Jefferson's War on the Barbary Pirates Is an Unjustified Password for Military Intervention

Jefferson’s War on the Barbary Pirates Is an Unjustified Password for Military Intervention

Tags: Politics, U.S. History, War and Foreign Policy

10/03/2025 Joshua Mawhorter

Advocates for US military intervention have invoked the war against the Barbary pirates as justification. Yet, an examination of that conflict shows that President Jefferson’s actions were limited and followed the direction of Congress.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/jeffersons-war-barbary-pirates-unjustified-password-military-intervention

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