For thoose who don't watch the Glenn Beck Show, Thomas Jefferson got us involved in our first ever conflict. In 1801 the United States was a young nation, 20 years after becoming a nation, we were being attacking by the Barbary Pirates off the Mediterranean coast of Africa. Even as a young nation, we were fighting Muslims who were supported by the Ottoman Turks. When Jefferson became president in 1801 he decided that he had to stand up to Barbary pirates and he informed Congress about them. That is something that you learned about in school because our history is being erased.