Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution

by Eric Jay Dolin

Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award
A Massachusetts Center for the Book "Must-Read"
Finalist for the New England Society Book Award
Finalist for the Boston Authors Club Julia Ward Howe Book Award The bestselling author of Black Flags, Blue Waters reclaims the daring freelance sailors who proved essential to the winning of the Revolutionary War. The heroic story of the founding of the U.S. Navy during the Revolution has been told many times, yet largely missing from maritime histories of America’s first war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels that truly revealed the new nation’s character―above all, its ambition and entrepreneurial ethos. In Rebels at Sea , best-selling historian Eric Jay Dolin corrects that significant omission, and contends that privateers, as they were called, were in fact critical to the American victory. Privateers were privately owned vessels, mostly refitted merchant ships, that were granted permission by the new government to seize British merchantmen and men of war. As Dolin stirringly demonstrates, at a time when the young Continental Navy numbered no more than about sixty vessels all told, privateers rushed to fill the gaps. Nearly 2,000 set sail over the course of the war, with tens of thousands of Americans serving on them and capturing some 1,800 British ships. Privateers came in all shapes and sizes, from twenty-five foot long whaleboats to full-rigged ships more than 100 feet long. Bristling with cannons, swivel guns, muskets, and pikes, they tormented their foes on the broad Atlantic and in bays and harbors on both sides of the ocean. The men who owned the ships, as well as their captains and crew, would divide the profits of a successful cruise―and suffer all the more if their ship was captured or sunk, with privateersmen facing hellish conditions on British prison hulks, where they were treated not as enemy combatants but as pirates. Some Americans viewed them similarly, as cynical opportunists whose only aim was loot. Yet Dolin shows that privateersmen were as patriotic as their fellow Americans, and moreover that they greatly contributed to the war’s diverting critical British resources to protecting their shipping, playing a key role in bringing France into the war on the side of the United States, providing much-needed supplies at home, and bolstering the new nation’s confidence that it might actually defeat the most powerful military force in the world. Creating an entirely new pantheon of Revolutionary heroes, Dolin reclaims such forgotten privateersmen as Captain Jonathan Haraden and Offin Boardman, putting their exploits, and sacrifices, at the very center of the conflict. Abounding in tales of daring maneuvers and deadly encounters, Rebels at Sea presents this nation’s first war as we have rarely seen it before. 105 illustrations, 8 pages of full-color illustrations

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, Historical, War

344 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2022

About the author

I grew up near the coasts of New York and Connecticut, and since an early age I was fascinated by the natural world, especially the ocean. I spent many days wandering the beaches on the edge of Long Island Sound and the Atlantic, collecting seashells and exploring tidepools. When I left for college I wanted to become a marine biologist or more specifically a malacologist (seashell scientist). At Brown University I quickly realized that although I loved learning about science, I wasn't cut out for a career in science, mainly because I wasn't very good in the lab, and I didn't particularly enjoy reading or writing scientific research papers. So, after taking a year off and exploring a range of career options, I shifted course turning toward the field of environmental policy, first earning a double-major in biology and environmental studies, then getting a masters degree in environmental management from Yale, and a Ph.D. in environmental policy and planning from MIT, where my dissertation focused on the role of the courts in the cleanup of Boston Harbor.

I have held a variety of jobs, including stints as a fisheries policy analyst at the National Marine Fisheries Service, a program manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an environmental consultant stateside and in London, an American Association for the Advancement of Science writing fellow at Business Week, a curatorial assistant in the Mollusk Department at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, and an intern at the National Wildlife Federation, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, and the U.S. Senate.

Throughout my career, one thing remained constant--I enjoyed writing and telling stories. And that's why I started writing books--to share the stories that I find most intriguing (I have also published more than 60 articles for magazines, newspapers, and professional journals). My most recent books include:

***A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes (Liveright, 2020), which was chosen by:

The Washington Post -- One of 50 Notable works of Nonfiction for 2020

Library Journal -- One of the Best Science & Technology Books of 2020
​
Kirkus Reviews -- One of the top 100 nonfiction books of 2020 (it was also a finalist for the Kirkus Prize)
​
Booklist -- 10 Top Sci-Tech Books of 2020
​
Amazon.com -- One of the Best Science Books of 2020

And also was an Editor's Choice by the New York Times Book Review.

