Description
This collection contains the papers of
American soldier and diplomat William Eaton (1764-1811), chiefly accumulated during his
service in the Mediterranean and dating between 1798 and 1805. The papers document the
relations between the United States and the Barbary states, the Tripolitan War (1801-05),
James Leander Cathcart, and naval operations of the U.S. and European powers.
Background
William Eaton (1764-1811), American soldier and diplomat, was best known for his exploits
in the Barbary states from 1798 to 1805. After a period of service in the United States Army
in Georgia, he became United States consul to Tunis and took part in the negotiations
concerning some changes in the 1797 treaty with this country. In 1803, following a conflict
with Tunis authorities, he was expelled from the country, and returned to the United States.
Having succeeded in promoting his plan for an American intervention designed to support a
rival claimant for the rule of Tripoli, Eaton arrived to the Mediterranean in 1804, with the
fleet commanded by Samuel Barron, as United States naval agent to the Barbary States. Eaton
led an expedition in behalf of the deposed ruler of Tripoli, in an attempt to end the war
between that country and the United States begun in 1801. When the success of the venture
seemed almost secured with the capture of Derne, Eaton was surprised to be ordered to leave
Tripoli, and to learn that negotiations by Tobias Lear for a peace, involving the ransom of
American captives and maintaining the usurping ruler, were concluded. Following the peace of
1805, Eaton returned to the United States. He obtained a grant of 10,000 acres in Maine from
the Massachusetts legislature and later received about $10,000 to liquidate claims for his
expense in Tripoli. In May 1807-1811, he served as a member of the Massachusetts House of
Representatives. He finally retired to his home in Brimfield, Massachusetts, and died in
1811.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.