Plan B Forum

During the revolutionary war we commissioned a navy of privateers [see the document below] who, because our ships, crews, and captains were superior to the British, were able to prey at will on shipping leaving the English Channel for the open ocean. Ships were taken at will and sold in French harbors to the great profit of us and protracted losses of the English merchants (who sometimes bought their own ships right back from the French). The growing clamor in Parliament to end the war with the Americans was voiced by this group whose trade with the rest of the world was being upset. Appeals to greed, I mean self-interest, are just so reliable a motivator.


http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/ar ... tml#013301

Letter of Marque and Reprisal:
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The Congress of the United States of America
To all to whom these Presents come sent GREETING

KNOW YE

That we have granted, and by these presents do grant licence and authority to [name of captain], Mariner, Commander of the [kind of vessel] called the [vessel’s name] of the burthen of [number] tons or thereabouts, belonging to [name of owner] mounting [number] carriage guns and navigated by [number] men to fit out and set forth the said [kind of vessel] in a warlike manner, and by and with the said [kind of vessel] and the officers and crew thereof, by force of arms, to attack, subdue, seize and and take all ships and other vessels, goods, wares and merchandizes, belonging to the Crown of Great Britain, or any of the Subjects thereof (except the ships or vessels together with their cargoes belonging to any Inhabitant or Inhabitants of Bermuda, and such other ships or vessels bringing persons, with the intent to settle within any of the said United States, which ships or vessels you shall suffer to pass unmolested, the Masters thereof permitting a peaceable search, and giving satisfactory information of the lading and their destination) or any other ships or vessels, goods, wares or merchandizes to whomsoever belonging, are or shall be declared to be the Subjects of capture by any Resolutions of CONGRESS, or which are so deemed by the LAW OF NATIONS: And the said ships or vessels, goods, wares and merchandizes so apprehended as aforesaid, and as prize taken, to bring into Port, in order that the proceedings may be had concerning such captures, in due Form of Law, and as to Right and Justice appertaineth. And we request all Kings, Princes, States and Potentates, being in Friendship or Alliance with the said United States, and others to whom it may appertain to give the same [name of captain] all aid, assistance and succor in their Ports, with this said vessel, company and prizes. WE, in the name and on the behalf of the Good People of the said United States, engaging to do the like to all Subjects of such Kings, Princes, States and Potentates, who shall come into any Port of the said United States; and We will and require all our officers whatsoever, to give to the said [name of captain] all necessary aid, succor and assistance in the premises. This Commission shall continue in force during the pleasure of the CONGRESS, and no longer.

IN TESTIMONY whereof, We have caused the Seal of the ADMIRALTY of the United States to be affixed hereunto.

WITNESS His Excellency [name] Esquire, President of the CONGRESS of the United States of America, at [city] this [ordinal number] day of [month] in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and [number] and in the [ordinal number] year of our Independence.

[signed]

[sealed]
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yrs,
rubato

Our ships were the best because we had the best materials. By that point all of the most accessible forests of Europe had been cut down and re-grown multiple times so that the old-growth trees big enough to make good mainmasts and hulls were rare. Our crews were the best because they were all volunteers and freemen rather than conscripts from press gangs. They were healthier and better-treated because captains wanted to keep good crew and could not use abuse to do so. And our Captains were the best because they were Americans.

http://law.wlu.edu/deptimages/Law%20Rev ... 2Young.pdf
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902 66 WASH. & LEE L. REV. 895 (2009)
B. Letters of Marque and Reprisal in the United States
1. The Revolutionary War
In stark contrast to the wealth and military power of Europe during the
eighteenth century, America’s thirteen colonies possessed little in the way of
financial resources or naval might during the Revolutionary War.39 The use of
privateers allowed the fledgling nation to supplement its small navy and do a
great deal of harm to British commerce.40 During the Revolutionary War,
America had just sixty-four ships in its official navy41 and commissioned only
twenty-two "men of war" during the conflict.42 In contrast, the federal and state
governments commissioned around 2,000 privateers during the War.43 The
tally of captured ships was likewise dominated by the privateering vessels:
3,087 ships captured by privateers compared to 200 ships captured by
American government warships.44 American privateers seized an estimated
$10 million in British property, which would amount to between $100 and
$200 million in 2003 dollars.45 Privateers also hindered already depressed
British manpower reserves by capturing thousands of British seamen.46 Finally,
the loss of commerce coupled with reports of American privateers in British
Waters—including the English Channel—depressed the morale of the British
public.

The privateers of the American Revolution did not sail for private redress
or to protect merchant lanes.48 Instead, these privateers sailed for the profits
they would receive by capturing and selling goods.49 The profits in privateering
were potentially enormous.50 In addition to benefiting the privateers, the
capture of British ships provided crucial aid to the struggling Continental Army
by supplying it with weapons and ammunition captured by the privateers.51
Privateering afforded benefits to the American public as well. Every time a
privateer sold a captured ship’s goods in America, the British blockade was in a
sense broken by British goods.52 Furthermore, rare goods not often seen in the
colonies under normal circumstances were available for purchase by the public
if captured in a British vessel.53 These factors would often provide a boost to
local economies weakened by isolation and blockades.54
While the commercial impact of the American privateers was substantial,
there was only limited privateer involvement in traditional military
operations—though this was likely a result of practical circumstances rather
than legal design. Sailing for profit necessitated the targeting of ships that
carried valuable cargo, and one could expect to find more cargo and fewer guns
aboard a merchant vessel than a warship. Because the privateers outfitted their
... "
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