In 1801 the Pasha declared war on the United States, citing insufficient and late payments. In
response, President Jefferson dispatched several warships to the region to mark their presence.
At some points, these warships bombarded Tripoli from the sea. However, in October 1803 the
U.S.S. Philadelphia ran aground on the rocks near Tripoli and her crew was captured. In
response, in a combined naval and ground operation, navy warships bombarded Tripoli while
U.S. Marines approached the city on camelback from Cairo.