While U.S. minister to France, 1785-1789, Jefferson met with the Muslim ambassador from Tripoli to negotiate freeing hundreds of captured U.S. sailors held in dungeons. Jefferson was secretary of state under President Washington, 1790-1793; and vice-president under John Adams, 1797-1801. Immediately after being inaugurated the third U.S. president, Jefferson received a demand from the Muslim pasha of Tripoli for $225,000 as an extortion tribute payment, or they would declare war. Jefferson refused and sent over the U.S. Navy and Marines in the First Muslim Barbary Pirate Wars. In 1803, Jefferson approved purchasing the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon, and sent Lewis and Clark to explore...
↧