Mediterranean privateer

Purchase of Christian slaves by French friars (Religieux de la Mercy de France) in Algiers in 1662
Despite the end of formal hostilities with Spain in 1580, attacks on Christian and especially Catholic
shipping, with slavery for the captured, became prevalent in Algiers and were actually the main industry
and source of revenues of the Regency.[20]

In the early 17th century, Algiers also became, along with other North African ports such as Tunis, one of
the bases for Anglo-Turkish piracy. There were as many as 8,000 renegades in the city in 1634.[20][21]
(Renegades were former Christians, sometimes fleeing the law, who voluntarily moved to Muslim
territory and converted to Islam.) Hayreddin Barbarossa is credited with tearing down the Peñón of
Algiers and using the stone to build the inner harbor.[22]

A contemporary letter states:

"The infinity of goods, merchandise jewels and treasure taken by our English pirates daily from
Christians and carried to Allarach [ Larache, in Morocco], Algire and Tunis to the great enriching of
Mores and Turks and impoverishing of Christians"

— Contemporary letter sent from Portugal to England.[23]

Privateer and slavery of Christians originating from Algiers were a major problem throughout the
centuries, leading to regular punitive expeditions by European powers. Spain (1567, 1775, 1783),
Denmark (1770), France (1661, 1665, 1682, 1683, 1688), England (1622, 1655, 1672), all led naval
bombardments against Algiers.[20] Abraham Duquesne fought the Barbary pirates in 1681 and
bombarded Algiers between 1682 and 1683, to help Christian captives.[24]