at her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!"

It was this flag under which we went forth to three wars, each one
fought to uphold the rights of American citizens. The first was with
France, the second with Tripoli, and the third with Great Britain. It
had long been the custom for nations using the Mediterranean Sea to pay
tribute to the pirates of Tripoli. In 1800 Captain Bainbridge carried
the annual tribute to Algiers. It seemed that the Dey wished to send an
ambassador to Constantinople, and under threat of capture Captain
Bainbridge was ordered to carry him there. The captain obeyed, but very
unwillingly. When the new flag appeared at Constantinople, it was
reported to the Sultan that a ship from the United States of America was
in the harbor. "What's that?" he demanded. "I never heard of that
nation." "They live in the New World which Columbus discovered," was the
reply. The Sultan had heard of Columbus, and he sent to the frigate a
bouquet of flowers in welcome, and a lamp in token of friendship.

The Dey of Algiers became dissatisfied with the tribute paid by America,
and declared haughtily that if he did not receive from our country a
handsome present within six months, he should declare war. This he did,
but to his great surprise a small American fleet, under the fifteen
stars and stripes, sailed up to his city and began to bombard it. It was
not long before he became the very picture of meekness. He freed all his
American captives, paid well for all the property that he had destroyed,
and the Mediterranean Sea became safe for commerce.

In 1803 the United States purchased from France the immense Louisiana
Territory. The French flag was hauled down and the flag of the United
States was raised in token of the change of ownership. This country
had first been in the hands of Spain, and the Spaniards had presented
flags to various Indians. When Lieutenant Z. M. Pike made a journey of
exploration in the new territory, he came to an Indian village where
there was quite a display of Spanish banners. The Lieutenant made a
little speech to the Indians, and said among other things that the
Spanish flag at the chief's door ought to be given up to him and the
flag of the United States put