First Barbary War II
Mediterranean Squadron 1803-1806.
This expansion is composed of the ships that were part of the U.S. Mediterranean Squadron between 1803 and 1806; Our previous campaign comprised the ships that were part of the U.S. Mediterranean Squadron between 1801 and 1803. The combination of the two campaigns totals more than 20 ships that fought against piracy in the Mediterranean, protecting the U.S. merchant fleet.
The Barbary Corsairs hit the Mediterranean coast. The capture of merchant ships seized their goods and enslaved their crews, generating a lot of revenue for the Barbary States. Before the Treaty of Paris, United States shipping was protected by France during the revolutionary years under the Treaty of Alliance (1778–83).
American merchant ships, beginning in 1784, became targets for Barbary corsairs; the brigantine Betsey was the first American merchantman captured, being captured by Moroccan pirates on October 11, 1784. The Spanish government negotiated the release of the captured ship and crew; however, Spain advised the United States to offer tribute to prevent further attacks on merchant ships. The United States tried to get a treaty to stop the attack on their merchant ships, but the negotiations were not fruitful due to the large sums of money demanded by the Barbary states. Over the next few years, numerous merchant ships were captured, turning American sailors into enslaved people. The news of the difficult living conditions of Americans transcended public opinion. During 1794 and 1795, funds were allocated to pay the ransom for the liberation of enslaved sailors. A kind of treaty was achieved in which tribute was paid to prevent the attack on American merchant ships. But Barbary states economic demands were less and less liked by the Senate, and there was beginning to be opposition to the payment of those tributes. The Barbary States kept asking for tribute, which led to the creation of the United States Department of the Navy in 1798. This was done to stop attacks on American ships and to stop the Barbary States from asking for huge tributes. When Jefferson became president, he stopped paying these tributes, and the first squadron of U.S. Navy ships was sent to the Mediterranean to protect merchant ships. This started the First Barbary War, also called the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War.
The ships included are the following:
- USS CONSTITUTION (1797) 44-GUN.
- USS SYREN (1803) 16-GUN.
- USS ARGUS (1803) 16-GUN.
- USS VIXEN (1803).
- USS NAUTILUS (1803) 12-GUN.
- USS SCOURGE (1804) 16-GUN.
- USS INTREPID (1798) 4-GUN / BOMB VESSEL.
- USS HORNET (1805).
- USS CONGRESS (1799) 38-GUN.
- USS VENGEANCE (1805) 12-GUN.
- USS FRANKLIN (1805) 8-GUN.
- USS SPITFIRE (1803) 8-GUN / BOMB VESSEL.
Designed by Saturnalia Studios. Scale 1:650. Optimized for FDM printing and easy painting.
Also includes combat sails, masts without sails and game card (Fire and Sails game).
