Yusuf Karamanli
Yusuf (ibn Ali) Karamanli, Caramanli or Qaramanli or al-Qaramanli (most commonly Yusuf Karamanli), (1766–1838) was the longest-reigning Pasha of the Karamanli dynasty of Tripolitania (in present-day Libya). He is noted for his role in the Barbary Wars against the United States. Assumption of the throne Born in Tripoli in 1766, Karamanli, a member of the Karamanli dynasty (named after the Karamanids in Turkey), was originally of Turkish origin. His brother, Hamet Karamanli, was deposed from leadership in 1793 by Ottoman Empire officer Ali Pasha, who proceeded to exile the Karamanli family and claim Ottoman rule over Tripoli. In 1795, Hamet and Yusuf returned to Tripoli, and with the aid of Hammuda Pasha of the neighboring Barbary state of Tunis, recaptured it from Ali Pasha. Yusuf then had his brother exiled to Alexandria, Egypt and claimed the throne for himself. Barbary Wars In 1796, Karamanli drafted and signed the Treaty of Tripoli, which permitted the passage of American commercial ships through Tripolitanian waters. In 1801, Karamanli allegedly violated the treaty by demanding a tribute of $225,000 from third American President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, confident in the ability of the fledgling United States Navy (newly reinforced with the building of six heavy