In February, 1801, a treaty of peace was signed with France, which brought our troubles with her to an end.
Now, if you will examine your map of Africa, you will notice a group of countries along the southern coast of the Mediterranean that are known as the Barbary States.

Their names are Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli.

I remember when I was a boy how easy it was to learn the names of the capitals of those countries, for each one was the same as the country itself.
The people of the Barbary States are only half civilized or barbarous, but they have always had a mighty high opinion of themselves, though it can hardly be as high to-day as it was a hundred years ago.

They looked upon the "dogs of Christians" as heathen nations, only fitted to be their slaves, and it must be admitted that it was quite natural they should hold the leading maritime nations of Europe as well as ourselves in contempt, for all deserved it.
The favorite business of those barbarians was playing pirate.

Their corsairs roamed up and down the Mediterranean, eagerly hunting for Christian merchant vessels, that they might kill the crews and divide the plunder among themselves.