"To fix a National Character" with Professor Abigail Mullen

In the early 1800s, the Barbary Wars played a significant part in creating the US Navy and putting the newly established United States on the world stage as both a sovereign nation and a naval power. Author and professor Abby Mullen’s presentation will focus on the ways in which the US Navy and consular service tried their hands at fighting a war in a region where they had no bases and no power. The maritime environment itself played a significant role in the fighting of the First Barbary War, and understanding the material reality of life at sea is a critical piece of understanding this conflict. Abby Mullen is an assistant professor in the history department at the United States Naval Academy. Her work focuses on the early American navy. She holds a PhD from Northeastern University, where she worked with Dr. Bill Fowler, a mariner and US naval and maritime historian. Her book To Fix a National Character: The United States in the First Barbary War, 1800-1805, was published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2024.