Ottomans given tribute by Americans once ?

The historical event below was forwarded to me by means of email. I wonder how accurate it is and would like to ask about it to you, dear patrons.

In 1783, USA started her naval progress with ships carrying her own flag. And on 25th July of 1785, around open seas of Algeria, the first ship carrying this flag was captured by Ottomans. This ship was called Maria, registered to harbor of Boston, owned by Captain Isaak Stevens.

Following this, Dauphin of Captain O'Brien registered to harbor of Philadelphia was captured as well. During times between October and November of 1793, another 11 American ships ended up with the same fate.

Therefore The Congress granted George Washington a budget around 700.000 pieces of gold in order to build or purchase naval power against the Ottomans. Depending upon the threat directed by Ottomans, the first steps to building the American navy were being taken.

On September 5 1795, USA signed a treaty against this threat. The terms foresaw that following the release of the prisoners in Algeria and avoiding any conflict with American ships in both Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, a lumpsum of 642.000 golds and a 12.000 pieces of annual tribute would be paid to Ottomans.

The treaty, which was in Turkish language (said in email - though I guess it is Ottoman), was signed by George Washington and Hasan Dayi, the Beylerbeyi (translation?) of Algeria.

This was the only treaty signed in non-English language in American history and they were only the Ottomans that USA ever accepted to pay a tribute. What's more USA president was not taken into consideration by Ottoman Padishah, thus the treaty was signed between him and Beylerbeyi of Algeria.

How far accurate is this according to American historical records ?

Don't know myself, but I must say it sounds realistic; up until the early 1800's, the US was a farily weak nation, still recovering from the disastrous Articles of Confederation. It would also explain why the American government finally lost patience with the Barbary states in the early 1800's.

.
By that time, "Cezâyir Ocağı" (The Algerian Order -verbal translation) had become practically independent, under self elected and automatically approved Dayıs. (Dayı later evolved into Dey.) They were the "Barbary Corsairs" only nominally attached to the porte. After the destruction of the Janissaries, the Dayıs (of Janissary origin) were overthrown by local corsairs.

So, the tribute was paid to the Barbary Corsairs, only nominally subjects of the empire, which didn't earn a penny from it.
.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Could be true. But I think it's a distortion. IIRC, the Marines were sent overseas to Tripoli, to combat Piracy very early in the USA's history. What you have might be a distortion of that event.

---

.
That was in the XIXth century, IIRC. A single Frigate managed to set fire on the docked corsair fleet. The details must be somewhere on my board (Click the portrait in my signature).
.