During times of war, pirates would become privateers, selling themselves to the highest bidder. The unlikely role of patriot pirates privateers plundered british ships and made fortunes, to boot. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution has 1 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. The salamander previously i covered haradens career in the massachusetts navy as first lieutenant and later captain of the legendary commerce raider tyrannicide. Adam hyler was one of two pesky privateers of the revolutionary war. Patton, grandson of the world war ii battlefield legend, tells a sweeping tale of courage, capitalism, naval warfare, and international political intrigue set on the high seas during the american revolution. Containing tales of danger, greed, and patriotism, robert h. Patriots and privateers page 3 of 16 salem national historic site national park service. The unlikely role of patriot pirates national news us news. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution. Jan 01, 2008 patriot pirates could have been an excellent book with some editing, and an organizational structure. To compensate, the continental congress contracted with skilled patriot mariners to become privateers.
The supply of gunpowder haunted george washington and the continental congress throughout the entire revolutionary war. Privateers of the revolutionary war part 2 new jersey. Men who became privateers were driven as much by greed as by patriotism and, similar to todays contractor controversy. During the revolutionary war 17751783, privateers acting for their respective governmentsamerican, british and french, among othersseized thousands of ships, sometimes the same ship more than once.
Patton 2008, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. The privateers captured british merchant ships moving along the jersey shore, plundered the cargo, confiscated or burned. For thousands of years pirates and privateers have roamed the seven seas. Revolution privateers in the revolutionary naval war. Pattons book focuses on the vast transcontinental web of. This would be an interesting topic on its own, but. American privateeringessentially legalized piracybegan with a ragtag squadron of new england schooners in 1775. This book should be on the reading list of every revolutionary war buff. Nov 14, 2015 privateers of the revolutionary war part 1.
The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution 9780375422843 by patton, robert h. War on the new jersey coast 17751783 is the revelatory narrative of the 538 pennsylvania and new jersey privateers, privately owned ships of. Richard pougher, averse to remaining idle spectators. Another drawback was the cold hard fact that todays ally may well be tomorrows enemy. Sometimes i think that seal team six studied the daring tactics of these two business men turned patriot privateers.
Revolutionary war books about people who usually get left out of the story. Chesapeake bay privateers in the revolution journal of. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Men who became privateers were driven as much by greed as by patriotism and. Privateers were legalized pirates empowered by the. Originally used for war, the ship was decommissioned and turned into a floating hospital. To add to this, they issued letters of marque to privately owned, armed merchant ships and commissions for privateers, which were outfitted as warships to prey on enemy merchant ships. American merchants armed hundreds of small ships to interdict the british maritime supply lines. This is the first known sea engagement in the american revolution. Jun 30, 2009 patriot pirates is not a history of privateering in the revolutionary war. Instead, it is a history of people who invested in privateering. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution vintage reprint by robert h patton isbn. This was particularly true in the 15001600s in the mediterranean and the caribbean. Chesapeake bay was a vital water way for loyalists and patriots, which is why the local sailors attracted letters of marque from both sides to act as privateers.
With that as a spark, the raritan bay privateers came to life at the museum. Allegations of atrocities committed by an adversary are common in war, of course, and underscore historys dictum that the truth is colored by perception. Privateers were a large part of the total military force at sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. This book discusses the business of american privateering throughout the revolutionary war. Patton the revolutionary war used to leave robert h. Patton, grandson of wwii general george patton, covers the role of privateers in the revolutionary war. Privateers and mariners in the revolutionary war the colonies, having declared their independence, had only 31 ships comprising the continental navy. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution by robert h. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution new york.
Oct 16, 2018 this book tells the story of the centurieslong struggle over the meaning of the nations founding, including the battle waged by the tea party, glenn beck, sarah palin, and evangelical christians to take back america. Nov 30, 2014 tag privateers during the american revolutionary war. The jersey was an abandon warship anchored out off the coast of the long island. Privateering, a wartime tactic authorized by congress and financed by men such as robert morris and nathanael greene, proved to be a sketchy endeavor for many who took to the high seas to seek their fortunes in an uncertain war. In this, the first book of the wolfbane saga, set in the darkest days of the dark ages, the life of a young saxon noble is thrown into turmoil when his family. When the war ended, they often would return to pirating. Patton, scion of the famed military family, found the whole conflict lacking in drama and palpable grit until he discovered the privateers, legalized pirates who ransacked british ships for money, glory and country. Privateers in the american revolution by john frayler, salem maritime national historic site.
