privateering

Privateering is the practice of privately owned and manned ships being authorized by a government during wartime to attack the shipping of an enemy state. The authorization, issued as a letter of marque and reprisal, legitimized privateers to seize enemy ships and cargo as prizes. Prize ships were often condemned in prize courts, and the privateers typically shared the proceeds with the private owners and the sponsoring government.

Historically, privateering flourished from the 16th through the 18th centuries as a way to augment naval power, disrupt enemy trade, and raise revenue for war economies. It was employed by many maritime states, including England, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Notable privateers included English figures such as Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan, the French privateer Jean Bart, and numerous American privateers during periods of conflict with Britain. Privateering also played a role in the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, when American privateering fleets captured British merchant ships.

Legal status and decline: Privateering declined as modern navies professionalized and international law evolved to restrict private armed activity at sea. The Declaration of Paris of 1856, signed by several major powers, prohibited privateering among its signatories, effectively ending the practice for those states. In practice, privateering faded in the 19th century, and today it is not practiced by states under contemporary international law, with private armed action at sea generally considered unlawful unless conducted under explicit and legitimate state authority.

See also: Letters of marque and reprisal, prize law, maritime warfare, piracy.