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Spanish and British Privateers
Privateers, which are private ships used for attacking foreign ships under the approval of the country’s government were a part of Spanish history. Although these ships were primarily used during times of war, some were also used for showing a position of power in times of peace.
Spanish privateers were commonly seen in support of the navy, starting in the 16th century through the 19th century. To pay for the cost of privateers, prize money coming from enemy merchants was paid. Interestingly, if war was not occurring or if the privateer were to prey on neutral ships, they were often viewed as pirates. However, when working in conjunction to naval forces, privateers played a vital role in attacking enemy ships, as well as taking on prisoners of war.
As you can imagine, privateers were a huge support to smaller naval power. Additionally, these smaller ships caused significant problems for commerce, which obviously hurt the enemy. Depending on the ship and its crew, some were treated with great respect by naval vessels while others were treated rudely and with disrespect.
Now, a privateer could be literally any type of vessel. In fact, many privateers were outdated or unwanted warships that were commissioned to go into service. As you look back in history, you will find that many of the English privateer fleet that fought with the 1588 Spanish Armada. During this era, it was common for British ships to sail off the Spanish coast, as well as the Caribbean. Their goal was to intercept treasure fleets carrying silver and gold coming from Mexico, which actually belonged to Spain.
At first, some attacks by Spanish ships on Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake were justified in that they were trying to stop the selling of slaves to Spanish colonies, something that the Spanish considered against the law. Initially, naval support was not available so little control or monitoring was done. In fact, Elizabeth I encouraged privateering, believing that it was okay to attack Spanish ships due to competition with that country. This action was directly responsible for starting the first Anglo-Spanish War. After all, if a Spanish treasure ship was captured, it meant the British Crown would become richer.
During the attacks on Spanish ships, the trade route for silver and gold going from Mexico to Spain was significantly affected. Then during the first, Anglo-Dutch War, English privateers captured more than 1,000 Dutch merchant ships, which boosted the number of merchant ships for England. Then in the following war between the British and Spain, privateers for Spain were able to capture some 1,500 English merchant ships, which rebuilt the international trade for the Dutch.
However, a policy of encouraging the use of privateers during the Nine Years War brought on further attack for both Dutch and English shipping. Historians estimate that the English lost approximately 4,000 ships. Then, the number of attacks by privateers continued heavily throughout the War of Spanish Succession, a time that cost Britain more than 3,000 merchantmen. This hard hit was responsible for the Cruizers and Convoys Act of 1708 to be changed, stating that warships could be called in for reinforcement in protecting trade.
Although privateering continued until the mid 19th century, things began to change, partially due to the growing importance of maritime trade to neutral countries and Britain’s control over the sea. Then in 1856, the Declaration of Paris was created and executed, meaning that privateering would be abolished. This new law stopped all attacks by privateers, along with capture of any private property at sea.