New York Times -- Editor's Choice

***Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates (Liveright, 2018), which was chosen as a "Must-Read" book for 2019 by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and was a finalist for the 2019 Julia Ward Howe Award given by the Boston Author's Club.

***Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse (Liveright, 2016), which was chosen by gCaptain and Classic Boat as one of the best nautical books of 2016.

***When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail (Liveright, September 2012), which was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the ten best non-fiction books of Fall 2012.

***Fur, Fortune, and Empire: the Epic History of the Fur Trade in America (W. W. Norton, 2010), a national bestseller, which was chosen by New West, The Seattle Times, and The Rocky Mountain Land Library as one of the top non-fiction books of 2010. It also won the 2011 James P. Hanlan Book Award, given by the New England Historical Association, and was awarded first place in the Outdoor Writers Association of America, Excellence in Craft Contest.

***Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America (W. W. Norton, 2007), which was selected as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Providence Journal. Leviathan was also chosen by Amazon.com's editors as one of the 10 best history books of 2007. Leviathan garnered the the 23rd annual (2007) L. Byrne Waterman

Reviews

[Michael Schramm · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third by Eric Jay Dolin, being less engaging for me than “Left For Dead” and especially “Leviathan”. One of the issues I had was with how the chapters seemed to lack cohesion, being somewhat haphazardly assembled.

While there is a bit too much emphasis on “blow by blow” recounting of specific engagements with Colonial privateer merchantmen vessels and British ships, there are some fascinating snippets on the truly tragic conditions faced by American prisoners held on makeshift British ships. The passages here are downright disheartening and harrowing in the conditions described.

One interesting factoid that will stay with me for some time is how the naval engagement by the British Navy on the Penobscot expedition in Maine became the most devastating naval defeat the US endured up until the 12/7/41 attack on Pearl Harbor.

[David Eppenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book thanks to the review of a GR friend, thanks John, and it lived up to my expectations. While I have read quite a bit of our Revolutionary history which included references to American privateering none of them really addressed this facet of the conflict. This author does an admirable job of correcting that omission. While this book isn't a page-turner so any readers that are fans of the the Age of Fighting Sail genre will probably be disappointed but what it does do is inform the reader of the world of privateering in the late 18th century. I knew a good deal about privateering thanks to my reading but this book really put privateering in perspective regarding its value to the American cause. Clearly American leadership understood that the Achilles Heal of Britain was her commercial interests abroad. Without her very profitable trading England would have never become the behemoth of the seas that she became. So instead of attempting the futile act of attacking England's Navy the Americans focused on harassing her merchant shipping and the ships of those that traded with her. What this book makes clear is just how successful the Americans were at disrupting England's trade. What is also clear is that this disruption caused grief to British merchants who in turn gave the government even more grief not to mention lower revenue for government coffers. The privateers were probably the most consistently successful facet of the American Revolution and without them the Revolution either would have failed or gone on much longer before ultimately failing. This is a history worth reading and understanding. It is also a shame that history hasn't rewarded the people involved in privateering but the author also discusses how dimly privateering was viewed inspite of its value. The issue was war for patriotism vs war for profit. One was considered honorable while the other not so much. Enjoy.

[John Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy and often exciting read on a subject I knew little of. I have read much on the history of the Revolutionary War and sometimes came across references to privateering. This book was a new revelation on the subject of privateering and its impact on the revolution. The author, Eric Dolin did a great job on researching the material.

The Continental Congress could not afford more than a small navy while a few states created their own navies. However, with a system of Letters of Marque issued by congress and the states, fleets of privateers were created. Merchant ships otherwise blockaded in harbor by British war ships were now armed by the owners and investors and authorized to pursue British merchant vessels to seize their vessels and cargos. The value of these captured (prize ships) were shared among the owners and the crew, A type of legal piracy also practiced by the British and later the French. Patriotism alone may not have been the main motive of these seamen.

