Jefferson and Adam's letter to Congress re Barbary Muslims' jihad 1786

April 01, 2026

U.S. Enterprize capturing the Ottoman Tripolitan vessel Tripoli, 1 August 1801.

The first war

On 28 March 1786 United States ambassadors to France and England Thomas Jefferson and John Adams addressed the following letter to Congress, arising out of a meeting the previous year with Tripoli's ambassador to Britain Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja over the capture by Islamic Barbary coast pirates of two vessels the Maria and Dauphin and enslavement of their crews:

We took the liberty to make some inquiries concerning the grounds of their [Barbary’s] pretentions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury, and observed that we considered all mankind as our friends who had done us no wrong, nor had given us any provocation. The ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Musselman [Muslim] who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.

The Barbary Coast was the coastal region of North Africa comprising modern-day Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. The rebuttal by the Americans, and intransigence of the Muslims resulted in the First Barbary War of 1801 - 1805. The Islamic problem had been long standing. In 1790 a letter was sent to Jefferson as French ambassador suggesting action be taken against the Barbary pirates as follows:

A proposal to use force against the Barbary states

Paris, July 12th 1790

Means which the Congress may make use of, in order to force the Regencies of Barbary to make peace with them.

The Flag of the United States cannot be displayed ‘till after the Congress shall have made Peace with the Regencies of Barbary. The consideration of the advantages which the Anglo-Americans would derive from this Navigation, have already induced the Congress to attempt Negociations with this haughty Regency, which dictates to the other two the Conduct they are [to] pursue. But these advances have been rejected, because the Algerines who renounce a War ordered by Islamisme and their particular statutes against Christians, only from Fear or the Convenience of a Majority, are at the present Moment very far from contracting new Alliances. The Congress can then flatter themselves by force only, to obtain peace with them, and now is the time to make use of it....

The proposal is reminiscent of the 2026 Iran war against the United States and Israel, with the US pointing out to Iran after an extending period of negotiation that they have superior forces and weaponry.

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References

Anonymous, A proposal to use force against the Barbary states, 12th July 1790, Thomas Jefferson Papers, National Archives, Washington.

Jefferson, Thomas and John Adams, American Peace Commissioners to John Jay [manuscript], 28 March 1786, Thomas Jefferson Papers, Series 1: General Correspondence, 1651–1827, Library of Congress.

Ibrahim, Raymond, 1786: America's first brush with Islamic Jihad, Middle East Forum, 28 March 2023.

Wikipedia, The First Barbary War, Wikipedia, accessed 3 April 2026.

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Last updated: 4 April 2026

Michael Organ, Australia

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Jefferson and Adam's letter to Congress re Barbary Muslims' jihad 1786

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