Patriot Pirates? A Reassessment of American Privateers in the Revolutionary War

All major combatants of the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783) deployed privateers to disrupt shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. American privateers uniquely experienced the war as they broke the British blockade of North America, raided British territory, and disrupted international trade. American privateers are often depicted as legalized pirates or profiteers. How- ever, the reality of privateering is much more complex. This article analyzes primary sources, including memoirs, correspondence, and secondary historio- graphical texts to explore how privateers have been misrepresented in history. These sources reveal a legally and personally complicated affair that does not align with existing understandings of the topic. This article posits that previ- ous understandings of privateering, featured in select primary and secondary sources, are inaccurate and deny historians valuable information. This article seeks to recover privateers’ place in the broader history of the American Rev- olution and allow for an integration of their experiences in future historiogra- phy by uncovering their muddled history.