Raid on Penzance
| Raid on Penzance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Penzance Bay | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Regency of Algiers |
 England | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | 60 captured | ||||||
The Raid on Penzance was a military operation initiated by the Barbary Pirates of Algiers against Britain in Penzance in July of 1640.
Background
[edit]The situation continued to worsen at mid-century and the 'British were largely powerless in stopping the corsairs' during the British Civil Wars and the Protectorate.[1]
Raid
[edit]In 1640, 60 Algerian fleets were spotted traversing the English Channel.[1] In July of that year, they launched a raid on Penzance in Cornwall, seizing 60 men, women, and children.[2][3][4][5] Following this, the number of Christian slaves taken captive in Algiers reached 25,000, with 3,000 of them being English.[2][3][4]
Aftermath
[edit]The period of the Civil Wars and the Protectorate was a time of vulnerability for England, which was unable to prevent the Barbary raids. It was not until the late 17th century under Charles II (after 1660) that the Royal Navy was able to begin to effectively combat the corsairs.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Coffman, D'Maris; Leonard, Adrian; O'Reilly, William (2014-12-05). The Atlantic World. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-57605-1.
- ^ a b Grant, Cyril Fletcher; Grant, L. (1912). African Shores of the Mediterranean. Mcbride, Nast & Company.
- ^ a b The Spectator. F.C. Westley. 1884.
- ^ a b Grant, Cyril Fletcher (1921). Studies in North Africa. Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Company, Limited.
- ^ Matar, Nabil (2014-06-26). British Captives from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, 1563-1760. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-26450-2.