A little bit of history.

Avalon Project: The Barbary Treaties ^ | June 10th 1797 | Various

[In veno, veritas]

Treaty of Tripoli
ARTICLE 11.
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

[In veno, veritas]

Very interesting read which I related to our current situation in Afganistan.

[gcruse]

As the government of the United States of America is
not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion

This needs repeating.

[gcruse]

  In veno, veritas

 veno- or veni- or ven-
 pref.

      Vein: venipuncture.

              Eh?

 

[DeaconBenjamin]

"A survey of the state constitutions, charters, national pronouncements, and official declarations of the thirteen state goverments would convince any representative from Tripoli that America was a Christian nation by law. The American consul in Algiers, Joel Barlow, had to construct a treaty that would assure the Dey of Tripoli that troops would never be used to impose Christianity on a Muslim people.

"What was Mr. Barlow trying to say? Representing a nation whose laws do not make heresy a crime, and which has no established church or official religion, was he not trying to reassure those of a different religious and cultural tradition that we, for our part, had worked out an arrangemnt between the prevailing religion in America and our governmetn that did not commit the destiny of that faitghinto the keeping of the state? Our government, therefore, could enter into amicable relationships with nations whose religion differs from our own."

America's Christian History Gary DeMar. Chapter 8: The Treaty of Tripoli.

[Nitro]

Here is the truth about Tripoli!

Stephen Decatur

The Marines where just along for the ride!

[MCH]

Not being a historian, can a helpful scholar out there please define the terms "Musselmen" and "Mehomitan"?

Thank you.

[dighton]

They're old variants of the words Muslim(s) and Mohammedan.

[El Gato]

While the United States government is not based on Christianity, it's culture is to a very large extent based upon Judeo Christian principals. The government is just required to be neutral in matters of religous belief. That does not mean that principals based upon religous beliefs cannot work their way into the laws, quite the contrary. The wall of Separation of Church and State only works in one direction.

For an interesting thesis on how the long standing "Barbary" crises helped lead to adoption of the Constituion to replace the Articles of Confederation see:

THE BARBARY CORSAIRS: CONQUERORS OF UNITED STATES COMMERCE AND THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

Wasn't this treaty one of the early ones when we were still trying to placate the Barbary states which supported the pirates? It didn't work then, and it won't work now, with our latter day, "pirates, who are motivated more by zealatry than avarice. After they, and the other states, violated the earlier treaties, we kicked their collective asses, both of pirates and "governments", and the later treaties were, shall we say, more favorable to US interests.

[In veno, veritas]

Misspelled (vino)

[In veno, veritas]

Excellent find. Thanks.

[In veno, veritas]

Is this a constitutional classic? It should be. I think that the treaty was before the main war. It was written, according to my source, in late 1700's. While if you read about Decature, it said the war was in the early 1800's.

Amazing simillarities on the Arab style between then and now.

[In veno, veritas]

I agree. I would also state that our principles, if we are to be a just nation, will always be reflected in our government.