History Main / Privateer

* Since it was written in the 18th century, the U.S. Constitution provides for the issuing of Letters of Marque by Congress, right next to the section that gives Congress the power to declare war. A quick search [[http://www.constitution.org/mil/lmr/lmr.htm shows]] that Congress exercised this power during the War of 1812, and the last U.S. craft alleged to operate under a Letter of Marque was the Goodyear blimp ''Resolute'', which engaged in anti-submarine patrols in 1941 and 1942 (in reality, the Congress never issued such an authorization). It's been proposed that the United States issue Letters of Marque in response to the September 11, 2001, attack. While the practice has been forsworn by nations signatory to the Paris Declaration of 1856, the U.S. is not a signatory (issuing Letters of Marque is an enumerated power of Congress, it would take a Constitutional Amendment to remove it), but has abided by the provisions anyway. Once countries could afford adequate full-time navies, privateers became unnecessary.
** After the 9/11 terrorist attacks Congressman Ron Paul proposed that the best response would be to issue Letters of Marque to PrivateMilitaryContractors, permitting them to go after Bin Laden and his henchmen in exchange for a sizable bounty. Although nothing came out of it.
* During the early days of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, the Confederacy issued several letters of marque. This made sense as they had very little in the way of a proper navy, and most shipyards, along with all the factories that could produce cannons and steam engines, were in the North. Since the Confederacy wasn't ''officially'' recognized as a nation by any of the European powers and was of course considered an illegal rebellion by the United States, the legal validity of these letters of marque were dubious and thus Confederate privateers had very real reason to fear being treated as pirates if they were caught.
* Admiral Sir Henry Morgan was one of the most famous privateers. (Made all the more famous in modern times as [[CaptainMorganPose a brand of rum]]...)
** Morgan really pushed the limits of what a privateer was allowed to do. Of special note is him leading the assaults on Porto Bello and Panama City, the 3rd and 2nd largest cities in New World Spain at the time (this by the way is what got him knighted).
*** Notably, Panama City was considered unassailable by the Caribbean pirates because it was on the Pacific side, instead of the Atlantic side. Any pirate trying to attack would have to cross the Cape Horn of southern South America, making it a losing proposition. Henry Morgan landed his ships "near" Panama City, directed his pirates to march through the intense, deadly, unforgiving equatorial jungle, and attack the city by land. Panama City had numerous defenders. Henry Morgan won ''anyway'', sacked the city, and marched ''all'' the valuables back to his ship.
** Not just knighted; he was made Lt. Governor of Jamaica. Morgan pretty much held RefugeInAudacity as a code to live by.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven highly powerful pirates who've had their [[PowerLevels bounties]] canceled in exchange for working autonomously on TheGovernment's behalf. They're notoriously hard to control, and some, like [[MagnificentBastard Crocodile]], are/were actively working against the World Government. WordOfGod notes that the Warlords are indeed based off the privateers, and a few, notably Bartholomew Kuma, are inspired directly from them... if in name only.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', Sparrow's former first mate Barbossa has himself become a privateer for Great Britain, having even personally serving King George II. [[spoiler:At least until the end of the film where he takes over Blackbeard's ship]].

* The pirate space ship Bentenmaru in ''LightNovel/BodaciousSpacePirates'' is operating under a letter of marque given to it during space wars.

* At the beginning of ''Anime/BodaciousSpacePirates'', Marika Kato inherits her father's Letter of Marque and command of the ''Bentenmaru,'' one of seven privateers commissioned in a (mostly failed) war of independence. Why the ruling Empire that conquered both parties of that war continues to honour the letter is never made entirely clear, but the ''Bentenmaru'' seems to operate mostly as a cargo vessel that occasionally "raids" passenger liners as a form of entertainment.

-->'''Jacke of the Rogues' Guild''' [[TruthInTelevision aptly describes the concept]], ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV''

* The Chinese militia are employed by the Chinese Government and takes orders from them. Nicknamed "Dark Ships" (because they turn off their AIS transponders to conceal themselves from communications and radar) their activities border on poaching and are responsible for the environmental degradation of oceans due to their illegal actions and are spread in waters outside China.

** His grandson, Ratonhnhaké:ton (aka Connor) of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', also worked as a privateer on occasions on the side of the Colonies during the American Revolution.

