstract.pdf
Spencer Mauch paper & bib.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117864

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Title
The Longevity of the North African Corsairs: How the European Political Climate Led to the Lasting Success of the Corsairs
Author(s)
Mauch, Spencer
Issue Date
2023
Keyword(s)
  • North African Corsairs
  • Piracy
Date of Ingest
2023-05-08T14:27:03-05:00
Geographic Coverage
  • North Africa
  • Caribbean
  • South China
Abstract
For many centuries, piracy was a serious concern for people sailing in open waters. Piracy could be found in many regions across the world from the Caribbean to the South China Sea. However, one of the most notable pirate communities is the North African Corsairs, or the Barbary States, which operated between the 15th and early 19th centuries. The information presented in this essay is a result of research through resources found on JSTOR, Google Scholar, and resources from the shelves of Brookens Library. The Barbary States consisted of three major city-states in North Africa namely Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers. This geographical location provided these corsairs with a uniquely powerful staging ground for piracy. This essay demonstrates how the North African Corsairs used the contemporaneous European political climate to their advantage. One of the most notable factors to their success was their use of the titles of privateer and corsair. The corsairs practiced the corse or the indiscriminate raiding of Christian ships. The corse, which gave corsairs their name, was understood to be part of the constant war between Christianity and Islam in the Mediterranean. Through the corse, the North African Corsairs raided Christian ships which traveled in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Since these corsairs were not recognized as official nation-states, they were open to attack from any country which sought retribution for stolen goods. In order to guarantee their own safety, the Barbary States worked together to create alliances with other nations so that they could gain legitimacy in the eyes of their neighbors. The corsairs balanced these alliances in such a way that guaranteed them protection while also allowing them to continue their raiding of Christian ships. Through the creation of alliances with powerful nations, such as the Ottoman Empire, the corsairs were able to use their proficient naval skills to exert control and find plunder in the Mediterranean Sea. However, as countries changed their views on privateering and the corse, the Barbary States lost their ability to use European political climate to their advantage
Publisher
self
Type of Resource
text
Genre of Resource
essay
Language
en
Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)
Brookens Library
Copyright and License Information
Spencer Mauch, 2023

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