How did Thomas Jefferson propose that we deal with Islamic terrorists?

Question

What was Thomas Jefferson opinion on how to deal with Islamic terrorists? Did he have one? Were there Islamic terrorists at the time?

Cite references please, no blogs or articles. We need actual reference material, books, documents or other source materials to understand what Thomas Jefferson's opinion was on exactly how we should approach Islamic terrorists who torture and kill United States citizens.

There was in fact Islamic terrorism in Jefferson's time. United States citizens were tortured and killed. Terrorism of the times was often called by other names, piracy for example.

Thomas Jefferson's memoirs are an excellent place to start. Memoirs tend to be good tools for figuring out what a person thinks about something They are available for download at http://www.gutenberg.org/

A quote from volume 3:

"Backed by England, they never lose the hope that their day is to
come, when the terrorism of their earlier power is to be merged in the
more gratifying system,of deportation and the guillotine"

The volume is actually four, although the title block at the top of the Gutenberg file identifies it as volume 3 of 4.

Excellent source on how Thomas Jefferson was and is the first President to go to war with an Islamic terrorist nation, however, it is an article and not an original source. Still, should no other answer include source materials or an educated opinion your answer will remain unchallenged.

Answer 1

ahhhhh 1786, shortly after the first stage of Revolution ended, future Presidents Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja, discussed the Barbary Pirates, about which London conversation they reported to the Continental Congress.

Adja: “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 who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.” http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/london200512160955.asp

"... to the shores of Tripoli ... "

I doubt Jefferson had a good impression of 18th century jihad. He was against paying ransom and annual tribute as demanded by Tripoli from non-muslim America. When elected President he responded to Tripoli's declaration of war against America in 1801 with 4 years of war. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/jefferson_papers/mtjprece.html

Answer 2

You're probably talking about the Barbary Wars. This was not Islamic terrorism as we know it. It was about piracy.

Basically, here's what happened:

For as long as anybody could remember, ships which used to pass along the Barbary Coast (i.e. the Mediterranean coast between Europe and North Africa) either paid a tribute to the local chieftains (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya were not countries at the time, just a group of city-states controlled by tribal leaders known as "pachas"), or their ships would be captured (and their crews would be considered fair game, too - some were sold into slavery). The European countries paid the tributes and so did the U.S. for several years. Then one year, the Muslim chiefs decided to double the tribute that had to be paid by passing ships. The US government refused to pay. So US ships were captured. The US decided to retaliate militarily, rather than pay a ransom to get its ships back and go back to the practice of paying the tribute.

Jefferson was of two minds about paying the tribute, but he was quite decisive when it came to paying a ransom to get his ships back! He would have paid a reduced tribute rather than risk war (the US did not have much of a Navy at the time like Britain and France). He also considered not sailing US ships along the Barbary Coast and instead docking in Europe then letting the Europeans carry the shipments the rest of the way and let them deal with the Muslims. The Pacha of Tripoli declared War on the U.S. (which didn't mean anything in particular) but Jefferson, afraid the other chiefs might join in, decided to make a pre-emptive attack. The Navy blockaded the coast and bombarded Tripoli from the sea. Three years later, Stephen Decatur and 74 volunteers went on a daring mission to try to re-capture the U.S.S. Philadelphia. It ended up being a mission to destroy the vessel rather than re-capture it, as the raiders were seriously outnumbered. The following year, the US Marines invaded Tripoli (this is where the verse from the Marine anthem, "From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli" comes from), and in the same year the U.S. entered into a peace treaty with the Pacha.

The matter was finally resolved in 1814, after years of combined diplomacy and force. The treaty did away with the practice of Americans having to pay the tributes. A year later, the European powers entered into treaties with the pachas also doing away with the payment of tributes.

Answer 3

Well, if you are talking about the pirates of the Barbary coast, Jefferson and the others at the time did not refer to them as terrorists. He wanted to bring naval power (and bribes) into the Mediterranean, it only worked to a certain degree. It took 30 years to quell the hijinx on the high sea's.

The US paid the "protection" fee's levied by the Barbary coast countries also known as "negotiating with the enemy" just like everyone else. The pirates kidnapped the crews and guests on the ships they hijacked and the US forked over the loot just like Brittan, Spain and the like.

Remember, the native Americans could call us Terrorists. It's not a good idea to throw a term around when we can be accused of being the same thing.

Answer 4

He argued against paying tribute, and pushed for military action, especially having a few frigates on hand for Preble's boys to sort things out. That's why the Marine Hymn has a mention of "the shores of Tripoli."

Answer 5

People are extremely ignorant about terrorism aren't they? I wish I knew what T.J.'s attitude was concerning terrorism and think that is a very thought provoking question.

Islamic and Christian terrorism have existed since the Crusaders and before...over 2000years of absolute terrorism...what did the historians do about it? How was it finally abated? To find solutions for the future, look to the past. Sorry but I don't know...I'll be researching it though. Thanks for making me think!

American ignorance never ceases to amaze me!!!

Excellent question

Answer 6

There wasn't such a thing in his day.

Islamic terrorists didn't come about until OIL was discovered in the middle east and Western cultures were foisted on them.

Answer 7

Him and Franklin, being womanizing drinking-buddies, probably left it all to rot and went to the pub. I know I would in that situation.

Answer 8

terrorism didn't exist two hundred youars ago, your silly addendum notwithstanding.

Answer 9

uhhh... to many big words.

my head hurts now.