American Islam at 250
NEH Grant to East-West Foundation Funds Groundbreaking Translation of U.S.-Barbary Treaty, Revealing Early American Views on Religious Freedom
We have received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support “Founding Principles in a Global Context,” a landmark project that will produce the first-ever direct English translation of the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli from its original Arabic. This initiative, timed to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary, promises to reshape our understanding of America’s earliest diplomatic engagement with the Muslim world and its foundational commitment to religious pluralism.
For over two centuries, American understanding of this pivotal treaty—negotiated to free American sailors held captive by Barbary corsairs—has been filtered through a flawed Italian translation. The project will correct the historical record, offering a more nuanced view of how the Founders navigated international relations. A key clause in the treaty famously declares that the U.S. government “is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,” a revolutionary assertion of secular diplomacy that this project will place in its proper linguistic and historical context for the first time. The project aligns with the NEH’s special focus on the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, which encourages deeper understanding of the nation’s heritage and its role in the world.
As America approaches its Semiquincentennial, it’s crucial to have a clear-eyed view of our history. This project goes to the heart of our mission by replacing myth with scholarship and fostering a deeper understanding of America’s long and complex history of engaging with diverse cultures and faiths. This work will recover the authentic voices of both the American and North African negotiators.
We’ve been reading this foundational document through a distorted lens for more than 200 years. Translating directly from the Arabic allows us to hear the sophisticated diplomatic language as it was originally intended. It reveals a founding generation that was far more pragmatic and globally-minded than often portrayed, one that engaged with Islamic legal frameworks respectfully to secure peace and trade for the young republic.
The project will culminate in a major academic conference, Free Trade, Faith, and Freedom, featuring leading scholars like Dr. Thomas S. Kidd of Baylor University and Dr. Jacob Crane of Bentley University. The new translations will be made available to the public through a dedicated website and published in a peer-reviewed volume, creating a lasting resource for scholars, educators, and the public.
About The East-West Foundation:
The East-West Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation between the peoples and cultures of the United States and the broader Muslim world. Through scholarly research, cultural exchange, and public education, the Foundation seeks to build bridges based on shared values and a more accurate understanding of history.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH):
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. The NEH’s special focus on the nation’s 250th anniversary supports projects that promote a deeper understanding of American history and its founding ideals.1 Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: http://www.neh.gov.