Privateers may not have won the war, but they played a vital role in supplying much needed food and other supplies at home especially captured weapons, canons and powder for George Washinton's Army. For lovers of sea battles there are a great many described here. Many captured prize vessels were recaptured before making it to port.

If interested in the history of lighthouses I recommend, "Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse", also by Eric Jay Dolin.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars. Well written and appears to be researched in some detail. Author Eric Dolin presents a chapter of the revolutionary war that's very seldom covered in standard history in "Rebels at Sea". From this account, it sure seems like American Privateers played a significant role in the success of the Revolutionary War. My one qualm with the book is that I think Dolin may be more enamored with the exploits and noble motives of privateers than common sense suggests. I have a very hard time in placing patriotism near the top of the motives of these folks. Greed and excitement yes, noble pursuit no.

[Branden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep dive into all things privateering during the American Revolution and after. Really interesting and crammed full of detail and facts. We often learn about the Revolution as it was fought on land or in the politicking, so this was a fun change of pace.

[Bon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the audiobook. Interesting, niche material, but the narration was just not it for me.

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Chapters were broken into different aspects of privateering, instead of a timeline of privateering in America, which really broke up the flow of events.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, well-researched and readable work.

Dolin notes how many American privateers operated as far as the North Sea, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, (where they raided ships of the neutral Mughal empire). He also notes the involvement of Washington, Franklin, John Adams, Robert Morris, Nathaniel Greene, Paul Revere, and Henry Knox in promoting and investing in these ventures. Dolin argues that privateers had a bigger impact than the small, expensive, and often unsuccessful Continental Navy, and that they played a key role in Britain’s defeat by dispersing British naval forces, wreaking havoc with maritime insurance rates, sustaining the economies of the American colonies (who were under British blockade, though not en entirely effective one) and contributing to French intervention. He also covers Congress's authorization of privateering on March 23, 1776, which many viewed as a virtual declaration of independence, and how many Americans turned to privateering because of British restrictions on American maritime commerce.

Dolin estimates that American privateers captured at least $1.6 billion worth of British shipping. Many Americans viewed them as greedy, while the British, of course, viewed them as pirates. He also covers the role of French and Spanish privateers once those nations entered the war, and the story of British privateers, who often found themselves having to recapture ships that the Americans had already seized. Dolin also notes the Caribbean-bound slaves captured by privateers, who were often sold in America, causing further damage to Britain’s economy.

The narrative is thoughtful, elegant and colorful, if a bit hagiographic. Dolin does a good job balancing the big picture of the war with the lively stories of individuals, in straightforward and engaging prose. However, given how independent these privateers were, and how many of them there were, the book is pretty episodic. Some readers may be bored by the details of machinations in the Continental Congress. The epilogue also includes a print of an American privateer battling British ships, even though the event depicted is from the War of 1812. At one point Nicholas Broughton is called “Nicholson.”

A clear, informative and insightful work.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

American privateers are the subject of this book. It’s a can’t miss prospect.

Eric Jay Dolin is once again doing what he does best. He takes a very big idea and distills it down for anyone to access the amazing aspects of the subject. You want to hear about funny boat names? He’s got you covered. You want to hear about how the British were sadistic scum in handling American prisoners? Oh, plenty of that.

I don’t want to undersell how hard it is. The American Revolution and the people in it leave so much to go over. Very often, these types of books meander about and tell you stories only the author finds interesting. Dolin tells you the stories you need to hear, want to hear, and gets to the next point.

[Michael Astfalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The battles of the Revolution were fought on land, but liberty was won at sea”. Rebels at Sea will have you singing a similar tune as it takes you through the largely unknown importance and reality of privateering during America’s founding moments. I found the book to be both informative and entertaining and was surprised to see how privateering was woven into the very fabric of the Revolution. Rebels at Sea manages to depict not only the grander scale of the war, but also shows the lives of the men manning the privateers at their best and worst moments. Rebels at Sea is a great book concerning in my opinion an extremely interesting and underrated component of the Revolution and American history as a whole and I would highly recommend it to those interested.

