The Marine hymn begins, “From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli,” referencing a pivotal moment in early American military history and the formation of the United States Navy.
In 1802, the Navy had few ships, and the Marine Corps had not yet been formally established. Thomas Jefferson was president, and American merchant seamen were sailing off the northern coast of Africa. These ships were frequently attacked by pirates who seized cargo and sometimes imprisoned the crew. These pirates were known as the Barbary pirates, a term referring to the North African nations collectively known as the Barbary States.
To stop the attacks, the United States sent diplomats to negotiate peace, but the efforts failed. The U.S. resorted to paying ransoms to protect American ships. The situat