History of the American privateers and letters-of-marque during our war with England in the years 1812, '13 and ' 14. Interspersed with several naval battles between American and British ships-of-war This book, "History of the American privateers," by George Coggeshall, is a replication of a book originally published before 1856. It has been restored by human beings, page by page, so that you may enjoy it in a form as close to the original as possible.

Head examines raids on Spanish shipping conducted from the United States during the early 1800s. Because privateering further complicated international dealings during the already tumultuous Age of Revolution, this study offers a new perspective on the diplomatic and Atlantic history of the early American republic.

An 1899 account of the role of privateers in winning the American War of Independence and building the American Navy.

During the American War of Independence (1775–83), Congress issued almost 800 letters of marque, as a way of combating Britain's overwhelming naval and mercantile superiority. At first, it was only fishermen and the skippers of small merchant ships who turned to privateering, with mixed results. Eventually though, American shipyards began to turn out specially-converted ships, while later still, the first purpose-built privateers entered the fray. These American privateers seized more than 600 British merchant ships over the course of the war, capturing thousands of British seamen. Indeed, Jeremiah O'Brien's privateer Unity fought the first sea engagement of the Revolutionary War in the Battle of Machias of 1775, managing to capture a British armed schooner with just 40 men, their guns, axes and pitchforks, and the words 'Surrender to America'. By the end of the war, some of the largest American privateers could venture as far as the British Isles, and were more powerful than most contemporary warships in the fledgling US Navy. A small number of Loyalist privateers also put to sea during the war, and preyed on the shipping of their rebel countrymen. Packed with fascinating insights into the age of privateers, this book traces the development of these remarkable ships, and explains how they made such a significant contribution to the American Revolutionary War.