Statement·other·said 2026-04-12
“The U.S. Navy was created to free international waters from the Barbary pirates.”
Proof of utterancewhere they said it
No source recorded.
Verdict
Mixedby PolitiFact
2026-04-14Reasoning
PolitiFact rated this Mostly True: Barbary piracy was a significant impetus for building a permanent U.S. Navy, but the Continental Navy existed earlier during the Revolution and protecting U.S. merchant shipping was the broader motivation, not just freeing international waters.
Proof of outcomewhat backs the verdict