Comment on Do you know where or how the Marines got their theme song? Killing Islamic slave trading pirates. by logical

Parent Post: Do you know where or how the Marines got their theme song? Killing Islamic slave trading pirates. · In Reply To

logical · 4/14/2025, 3:25:37 PM · permalink

still makin breakfast.  I would assume he is referring to the song lyrics  
  
"From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli"  
  
This is referring to the conflict mostly with Spain in the early - mid 1800s.  The USA defeated the mexican army and "Conquered" the halls of montezuma.  This is basically the formation of Texas.  
  
The Shores of Tripoli are where the BarBar pirates came from.  These pirates were, well pirates.  They took hostages from countries, sold slaves, demanded ransom for high born captives etc.  They were also defeated by the USA.  
  
The conclusion of this is the spanish american war, where the USA gains dominance over the Caribbean.  The Caribbean being the space between the halls of montezuma and the shores of tripoli.   
  
The Marines are an Amphibious fighting force.  Hence the name "Marine" There original formation was to invade land by sea.  Unlike the Navy who sticks to the sea, and the Army who sticks to the land.  
  
  
While you can argue that the USA has a rich history of Pirate's of its own.  American pirates weren't taking over countries per se or expanding the empire.  
  
"there were notable instances and figures associated with piracy in the United States during this period. One of the most prominent pirates to serve the United States was Jean Lafitte, who operated out of Louisiana. During the War of 1812, Lafitte was approached by the British to join them but instead warned U.S. authorities and joined General Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans.

Another significant event involving pirates in the 1800s was the continued conflict with the Barbary pirates. The United States, which was only a few years old, sent the Marines "to the shores of Tripoli" in 1801 to deal with the Barbary pirates who had taken American ships and sailors hostage. Naval and land battles with these pirates continued until a second war in 1815 ended all U.S. payments to the pirates."  
  
  
In this I would disagree with my friend thoughtcriminal.    
  
"Oh so American expansionism isn't a new thing, and started long before the 1900s... I thought the US was always an isolationist country..."  
  
Expansionism basically ended by 1900.  Expansionism was the law of the land since the 1500s.  Manifest destiny, expansion over the continent.  If you want to argue the morality of that, thats probably best left for another thread.  Isolationism in the context of the USA, in my opinion refers to Not getting involved in Europe's wars, or the Colonization efforts of Africa and India.

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thoughtcriminal_1984 · 4/14/2025, 3:42:17 PM · permalink

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