* The governments of the Commonwealth in the ''VideoGame/{{X}}-Universe'' offer "police licenses", which act like letters of marque. You're paid a preset bounty for destroying {{space pirate}}s, [[AIIsACrapshoot Xenon]], and [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Kha'ak]], and destroying neutrals or allies costs you the license.

* In ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' "Barrett's Privateers" is the unoffical drinking song of the CORE marines, an international force that started out as (and arguably still are) PrivateMilitaryContractors.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the city-state of Limsa Lominsa was founded as a [[NotSoSafeHarbor pirate haven]] but has since reformed into a more legitimate port city, outlawing piracy in the process. Many bands of pirates nonetheless carry on their trade, now with legal sanction, against ships of the [[TheEmpire Garlean Empire]].

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' Lord Cutler Beckett offers pirate Jack Sparrow a Letter of Marque in exchange for his compass. In a deleted scene, after Norrington delivers Davy Jones' heart to Cutler Beckett, he inquires if he's won commission as a privateer. Beckett had spent most of the film hunting for the compass so he could use it to find the heart. But Norrington just delivered to him his ultimate prize, saving him time and resources. So impressed, Beckett says no... but instead fully reinstates Norrington into the Royal Navy and as a bonus, [[RankUp promoting him to Admiral]].

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' Lord Cutler Beckett offers pirate Jack Sparrow a Letter of Marque in exchange for his compass.
* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnStrangerTides'', Sparrow's former first mate Barbossa has himself become a privateer. [[spoiler:At least until the end of the film where he takes over Blackbeard's ship]].

** The upcoming Nemesis DLC adds more "traditional" privateers which empires can supply with untraceable weapons. Said privateers are nothing more than regular SpacePirates with an outside benefactor supplying them weapons to serve as a [[WeNeedADistraction distraction]] and are hostile to everyone, just like regular pirates...

* The Corsairs of Umbar in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' are a sea-sealing tribe from the most southern parts of Harad who during the War of the Ring gets hired by Sauron to raid the coastal cities of Gondor, as well provide Mordor reinforcements during the siege of Minas Tirith. One of the turning points of the war is when Aragorn and his friends raids the Corsairs, hijacks their ships and uses them to provide reinforcements to the Gondorian and Rohanian defenders instead to their attackers.

* Privateering is a major focus of Creator/MichaelCrichton's novel ''Literature/PirateLatitudes''. One character gets swiftly punished ofr mixing it up with common piracy.

* During the early days of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, the Confederacy issued several letters of marque. This made sense as they had very little in the way of a proper navy, and most shipyards, along with all the factories that could produce cannons and steam engines, were in the North.

* Since it was written in the 18th century, the U.S. Constitution provides for the issuing of Letters of Marque by Congress. A quick search [[http://www.constitution.org/mil/lmr/lmr.htm shows]] that Congress exercised this power during the War of 1812, and the last U.S. craft alleged to operate under a Letter of Marque was the Goodyear blimp ''Resolute'', which engaged in anti-submarine patrols in 1941 and 1942 (in reality, the Congress never issued such an authorization). It's been proposed that the United States issue Letters of Marque in response to the September 11, 2001, attack. While the practice has been forsworn by nations signatory to the Paris Declaration of 1856, the U.S. is not a signatory (issuing Letters of Marque is an enumerated power of Congress, it would take a Constitutional Amendment to remove it), but has abided by the provisions anyway. Once countries could afford adequate full-time navies, privateers became unnecessary.

* During the early days of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, the Confederacy issued several letters of marque.
* Admiral Sir Henry Morgan was one of the most famous privateers. (Made all the more famous in modern times as a brand of rum...)

* At the beginning of ''Anime/BodaciousSpacePirates'', Marika Kato inherits her father's Letter of Marque and command of the ''Bentenmaru,'' one of seven privateers commissioned in a (mostly failed) war of independence. Why the ruling Empire that conquered both parties of that war continues to honour the letter is never made entirely clear, but the ''Bentenmaru'' seems to operate mostly as a cargo vessel that occasionally "raids" passenger liners as a form of entertainment.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** The Seven Warlords of the Sea are seven highly powerful pirates who've had their [[PowerLevels bounties]] canceled in exchange for working autonomously on TheGovernment's behalf. They're notoriously hard to control, and some, like [[MagnificentBastard Crocodile]], are/were actively working against the World Government. WordOfGod notes that the Warlords are indeed based off the privateers, and a few, notably Bartholomew Kuma, are inspired directly from them... if in name only.