CHAPTER VII.
Our Naval War with France--The Tribute Paid to the Barbary States by Christian Nations--War Declared Against the United States by Tripoli--Bainbridge, Decatur, Stewart, Dale and Preble.
Now I suspect that if my young readers were asked to name the nations with which, at one time or another we have been at war, they would not be likely to include France in the list.

All the same, we have had a war with her, though it was confined to the ocean and there was no formal declaration on either side.
A few years after the close of our Revolution one of the most appalling uprisings in the history of the world took place in France.

The kings and nobility ground the people into the very dust until they were goaded into revolt, which overturned the throne and was marked by atrocities that shocked the world.

Incredible as it may seem, there were a million people put to death during the awful days of the Reign of Terror.
The mad rulers, not satisfied with deluging their own country with blood, were at war with most of the neighboring nations.

They seemed to wish to array themselves against all mankind and began a system of action toward us which soon became unbearable.
They seemed to think we could be scared into paying the rulers immense sums of money for the privilege of being left alone.