Barbary Corsairs
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Barbary Corsairs: Long a plague on the coasts of Sicily and Italy, they were responsible for the abduction of thousands of innocent people who were sold into slavery in North Africa and beyond. Rich captives could usually be ransomed, but the vast majority of victims ended their lives as slaves in foreign lands. Some governments appeased the corsairs, paying “protection money” to prevent their ships from being set upon or their shores invaded. Such payment, however, was no guarantee of safety and many watch towers (known as Corsairs’ Towers) were built to guard against possible attacks. Ultimately, the only way to eliminate the threat of the Corsairs was through warfare. The United States Navy, with the cooperation of the Sicilians, attacked the pirate base at Tunis in North Africa during the Barbary War. The final blow to them was dealt in 1816 when the British Lord Exmouth bombarded Algiers. Piracy did not disappear completely from the Mediterranean after the collapse of the Barbary states but the practice never again reach the levels during the age of these corsairs.