Insurgent Privateers

By Crusader1307

''Insurgent Privateers'' were a form of ''Pirate Raiders'' which saw predominate usage during two major conflicts. The first, was during The War of 1812 – between The United States and Great Britain. While England could sail a larger and better quipped Naval Force, The US augmented their smaller Navy with ''Legal Privateers''. These were Commercial Shipping (Merchant and otherwise), that were armed and acted as Naval Warships, often having a more successful chance at engaging and winning against an Enemy. If outgunned, such Ships were smaller and fast enough to outrun a pursuing Foe. England called these American Ships ''Insurgent Privateers''. Capture of which was an immediate ''death sentence'', with England citing ''International Piracy''.

Later, when The Spanish Empire was slowly losing it's control in The Caribbean and South America, many of those Coastal Counties produced their own ''Insurgent Privateering'' Fleets. These Ships specifically preyed on Spanish Merchant Ships, depriving them of foods and materials. This was a particularly effective tactic, starting in 1807 and continuing as long at the 1860s.