[Lise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is very easy to read and has many wonderful old illustrations. Besides that, it is well researched, with lots of original sources. Thanks to the footnotes, I was able to locate a source that had four privateer bonds signed by my ancestor. The ship he captained was captured and taken to Bermuda. He apparently died there and the discussion of Bermudan privateers and American prisoners of war there was much appreciated.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at one of the less known aspects of the American Revolution.

[Aeryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good coverage on a part of the revolutionary war that’s hardly touched on in school.

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent overview about privateering in the American Revolution, which is a topic I've honestly never read about before this book. The author goes into great detail about what privateers did exactly, who they were (often skilled sailors who wanted a chance to earn some money while serving in some way for their new country), and who they were not (pirates, although I've tagged this as pirates non-fiction just because pirates ARE occasionally mentioned, and some privateers veered into pirate territory).

The author makes an excellent case about how privateers positively affected the Revolution for America and how they disrupted British trade. There was also a discussion about what could happen to privateers when they were captured (hellish prison conditions or impressment into the British Navy), and how privateering's last hurrah happened (during the American Civil War, and with hardly any success).

Recommended in particular for people who are interested in the American Revolutionary War but are looking for something a little bit off the beaten path, or for people who love maritime history.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a lot though it wasn't the adventure I expected. For example, I hadn't realized that the British had essentially blockaded the U.S. coast and prevented shipping, thus putting the entire industry of shipping out of work and throwing the supply chain into tatters. With no navy, it made sense to let the ship owners and merchant sailors serve as a navy and new supply chain by allowing privateering. By harassing and stealing British shipping, the privateers brought in ships and supplies for use by the rebel nation, a brilliant win win for a nation with no Treasury.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, interesting history that I was previously completely unaware of. The information presented is a key piece to understanding the history of the US, the US Navy, the Revolutionary War, the economy of the late 1700s, and concurrent and related events in Western Europe.

[John McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, I had lunch with a good friend, a retired US Marine Corp Colonel who obtained a Masters' Degree from the University of San Diego while serving with the Marines in San Diego. His Masters' dissertation, he told me, argued for the absence of a U.S. Navy during the Revolutionary War and that the decision not to create and fund a US Navy until late in the Revolution may have been one of the best command decisions made by those directing the American colonists' military effort during the War. The conversation turned to the Revolution's Continental Congress issuance of Letters of Marque and Reprisal and the phenomenon known as 'privateering', the issuance of an official commission to private owners of seagoing vessels to overtake and capture enemy ships and ships' cargoes. I told my friend about my own research for an attorney who had written a number of volumes about the Law of the Sea and how I remembered reading with interest so many of the revolutionary and pre-revolution war cases, such as (this is the caption of case reported in the earliest official volumes of cases decided by the federal Admiralty Courts, as was), "In Re 77 Bales of Cotton.") Later, Colonel Blanchard sent me The Naval Documents of the American Revolution from San Diego's USMC library in digital form, replete with maps and drawings as well as documents of the Revolution.

Three days after having lunch with 'the Colonel', my name for my buddy, the Wall Street Journal published an essay reviewing Eric Jay Dolin's "Rebels at Sea", detailing how privateers (to be distinguished from pirates) were granted Letters of Marque and Reprisal by the Continental Congress and even by some States like Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey to confront in battle and capture British prizes of hulk and cargo, bring them back to the US where Admiralty Courts would decide the legality of the capture and division of cargo. Coincidence? Who knows.

The book details how the issuance of the Letters of Marque to willing investors and/or owners of vessels was the best option to substitute for a naval force, but also how the promise of riches to the captors placed serious obstacles in the way of recruiting soldiers, careful to distinguish 'privateering' (an official act of government) from piracy on the high seas. In story after story, Dolan describes how this official substitute for a US Navy contributed to America's limited but extremely important success on the outcome of the War.

The book is quite interesting and even (dare I say it) fun to read. There are maps, reproductions of engravings of frigates, both US and British, able seamen, and other graphic displays. There are story after story about battles and captures. There is one particular story detailing how Benjamin Franklin (who I now call the Father of the Letter of Marque) and his son were on board as an American privateer confronted a British frigate.

