From 1516 to 1830, the Barbary corsairs dominated the Ottoman provinces of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. The years between 1800-1820 were crucial. Until 1805, a spectacular revival of privateering allows the author to present the men, the practices and the results gained by the privateers. From 1805 to 1814, the Maghrib states gave up a great part of privateering on behalf of transportation and seaborne trade, taking advantage of their neutrality during the Napoleonic wars. The peace in 1814 and the internal weaknesses of the regencies carried away this original attempt. After Lord Exmouth's expedition in 1816, for the first time since three centuries, the Maghrib is prohibited from any seaborne activities and under the mercy of Europe.