Naval History and Heritage Command

Pirate interdiction and the U.S. Navy have a long history that goes all the way back to the early years of the nation when President Thomas Jefferson found himself involved in one of the first conflicts overseas known as the First Barbary War. Algerine (Barbary) pirates were attacking American merchant ships in full force. Jefferson had no choice but to deploy forces to protect American interests and the free flow of commerce. Commodores Stephen Decatur and Edward Preble would emerge as some of the names synonymous with American counterpiracy operations for years to come.  

In the summer of 2007, modern-day piracy off the coast of Somalia became a real issue for the United States. Somali pirates hijacked M/V Danica White—a Danish cargo ship—in June and spent 83 days in captivity until the Danish Foreign Ministry paid a ransom of 753,000 pounds ($1.5 million) for the release of the ship and crew. Not only did the pirates hit it rich, but they also started increasing the number of attacks and hijackings off the Horn of Africa. 

Probably the most well-known incident in recent history with the U.S. and pirates was on April 7, 2009, when M/V Maersk-Alabama, under Capt. Richard Phillips, was hijacked 250 nautical miles off the Somali coast. USS Bainbridge was quickly deployed and a SEAL team carried out a daring rescue on April 12 after it was determined that Phillips life was in danger. The incident would leave three pirates killed and Phillips and his crew rescued. The incident made the big screen in the 2013 film “Captain Phillips.” 

Below are a number of resources related to U.S. Navy anti-piracy operations that are located on Naval History and Heritage Command’s website and blog. There is also information from other sources such as the U.S. Navy and the National Archives. As more information becomes available, it will be added to this webpage.  

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Suggested Reading

• Fish, Family, and Profit: Piracy and the Horn of Africa
• Lessons in Leadership: Stephen Decatur
• Campaign against the West Indian Pirates: 1790–1830
• Sybrant Van Schaick—U.S. Brig Argus Journal: 1803–1804
• Edward Preble’s Leadership Qualities Analysis
• Bombardment of Tripoli, 1804
• The Bashaw of Tripoli: 1804
• Act to Protect Commerce: 1819
• Narrative of the Capture, Sufferings and Escape of Capt. Barnabas Lincoln: 1821
• Navy and Marines vs. Piracy, Africa: 1843
• Suppression of Piracy on Johanna Island: 1851
• Are the Southern Privateermen Pirates
• Expeditions, Diplomatic and Scientific Activity, and Operations against Native Americans and Pirates
• Incidental Anti-Piracy Operations, Gulf of Siam: 1945
• Piracy and Horn of Africa Operations
• Ready Seapower: A History of the Seventh Fleet
• Brief History of the Seagoing Marines
• US-Greek Naval Relations Begin: Antipiracy Operations in the Aegean Sea
• Piracy off the Horn of Africa: 2009

Exhibits

• Battles, Conflicts, and Wars
• The Forgotten Wars of the Nineteenth Century
• Anti-Slave Trade Patrols
• Anti-slavery Operations of the US Navy

Selected Imagery