The book contains historical facts related to the history of privateering that I somehow either overlooked or were hidden from my knowledge of Revolutionary War history. Ben Franklin, for example, encouraged the Continental Congress and the newly formed US Congress to issue signed Letters of Marque for Franklin to issue as he saw fit. I found this to be a sign of confidence in Franklin's judgment and authority that may not have been rivaled by American generals of the period. The British Ambassador to France even complained in an official communication to his masters in London that "Franklin is come with his pocket full of letters of marque, and . . . his intention is to engage French ships [and sailors and landsmen] . . . by putting an American or two on board, and giving letters of marque, try to make these vessels pass for American Privateers." (page 97). When I read this, I understood exactly why the Founders placed such confidence in Franklin and more particularly, Franklin's ingenuity and skill. Franklin didn't give up his involvement in issuing the letter of marque and privateering until 1780.

Another: The French, the Dutch, the Danes, and Spain all opened the ports of their Caribbean colonies to American privateers. On November 16, 1776, a US brig flying the colors of the newly minted United States and bearing a privateering Commission, the Andrea Doria, sailed into Fort Orange's port, the main harbor of Sint Eustatius, a Dutch island colony, saluting the island with cannon fire the ritual naval salute, the guns in Fort Orange responded in welcome. Thus, the Dutch at Sint (or Sainte Eustatius) became the first government to recognize and acknowledge the new United States of America as a sovereign nation with all rights and emoluments to which such nations are entitled. [France actually did not enter into the treaty which recognized American independence until after the Battle of Saratoga where American General Horatio Gates defeated the British contingent under the command of General John Burgoyne on October 17, 1777. At that time, the British held the cities of New York and Philadelphia, and one of Franklin's letters from France asked, "Sir, is Philadephia taken" to which the reply came, "Yes, sir . . . But, sir, I have great news . . ." (page 107).

Then, there is the story of James Forten, a story told with admiration and love by the author. Forten was a 10-year-old black male, son of a free black mother in Philadelphia, when he heard a speech given in which the speaker recanted the words of the Declaration of Independence about the rights of every man to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." He went to sea, was captured at sea and then given the choice by the British commander to be sent to the prison ship Jersey or return to England as a companion for the commander's son. James, who had befriended the commander's on board as the British ship sailed toward New York, is reported to have said, "I am here a prisoner for the liberties of my country. I never, never shall prove a traitor to her interests." (pages 154 to 157).

There was an official US Navy but their commissions were limited to capturing the hulls of vessels and those British sailors who manned them. Non-naval privateers could be issued letters of marque which permitted captures of both the hull and the cargo which would then be taken back to a port where a Court of Admiralty (then a separate legal jurisdiction now subsumed in the laws which give jurisdiction to US District Court to decide petitions where acts upon the sea are "libeled', or claim in a filed petition for relief.

This book is well-written with the author's genuine interest in the story he tells, those stories so captivating, and the general reporting so well-done that the reader will never forget the importance that privateering played in the American Revolution. I am so glad I happened to have had that conversation with my good friend, and then, just days later to have read the book review in the Wall Street Journal.

The author, I think, must be a good guy, too. He spends a couple pages thanking all the librarians who assisted him in his research (some of it during the Pandemic phase) and his research helpers. Librarians are often overlooked in the Acknowledgment pages, even though in my estimation, there is not an historian or writer of non-fiction who could get by without the Librarians at libraries, big and small, known and not known at all. This simple gesture told me the author is both thorough and cognizant that no work gets done without help from others.

[Michael Dean Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eric Jay Dolan outdistances others in his comprehensive overview of the new republic’s use of privateers during the American Revolution.