Sometimes i think that seal team six studied the daring tactics. Privateers or merchant mariners help win the revolutionary war. Patton tells the story of the american privateers in the revolution. Privateering, a wartime tactic authorized by congress and financed by men such as robert morris and nathanael greene, proved to be.
Patton, scion of the famed military family, found the whole conflict lacking in drama and palpable grit until he discovered the privateers. To add to this, they issued letters of marque to privately owned, armed merchant ships and commissions for privateers. A pirate, as we all know, is a villain, an outlaw, who cruises the oceans to plunder and kill for booty and, if caught, will dance at the end of a rope. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution patton, robert h. The emergence of loyalist privateering during the american revolution, 17751778, ph. Further into the war jeremiah obrien captured 2 british schooners and it lead george washington to give obrien the 2 later ships to captain. Lol bottom line, thanks to these privateers or private naval companies, we were able to fight the british on the high seas. It covers an aspect of the revolutionary war that i knew little aboutthe use of privateers to acquire war material, influence international opinion, and make congress some much needed money. Patriot pirates is a quick read at 243 paperback pages.
As another seasonal post balladeers blog examines the revolutionary war career of captain jonathan haraden. It was vibrant and had not only fascinating font, but a fascinating title, patriot pirates. Declaring both her ships privateers and no longer pirates, fanny sailed back to massachusettes where she obtained the proper papers commissioning the two ships as. While walking past a shelf in the dar library i spotted the spine of a book that looked interesting. During the course of the war, american privateers sank or captured around 2,000 british ships both naval and merchant and captured almost 12,000 men. Dec 01, 2015 with that as a spark, the raritan bay privateers came to life at the museum.
If max weber was to read this book, he would have crapped nickels. Patton illustrates how patriotism and business came together in the privateers. In addition, the privateers became pawns in the political and diplomatic machinations of benjamin franklin. The book covers the entire war from boston to yorktown. Privateers of the revolution massachusetts society. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution 320. Patriot pirates highlights the obscure but pivotal role played by colonial privateers in defeating. An illuminating look at an underappreciated chapter of the revolutionary war. Patriot pirates highlights the obscure but pivotal role played by colonial privateers in defeating britain in the american revolution. Tag privateers during the american revolutionary war. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution presents the story of americas seaborne insurgency against british merchant ships and navy. Privateers of the revolutionary war part 1 new jersey.
This would be an interesting topic on its own, but is not what is promised by the publisher nor patton. Patriot pirates is not a history of privateering in the revolutionary war. When the american colonies declared their independence from great britain, the infant nation was in no position to defy british rule of the seas. During the american revolutionary war, the continental congress, and some state governments on their own initiative, issued privateering licenses, authorizing legal piracy, to merchant captains in an effort to take prizes from the british navy and tory loyalist privateers. Patton presents his historical interpretation of the events in an academic yet narrative manner that makes this bo i read this book, patriot pirates as an introduction to the topic of american privateering. A privateer, however, is a paid mercenary, licensed by a government to lawfully plunder and kill his enemies during times of war and, if caught, will end up as a. Patriot pirates could have been an excellent book with some editing, and an organizational structure. Jun 27, 2008 the unlikely role of patriot pirates privateers plundered british ships and made fortunes, to boot.
Essentially legalized pirates, these revolutionary privateers carried congressional commissions that forbade attacks on neutral shipping and the mistreatment of captives but otherwise gave them free reign to rob and plunder. The privateer war for freedom and fortune in the american revolution from the worlds largest community of readers. After two years on board that vessel, by the summer of 1778 captain. Jun 23, 2011 another drawback was the cold hard fact that todays ally may well be tomorrows enemy. That would require a far wider net than patton is willing to cast. Robert h patton a revelation of americas war of independence, a sweeping tale of maritime rebelentrepreneurs bent on personal profit as well as national freedom. After the condition of the ship continued to deteriorate, the british changed the purpose of the ship again and housed captured privateers below deck.
What for the privateers was a necessary guerrillastyle of naval battle was, in the british view, an unmanly way of fighting. When i came across the story of fanny campbell, i thought to myself, now this is the stuff of great romantic fiction. Fanny campbell revolutionary war pirate or privateer. Derby, phd, aptly describes the privateers discussed in the book as those who combined patriotism with profit page 8. A personal history of an american family turns his attention to an often overlooked aspect of the revolutionary war.
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