Our suffering brethren : foreign captivity and nationalism in the early United States / David J. Dzurec III.

"In October 1785, American statesman John Jay acknowledged that the more his countrymen 'are treated ill abroad, the more we shall unite and consolidate at home.' Behind this simple statement lies a complicated history. From the British impressment of patriots during the Revolution to the capture of American sailors by Algerian corsairs and Barbary pirates at the dawn of the nineteenth century, stories of Americans imprisoned abroad helped jumpstart democratic debate as citizens acted on their newly unified identity to demand that their government strengthen efforts to free their fellow Americans. Deliberations about the country's vulnerabilities in the Atlantic world reveal America's commitment to protecting the legacy of the Revolution as well as growing political divisions. Drawing on newspaper accounts, prisoner narratives, and government records, David J. Dzurec III explores how stories of American captivity in North America, Europe, and Africa played a critical role in the development of American political culture, adding a new layer to our understanding of foreign relations and domestic politics in the early American republic"-- Provided by publisher

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Obligations arising from the rights of humanity" : prisoners of war and American self-image in the Revolution -- "The more we are treated ill abroad" : the Continental Congress, public opinion, and American captives in Algiers, 1783-1787 -- "A speedy release to our suffering captive brethren in Algiers" : the Washington administration and the challenge of public opinion -- "Millions for defence, but not a cent for tribute" : debate and public sentiment during the Tripolitan War, 1801-1805 -- "We shall ever be prey of the jealous and monopolizing spirit of the English" : impressment and party ideology in Jefferson's second term -- "Floating hells of old England" : the prisoner debate and federalist opposition to the War of 1812 -- Mr. Madison's other war : the Dartmoor Massacre, the end of the Barbary Wars, and American self-confidence, 1815-1816 -- Conclusion: "To promote each other's welfare, and mutual feelings of peace and good will" : the insecurity bookending an era of free security.

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