Privateer
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- For other uses of this term, see Privateer (disambiguation).
Overview
Prior to the development of international law among European nations, there was no legal recourse for minor grievances. Privateering was a form of covert operation used to resolve these matters without open warfare. The government of a country provided a letter of marque and reprisal to a shipowner that allowed him to arm his ship and attack other ships sailing under a particular flag. In return he received a share of the seized cargo, while the rest went to the government as payment for the grievance.
To the target country, a privateer looked very much like a pirate (which at times privateers would convert to piracy), and indeed this was the intention. The only difference was that pirates were considered outlaws by all nations, while privateers had immunity from the country that commissioned them, and were considered as prisoners of war if caught by other countries. Privateers were sometimes known as "gentleman pirates". Sometimes privateers would even be commissioned to hunt down other privateers, while some of the time, privateers would commit acts of piracy without being commissioned to do so if it fit the privateer's agenda.
European powers renounced privateering in the 1856 Declaration of Paris. Other countries (including the United States) renounced it later under the Hague Conventions (1899/1907).
Privateers in American history
The United States Constitution authorized the U.S. Congress to grant letters of marque and reprisal, as did the Confederate Constitution. The Confederates used privateers during the American Civil War. Britain also used them against the U.S. after the American Revolutionary War.
Privateers in British history
Privateering in the UK was formalized to the extent that most ships acting in the fashion were granted letters of marque and reprisal, which authorized them to do so. At the same time, British courts on a number of occasions would also prosecute those privateers who stepped outside the parameters of their operation, particularly if they attacked a neutral or friendly country's possessions or ships.
British privateers were quite effective because of the nature of their enemies, who had many outlying colonies (for example those of Spain) that may have been difficult to defend against unexpected attacks. Spain and France also had large merchant fleets that were often targets. In some cases, there was also a religious element, particularly in Sir Francis Drake's case, in the context of the 16th century and conflict between Catholics and Protestants. British Privateers focused mainly on French, Spanish and Dutch shipping and some US shipping during the Revolutionary War.
Famous British Privateers
Probably the most famous British Privateer was Sir Francis Drake, particularly so in that he had such close contact with the sovereign. He was responsible for much damage to Spanish shipping, as well as attacks on Spanish settlements in the Americas in the 16th century. He also was instrumental in turning back the Spanish Armada from its attack on England.
Sir Henry Morgan was one of the most famous of all Privateers. Operating out of Jamaica, he carried on an audacious war against Spanish interests in the region, often using cunning tactics. His operation was unfortunately prone to excessive cruelty of those he captured, including torture to gain information about booty, and in one case using priests as human shields. Despite reproaches for some of his excesses, he was generally protected by Sir Thomas Modyford, the governor of Jamaica. He is probably most famous for the enormous amount of booty he took, as well as landing his privateers ashore and attacking land fortifications, including the sack of the city of Panama with only 1400 crew.
Other British Privateers of note include Edward Collier, Sir Johns Hawkins, Sir Michael Geare and Sir Christopher Myngs.
Famous privateers
- Barbarossa Khair ad Din Pasha
- Kanhoji Angre
- Jean Bart
- William Dampier
- Sir Francis Drake
- James Erisey
- Alexander Godfrey
- Jonathan Haraden
- Bully Hayes
- Piet Hein
- William Kidd
- Gödeke Michels (leader of the Likedeelers)
- Sir Henry Morgan
- Klaus Störtebeker (leader of the Likedeelers)
- Robert Surcouf
- Victual Brothers or Vitalians
- Edward Teach, or Blackbeard
- Ephraim Sturdivant
External links
- The Library of Economics & Liberty: [PRIVATEERING - 1899 Encyclopaedia entry].
- [Privateers in the American Civil War]
- [Corsari del Mediterraneo - Database about Corsairs operating in Mediterranean between 1100-1699]
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