While chapters 2, 3, and 4 could use some editing with more of the flavor of later chapters, those interested will find his 2022 study a useful complement to Underwriters of the United States, which covers international-insurance coverage during the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

In the Epilogue, Dolan adds a useful summary of the War of 1812 and Confederate privateers during the Civil War. After the Civil War, the USA agreed to abide by the Paris protocols, although without signing them, and to refrain from issuing letters of mark and reprisal henceforth. It seems, the navy had begun its expansion and no longer had use for private navies, although it should be noted a merchant marine and a Coast Guard emerged during the twentieth century. My grandfather served during WWII in the merchant marine and received benefits under the GI Bill.

For those interested in the history of Maine, take note of the British Invasion during the Revolution and the fiasco of the worst naval defeat until Perl Harbor. BTW, my father was on the U.S. Tennessee at Perl Harbor, although onshore that morning.

Although not in Dolan’s Rebels at SEa, Hancock Co, Maine, was occupied during the War of 1812 and was the last area to be returned after the war ended. Dark Shadows fans of the fictional Collin’s family, take note, both Joshua Collins and his cousin/adopted son, Daniel, each had to cope with the county being occupied, while continuing to play resistance roles expected by Collins-family traditions. Dolan offers rich material for historical fiction to explore.

Overall, an enthusiastic ***** forRebels At Sea by Michael Jay Dolan!

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not riveting reading, but interesting. I hadn't really given much thought to the role of privateers in the American Revolution (was more aware of them during the Civil War, even though they were just a speck in the ointment). Privateers were essentially a free navy for Congress, since they were privately financed. They impacted the war less by going after British navy ships than by going after British merchant ships, playing havoc with the British economy, securing badly needed goods for the revolutionaries, and inducing ship owners back in England to lobby for ending the war.

Some privateers got carried away and attacked American or Canadian communities. Nova Scotia could have been a 14th state; they were sympathetic to us and likely to merge with the new nation until some privateers attacked Novia Scotian ships and terrorized and pillaged local communities.

When most countries rejected the whole concept of privateers, with 55 nations signing onto the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law, the US refused to sign. Because --- well, we might need them in the future! A footnote in the book says "In recent decades, the idea of bringing back privateering in the United States has been floated - to deal with terrorists or nonstate belligerents, even to counter China's growing military power, by attacking their large merchant fleet, thereby threatening the country's economy and destabilizing the Communist Party." Heaven help us if that idea comes to fruition.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via GoodReads Giveaway.

This presented a very fact based yet easy to read detail of a side of the American Revolution that I hadn't heard about before. Whereas I imagined privateers as pirates who have the blessing of the state (a common view, I think), this book argues that they were often men just as patriotic as regular soldiers, and ones who played a fundamental part in the war. I think the author probably swings too far and paints the vast majority as patriots and ignores the fact it was probably much more a spectrum of good men and scoundrels - but so with most any group, including the regular forces, and that doesn't mean they didn't serve a vital purpose to the States.

This is a good read for those who are interested in either this era of naval history, or the American Revolution.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give this one 3.5 stars. I love learning about the Revolutionary War and was surprised to find out that I knew next to nothing about “privateering” during that time. So I really enjoyed that Rebels at Sea approached the war from a very different angle and perspective.

This was truly a history book though and I think I came into it thinking it might read more like fiction. It also got a bit repetitive after a while because a lot of the stories of privateers were similar. Still a fun read with great research and lots of new info. Glad I picked it up!

[Steven Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can definitely tell this book is not written for academics. Not necessarily a criticism— in fact, I think it is quite important to write history books that are not aimed at those within the field. However, now it is not what I am used to reading.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the Goodreads giveaway contest. If you like non-fiction History, you must read this book. What we learned in our school History classes about the American Revolution and the sea battles that were fought, didn’t even touch what the author, Eric Dolin, researched and wrote in his book. What we all learned about Privateers, or what we were told were pirates, actually was another chapter in the American Revolution, who helped win our Nation’s freedom against the British. Better than sitting in a classroom, listening what your teacher is supposed to teach, this book talks about the Bravery our seafaring people that helped secure our freedom and started the first Navy in our Nation. A must read book for those who wants to learn about how our U.S. Navy began.

