Zia Wesley's Blog: The Veil and the Crown - Posts Tagged "algiers"

Aimée de Rivery was not the only person to be kidnapped by Barbary pirates. Abduction was a common occurrence at that time. In 1790 an attempt was made to rescue 17 Americans being held for ransom. Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, recommended going to war against Algiers but President George Washington preferred to pay the ransom, arguing it would ultimately cost less than a war in both money and lives lost. The sum of $144,000 was approved to pay the ransom and the Americans were eventually released. However, corsairs continued to plunder goods as well as people and four years later, in September of 1794, Washington signed a bill authorizing the sum of $688,888 to build six frigates “adequate for the protection of the commerce of the United States against Algerian corsairs.” These six vessels ultimately became the first ships of the American Navy.

In September of 1800, the first American frigate entered the port of Algiers carrying $500,000 in gold; tribute to be paid to the Dey of Algiers, Baba Mohammed Ben Osman. I suspect that Ben Osman, in turn, used that money to increase his own fleet of ships; vessels that would eventually be used to fight the Janissaries in their attempt to bump Sultan Selim off the throne.

You can read more about the ransom of the 17 Americans in 1790 here

The men were sipping tea and eating dates when Baba Mohammed Ben Osman, the Dey of Al Djazāir, captain of all pirates and ruler of the port, entered the room. He was a huge, opulently dressed, imposing figure whose jet-black beard and mustache were waxed into sharply curling points. His almond-shaped black eyes, generously lined with kohl, looked deep and menacing. The men knew that his vaulted position was built on thirty years of ruthless piracy and bloodshed. Despite the mighty price on his head, Ben Osman’s ships continued to plunder what they pleased with the blessings of the Dey’s distant cousin, the Sultan of Turkey.

From The Stolen Girl – Book 1 of The Veil and The Crown by Zia Wesley

The Dey of Algiers was the title given to the ruler (or Regent) of the Port of Algiers starting in the late 17th century. The Dey was chosen to rule for life by a council of local civilian, military and religious leaders with the approval (or insistence) of the Ottoman Sultan.

With the death of Dey Baba Ali on February 2, 1766, Mohammed ben Osman, the former treasurer to Baba Ali, took over as Dey of Algiers.

Dey Mohammed ben Osman suffered many obstacles during his 25 year rule of Algiers, but through diplomacy and military prowess, he was able to keep the region relatively stable. In 1775, a Spanish expedition attempted to sieze the town of Mustapha and failed with the loss of 4000 Spanish Soldiers. They attempted again in 1783 and 1784, and failed both times.

Ben Osman’s fleet of ships not only protected the Barbary Coast (as it was dubbed by Europeans) from attack, but plundered any ships that came within their realm. As unofficial members of the Ottoman navy, the men were known as “Corsairs” which ultimately became synonymous with “pirates”.

Prior to the American Revolution, the British Navy protected United States merchant vessels operating along the Barbary Coast of Africa. Following the revolution, France continued to protect US ships according to a 1778 alliance. However, in July 1785, Algerians captured two American ships and the Dey of Algiers held their crews of twenty-one people for a ransom of nearly $60,000. Thomas Jefferson, then United States minister to France, opposed the payment of tribute, which was ultimately paid. You can read details of Jefferson’s proposals here.

In July, 1791 Mohammed ben Osman died and was succeeded by his son, Baba Hassen.

I am sure no one remembers that I did not come to this life of my own accord. My immersion has appeared to be so complete. Few people outside these walls could ever imagine the priceless jewels that adorn my body, the numbers of those who wait upon my every desire, or the vastness of the land and wealth I own. Only a handful comprehend the power of my words, my political influence, and the public works I personally conceived of, funded and built.

While our corner of the world knew my husband's name and deeds well, the whole world now knows of my son. Yet only those who live within these walls know me. Despite the fact that I am the wealthiest woman in the world, my name is unknown. The only persons who truly knew me are gone: my cousin Rose, who died six years ago as the former Empress Josephine, and Baba Mohammed Ben Osman, The Dey of Algiers, Captain of all Barbary Coast pirates and my personal savior. Now that I am old and dying, I suddenly feel desperate for someone to know who I am. I do not wish to die as if I had never existed. I want someone to know that I did not enter this world at the age of eighteen as Nakshidil, the odalisque. Although I shall die as the most powerful woman in the whole Ottoman Empire I was born French on the island of Martinique as Marie-Aimée Dubucq de Rivery.

The Stolen Girl
Zia Wesley