Peter Reuss
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2005
- Messages
- 3,775
Well gentlemen...the time has come to welcome the
From the Halls of Montezuma…to the SHORES OF TRIPOLI!
When the United States of America gained independence from Great Britain there was an unexpected problem - piracy. Removed from the protection of the British navy, US ships were prize targets for pirates across the seven seas. In 1783, the same year that the Treaty of Paris was signed, corsairs from the Barbary States began to attack American shipping in the Mediterranean. At first, the US paid tribute, to the tune of $2 million by 1801, but it was not enough. The corsairs demanded more, and the fledgling US took a stand. The new president, Thomas Jefferson, made a bold move. He refused further payment. On May 14, 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli ordered the flag staff (flying the 'Stars and Stripes') standing in front of the US consulate to be cut down. This symbolic act was taken as a declaration of war against America.
On October 31, 1803, the US frigate Philadelphia, while on patrol against Barbary ships, ran aground on a reef near the Tripoli harbour. Captured by Tripolitan gunboats, the frigate was floated free and taken into port. Captain William Bainbridge and the ship's 307 crewmembers were imprisoned and held for ransom.
The United States responded with William Eaton, Marine Lt. Presley O’Bannon, seven marines, and 400 mercenaries, including Europeans (mainly Greeks), Arab cavalry, Turks, and a caravan of camels. The expedition began near Alexandria, Egypt and covered 500 miles across the desert to the outpost city of Derna, Tripoli.
Once at Derna, the US Marines undertook the first land engagement outside the American continent, storming the harbor defenses at bayonet point and planting the Stars and Stripes on foreign soil.
The ‘Shores of Tripoli’ series takes us to the harbor of Derna, with the US Marines and exotic mercenaries overwhelming the pirates who would dare stand in the way of this new nation.
The ‘Shores of Tripoli’ series, made by Honour Bound exclusively for Treefrog Treasures, will consist of 24 figures, including US Marines, Greeks, and Barbary Pirates (including a mounted officer).
Shores of Tripoli
From the Halls of Montezuma…to the SHORES OF TRIPOLI!
When the United States of America gained independence from Great Britain there was an unexpected problem - piracy. Removed from the protection of the British navy, US ships were prize targets for pirates across the seven seas. In 1783, the same year that the Treaty of Paris was signed, corsairs from the Barbary States began to attack American shipping in the Mediterranean. At first, the US paid tribute, to the tune of $2 million by 1801, but it was not enough. The corsairs demanded more, and the fledgling US took a stand. The new president, Thomas Jefferson, made a bold move. He refused further payment. On May 14, 1801, the Pasha of Tripoli ordered the flag staff (flying the 'Stars and Stripes') standing in front of the US consulate to be cut down. This symbolic act was taken as a declaration of war against America.
On October 31, 1803, the US frigate Philadelphia, while on patrol against Barbary ships, ran aground on a reef near the Tripoli harbour. Captured by Tripolitan gunboats, the frigate was floated free and taken into port. Captain William Bainbridge and the ship's 307 crewmembers were imprisoned and held for ransom.
The United States responded with William Eaton, Marine Lt. Presley O’Bannon, seven marines, and 400 mercenaries, including Europeans (mainly Greeks), Arab cavalry, Turks, and a caravan of camels. The expedition began near Alexandria, Egypt and covered 500 miles across the desert to the outpost city of Derna, Tripoli.
Once at Derna, the US Marines undertook the first land engagement outside the American continent, storming the harbor defenses at bayonet point and planting the Stars and Stripes on foreign soil.
The ‘Shores of Tripoli’ series takes us to the harbor of Derna, with the US Marines and exotic mercenaries overwhelming the pirates who would dare stand in the way of this new nation.
The ‘Shores of Tripoli’ series, made by Honour Bound exclusively for Treefrog Treasures, will consist of 24 figures, including US Marines, Greeks, and Barbary Pirates (including a mounted officer).
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