Existing comment:
Piracy and Privateering
From the beginnings of the age of sail, seafaring nations sought to amplify their naval power by encouraging their own private citizens to wage maritime war on national enemies. The incentive was profit. Until 1856, when the practice was abolished by international convention, all maritime states issued "Letters of Marque and Reprisal," authorizing their private mariners to capture for possession and sale any enemy ships they encountered on the high seas. Though an inexpensive way of waging economic war, there was a disadvantage to the strategy. Having encouraged the occupation of privateering, sea powers found it difficult to control the legions of seafaring predators thrown out of a lawful traded when peace treaties were signed. Many privateers simply turned to piracy, seeking targets of opportunity flying any flag. Some pirates who cruised the Pacific, including William Dampier, spent part of their predatory careers as "lawful" privateers, and part of it unsure of their own legal status.
European piracy in every sea came to an end with the absolute ascendancy of the great naval powers and the international abolishment of privateering. |