[James Piss · Rating 5 out of 5]

fake. didn;t happen

[Christopher Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Paul Revere’s ride to the surrender at Yorktown, we absorb so much about the American Revolution starting from our grade-school years that you might think there’s little new left to learn. Rebels at Sea, however, opened my eyes to a band of unsung sailors who proved critical to the American victory—privateers. Lacking any semblance of a formal navy that could compare to the world’s preeminent maritime power, the Continental Congress commissioned a motley fleet of private vessels to wreak havoc on British shipping. Rebels at Sea tells the stories of those privateers, who were motivated by both capitalism and patriotism, as well as the involvement of notables such as Washington, Franklin, and John Adams. I was most fascinated by Dolin’s descriptions of the daring prison breaks staged by privateers incarcerated in England as well as the terrible conditions suffered by those left to languish in prison ships off the shores of Brooklyn so infernal they were described as “Hell Afloat.” Now, there’s some history they don’t teach you in grade school.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical synopsis of privateers during early years of our country

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

The February entry in my Year of Reading Erics was Eric Jay Dolin’s Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. In November I had gone to a talk by the author about this same subject, and it was a lot of fun, even if I was the youngest person in the audience.

My thoughts on this book are a little scattered and I can’t tell if it’s because the content, while a lot of fun, actually is a little bit disjointed, or if it just seems that way to me because I read it in two- and three-page spurts at random times and kept getting interrupted, because I had the February from Hell, and somehow it took me upwards of ten days to read this even though it’s not very long and I’m sure if I had read it, like, by the lake in the summer, it’d have taken me one day, max. But anyway, it’s largely exactly what it says on the tin, which is a bunch of information about privateering in the American Revolution, and that is a very fun subject that is not usually talked about much, in my experience of people talking about the American Revolution, which does happen quite a bit when you spend your entire adult life in the immediate environs of Boston.

Some of the moral framing that is used in the marketing for this book annoys me, because it’ll be like “Some people think that privateers are basically pirates or war profiteers, but they were actually instrumental in winning the American Revolution,” even though the two parts of that sentence don’t contradict each other. The moral assumptions about piracy, war profiteering, and the American Revolution contradict each other, so the sentence only makes sense if you read it as “Some people think that privateers are [bad] but they are actually [good]” and this type of talk where people use words as if their only meaning is their moral connotation and their actual denotative meaning simply doesn’t exist drives me batty in the extreme. Fortunately, the moral assumptions made in this book only descend to this level of illiterate idiocy in the marketing; the rest of the book takes a pretty standard level of sympathy for the American Revolution and its ideals, as one would expect from an American author writing for an American audience, but nothing out of the ordinary and certainly not to the point of forgetting what words mean. My own understanding of the morals of the American Revolution is a bit more complicated than your standard American propaganda but only when talking about the American side; the few things in this world that can make me feel patriotism include sentences like “This annoyed the English considerably.”

Anyway. Privateering! The first of the rebelling colonies to legalize privateering and start issuing letters of marque was my own dear Massachusetts, a state full of little coastal trading ports and inhabited by very intense people. Salem, being a much more economically important place then than it is now, features fairly heavily; we sent out a lot of privateers. Eventually the fledgling US started sending out privateers as a country in addition to the ones being sent out under state flags; this was largely to supplement the just-founded US Navy, which was having a bad time getting off the ground. The new American privateers were pretty successful, wreaking havoc on British shipping and bringing badly needed commodities into the colonies, and making a pretty profit at the same time. The practice has its naysayers but mostly people thought this was a fantastic way to stick it to the English and men signed up for them in droves.

Disposing of the ships after they were captured added a whole other level of politicking, with Americans conspiring with the French and other supposedly neutral nations to turn prizes into cash at foreign ports, in defiance of various treaties with England. The English were big mad about it, and eventually started trying to do a bit of privateering back, although they never caught up to the Americans.

There is also a chapter on what happened to privateersmen when they got captured, which is pretty sobering. Some of them got sent to regular jails on land in England, which wasn’t fun but seems to have been humane enough by the standards of the time. Others got stuck on prison ships, including the notorious Jersey, a pestilential, overcrowded hulk in the Long Island Sound where the only way to get off the packed ship for even a little bit was to go bury corpses on the nearby beach.

