3 ms·

Pirates endorsed as agents of a sovereign nation were known as privateers, not pirates.

• Tichy 15y ago
  OK, didn't know that. Or maybe most pirates tried to be privateers as often as possible, but if no empire endorsing was at hand, they reverted to just being pirates?
• iand 15y ago
  One country's privateer was another country's pirate. Drake was given letters of marque by the english monarch to raid the spanish around south america.
  • shithead 15y ago
    The British empire has the distinction of being the first founded on systematic piracy.
    • iand 15y ago
      Oh I don't think we were the first :) But we perfected it.