The Seven-Years War :: American America History

The Seven-Years WarThe word privateer conjures a romantic image in the minds of most Americans. Tales of battle and amplitude pervade the folklore of privateering, which has become a cherished, if often overlooked part of our divided heritage. Legends were forged during the battle for American independence, and these men were understandably glorified as part of the formation of our national identity. The fact of the matter is that the vast legal age of these men were common opportunists, if noteworthy naval contendriors. The profit motive was the drive force behind almost all of their expeditions, and a successful privateer could easily become quite wealthy. In times of peace, these men would be common pirates, pariahs of the maritime community. Commissioned in times of war, they were respected entrepreneurs, fate their purses and their country, if only incidentally the latter. However vulgar their motivation, the system of privateering arose because it provided a worthy se rvice to thecountry, and indeed the American Revolution might not take on been won without their involvement. Many scholars agree that all war begins for economic reasons, and the privateers of the war for independence contributed by attacking the commercial livelihood of Great Britains merchants.It is humorous that the entire notion of privateering began in Great Britain. In 1649 a frigate named Constant-Warwick was constructed in England for a privateer in the employ of the Earl of Warwick. Seeing how profitable this investiture was, a great many of the English peerage commissioned their cause privateers. The Seven-Years War saw the proliferation of privateering on both the English and French coasts as each attempted to disrupt their opponents colonial trade. American investors quickly entered this battle, direction ships to prey upon encumbrance vessels coming to and from French colonial holdings in the Americas. present began the American privateer heritage, and when the American Revolution began many of these same men viewed the opportunity to profit, and resumed their ventures. The American privateer vessel was a ship gird and fitted out at private expense for the purpose of preying on the enemys trade to the profit of her owners. Not just anyone could be a privateer, however. What distinguished a privateer from a common pirate was a commission, or a letter of marque. These were granted by the government, and were quite easily obtained. The governments benefit was twofold. First, the radical government took a share of the profits from the sale of any cargo captured by a commissioned privateer.