- As Patriots authorized privateering against British shipping during the American Revolutionary War for multiple reasons:
- Economic Disruption: Privateering aimed to disrupt British trade and commerce. By capturing British merchant ships, Patriots could weaken the British economy, reduce the flow of goods to the British military and its supporters in the colonies, and increase pressure for a favorable peace settlement.
- Financial Gain: Privateering offered an opportunity for financial gain for individuals and groups who engaged in it. Captured ships and their cargoes could be sold for profit, and privateers were entitled to a share of the value of their prizes. The prospect of financial rewards attracted many people to take up privateering.
- Defensive Measures: Privateering also served as a defensive measure against the British naval blockade. By targeting British shipping, Patriots could hinder the British ability to transport troops, supplies, and munitions to America and protect American coastal communities and shipping routes from British attacks.
- Patriot Cause: Engaging in privateering was seen as a way to actively support the Patriot cause and contribute to the struggle for independence. Many Patriots believed that privateering was a legitimate and necessary means of resisting British authority and achieving their political and military objectives.
- Letters of Marque: Patriots obtained Letters of Marque from state governments or the Continental Congress, which authorized them to engage in privateering under certain conditions. These Letters of Marque helped regulate privateering activities, established rules of engagement, and protected privateers from being treated as pirates by the British.
- International Support: Some foreign powers, such as France, and the Netherlands, supported American privateering efforts. They saw it as a way to weaken their mutual adversary, Great Britain, and further their own political and economic interests.