There was definitely a mixture of payoffs and force, but consider the realities of 19th century power. Projecting power across the Atlantic into the Med for a new nation was not an easy thing and considering that the degree to which Jefferson and later Monroe were willing to use military force over payoffs was pretty amazing. Europe of course had its own problems in the first 15 years of the century and the North African states exploited that however they could, but the "piracy" in the med was a tradition going back to Barbarossa and before.

But my point was that the only effective response to piracy was force ( viz the bombardment of Algiers. )

>Interestingly this article
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Barbary_War
>
>and this
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
>
>has the US paying off the pirates.
>
>
>>I think it would be rather cool and anchronistically fitting if HR ER were to profer Letters of Marque to a new generation of sea dogs to go fight the Somali pirates (and maybe take out a few Iranian and Venezulan tankers as well.
>>
>>Our Stephan Decatur made rather a name for himself when "millions for defense but not one cent for tribute" was the motto and the Barbary Pirates were "protecting the fishing rights" in the Med and being paid off by pusillanimous potentates of decadent Europe <s> (The Marine's Hymn still has that line about "to the shores of Tripoli" )
>>
>>But I am not optimistic our current Commander in Chief would do anything so un-nuanced and smacking of profiling every Somali in an armed boat boarding a merchant ship and holding the crew for ransom a pirate. <s>
>>
>>
>>>>>>>>>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576165,00.html
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>They surrendered to terrorism years ago - I guess they might as well bankroll pirates too.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The way it is now, they're still bankrolling them, but they're making the pirates work for it, and putting people in jeopardy. It would be a lot simpler and put fewer Spanish lives in the danger if they simply set up an account for the pirates and paid them a monthly salary.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Or maybe did something to stop Spanish trawlers fishing illegally in Somalian waters....
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Somalia...Illegally....S-O-M-A-L-I-A...what the he$$ does illegal have to do with Somalia?? Somalia has no government. Hasn't for decades. Somalia does have thieves, Al Queda, pirates, and people waiting for handouts (that they steal from each other). Illegally anything in Somalia? Get real.
>>>>>
>>>>>Seems a little hypocritical to argue that it is the responsibility of the Somali government to prevent pirates stealing ships - but it is not Spain's responsibility to prevent Spanish trawlers from stealing fish....
>>>>>
>>>>>I'm with the pirates on this one :-}
>>>>>
>>>>>Anyway it looks like the rules are changing:http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/innovations/data/000147
>>>>
>>>>It's amazing the BS you spout.
>>>
>>>So do I get to join the club ? :-}