A trivial marine incursion shaped lasting US imperial rhetoric

Evidence

When Tripoli declared war on the United States in 1801, President John Adams called for regime change. While this was a relatively minor incursion with barely a dozen or so marines, it is featured in the “Marines’ Hymn,” which begins with the words “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli,” capturing the range of US imperial ambition. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 214

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• CANDY: The fact that the Marines’ Hymn immortalizes a dozen-marine incident is a light, shareable trivia point.
• SHARE: Someone interested in military history or US mythmaking would enjoy the gap between the real Tripoli incursion and its legendary status.