On January 11, 1858, the Jaffa Colonists - part of the American Agricultural Mission to assist local residents in agricultural endeavors in Ottoman Palestine - were brutally attacked, creating an international incident at the beginnings of U.S. presence in the Levant. The event, known as the Outrages at Jaffa, tested American colonial resolve in the region, as well as the ability of the U.S. Government to protect its citizens in the region.