America's First Korean War: The History and Legacy of the United States Expedition to Korea in 1871

hips engaged in trade in Asia were at risk from pirates, and shipwrecked sailors were at the mercy of locals. Additionally, American whaling ships came to dominate the whaling trade in the Pacific and were also vulnerable to piracy and to incidents when they docked at Pacific ports to refresh supplies. American warships investigated incidents of piracy, including occasional punitive expeditions to punish pirates or their maltreatment of shipwrecked sailors.

Given the distances involved, the ...