Barbary Pirates

In 1631, North African pirates raided an Irish village and more than a 100 men became enslaved. Some never set foot on land again, rowing until they expired.

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the shores of Tripoli ...
- Marine's Hymn

Thomas Jefferson's Koran

In 1765, a 22-year-old Thomas Jefferson bought a copy of the Koran while studying law at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. As a Deist, he was interested in all religions including Islam. As President, he studied his Koran to better understand the Ottoman Empire during the Barbary Wars.

In 2007, Jefferson's copy of the Koran was used by Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) to take his oath of office.