Lama El Sharief Dissertation Purdue.docx

This dissertation examines the interplay between environmental crises and the escalation of North African corsairing activities from 1793-1805. This period, rife with environmental adversities and faltering economies, witnessed a significant upsurge in North African maritime raids launched from the Ottoman-governed provinces of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers. I argue that this noticeable increase was not a reaction to the events in Europe but a consequential response to the acute environmental and socio-economic pressures of the time.