Barbary Pirates Research Paper

Prior to the national adoption of the Constitution, the issues that lied with the American approach to the Barbary Pirates mainly lied with the Articles of Confederation. These governing documents prevented the United States from creating a standing navy, which was considered, by some, to be a threat to liberty. Beyond that, with the nation’s inability to trade in the Mediterranean region, it was a difficult to even secure enough funds to be able to produce a naval force capable of protecting commercial vessels. However, once the Constitution was instituted and the country was able to begin production of federal warships, the problem of the war changed to whether or not the conflict was constitutional. Frank Lambert notes, “Aware that he was not engaging the enemy under a congressional declaration of war, Lieutenant Andrew Sterett...released the surviving pirates and their ship after the battle. (Lambert 130)” The American fleet was intended to escort and defend US merchant ships against enemy forces, yet it was not authorized to offensively engage the opposition, as Jefferson wished it was. As a result, the president worked to attain more extensive war making abilities. Later on in the conflict, Congress passed laws that

Most notably is the Vietnam War. Despite the fact that the United States never formally declared war during the clash, it was locked in battle with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces for over ten years. Like Jefferson, President Lyndon Johnson utilized Congressional approval of military intervention in the South East Asian region to begin conventional warfare with communist forces in the area. Like in the Barbary Wars, the president used executive power combined with the approval of Congress to protect American interests and the interests of its