From the 16th to the 19th century, the Barbary pirates were pirates operated from North Africa out of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, an area known as the Barbary Coast. In addition to seizing ships, they captured Christian slaves for the ottoman slave trade. In 1792, Congress agreed to pay up to $40,000 for the ransom of 13 Americans held captive in Algiers by Muslim pirates, and $100,000 annually to support a more lasting peace with Algiers, Tripoli and Tunis. On January 19th, 1793 Washington and Jefferson selected Colonel David Humphreys, to negotiate peace and redeem the American slaves in Algiers. At the time, Humphreys was in Portugal and he did not receive his instructions until September of 1793. He set sail from Algiers, but there were additional delays due a blockade of ships to Algiers from Portugal. Meanwhile, the number of American ships captured by Algerian pirates had increased by an an additional 11 merchant ships. The number of Americans taken captive as slaves increased from 13 to 119. All of Colonel David Humphreys' requests to gain permission to land at Algiers were denied. In the end, the $40,000 was allocated to relief fund for the slaves, and Humphreys returned to Portugal.
This capture of an additional eleven merchant ships prompted Congress to take seriously a proposal to build a naval force. In George Washington's 5th state of the union address, he expressed his belief that peace could only be achieved through strength. America had to build a naval force. In this address, he expressed his intent to share with congress his plans for the a naval force, including estimates of costs for building frigates.
"I can not recommend to your notice measures for the fulfillment of our duties to the rest of the world without again pressing upon you the necessity of placing ourselves in a condition of complete defense and of exacting from them the fulfillment of their duties toward us. The United States ought not to indulge a persuasion that, contrary to the order of human events, they will forever keep at a distance those painful appeals to arms with which the history of every other nation abounds. There is a rank due to the United States among nations which will be withheld, if not absolutely lost, by the reputation of weakness. If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known that we are at all times ready for war. The documents which will be presented to you will shew the amount and kinds of arms and military stores now in our magazines and arsenals; and yet an addition even to these supplies can not with prudence be neglected, as it would leave nothing to the uncertainty of procuring warlike apparatus in the moment of public danger."On January 20, 1794 a bill was presented to congress for the construction of four ships to carry forty-four guns each, and two ships to carry thirty-six guns each.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_pirates
"Victory in Tripoly" by Joshua London
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Act_of_1794
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_United_States_Navy#/media/File:USSConstellationVsInsurgente.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Seal_of_the_United_States_Department_of_the_Navy.svg
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