Overall, I liked this book! I think! I’m glad I read it but I wish I’d gotten to read it… better? I was not at the top of my reading game lately and I wish I had been able to read it in big relaxed chunks on Derby Wharf, but alas, sometimes February happens. We’ll see how March’s reading fares in comparison.

Originally posted at Elbridge Gerry strikes again.

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off the coast of Bilboa, Spain, Captain Jonathan Haraden decided that 3 June 1780 was a perfect day to again test the mettle of his crew of thirty-eight. They had already captured an enemy privateer; taking on another was a risk, but Haraden wasn’t one to back down from a fight. Even when his opponent had 130 men and more than twice the number of his guns, the majority of which were heavier and more powerful armament than his. For more than two hours the American Pickering and the British Achilles fought. The British took back the captured privateer, but broke off the engagement and fled the scene once the Americans loaded their inferior cannons with bar shot. The Spaniards celebrated the Pickering’s victory, and once she set sail for home, the privateersmen snared three more prizes before arriving in Salem.

This is but one encounter between private enemy vessels during the American Revolution. Other books have covered the war from many different perspectives, but only a few spend time on privateering. Of these, even fewer delve into the role they played in winning the war and, when these volumes do, the view is more negative than positive. Dolin sets out to right this wrong, providing a more inclusive study of revolutionary privateers and their significance in the conflict to gain American independence from Britain. “Rebels at Sea places privateersmen, most of whom were not famous or even well-known individuals, at the very center of the war effort. It demonstrates that, when the United States was only a tenuous idea, they stepped forward and risked their lives to help make it a reality.” (xxiv)

Dolin shows successes and failures, as well as the impacts colonial privateers had on the British economy, which compelled the enemy to redirect critical military and naval resources from land and sea campaigns to protect commercial shipping. Prizes taken helped supply the rebels with much-needed resources, raised colonists’ spirits, and assisted in the efforts to bring France and Spain into the conflict on the American side. He also includes notes that cite consulted sources, a select bibliography, an index, footnotes to explain terminology or provide further explanations, and illustrations.

This is not, however, just a one-sided presentation of facts. Dolin also delves into negative issues and people critical of the use of privateers. Some felt it was a less savory way to fight, one that bordered on piracy. Others believed the men and weaponry should be saved for use by the Continental Army and Navy. There were also those who decried profit making over patriotism.

Within the nine chapters, readers meet people from various walks of life who supported privateering, denigrated privateering, and sometimes flipflopped on the issue. The legality of privateering is discussed, with Massachusetts leading the way months before Congress passed the necessary laws to address the issue. The cast of characters include privateersmen – Offin Boardman, James Forten, David Ropes, Luke Ryan, and Andrew Sherburne to name a few beside Haraden – and Founding Fathers – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Robert Morris – and involved citizens, such as Elbridge Gerry, Elias Hasket Derby, Blair McClenachan, Nathaniel Greene, and John Paul Jones. Dolin also explores how the British viewed American privateers and what happened to those who became prisoners of war whether they were incarcerated in English prisons and on prison ships closer to home.

Even readers familiar with privateering history and/or privateers during the American Revolution will learn fascinating facts not previously found in other books. Examples include two American privateers named for Benedict Arnold when he was still seen as a hero rather than a traitor; or John Greenwood, a privateer and a militiaman better-known as the dentist who made George Washington’s false teeth.

Rebels at Sea may not be as engrossing as other Dolin titles, but it is an important, compelling, and comprehensive examination of privateers in the thirteen colonies’ struggle to gain their independence. This volume will appeal to a general audience, be they well-versed in privateer or revolutionary history or newcomers to the subject. When paired with the more academic volume, The Untold War at Sea written by Kylie A. Hulbert, Rebels at Sea provides readers with a well-rounded and enlightening understanding from all perspectives about privateers and their importance to American freedom.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Dolin.html...

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I think of privateers, I can’t help but look back at the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” where my particular favorite pirate (we all have one), Barbossa, is a privateer. I have to admit that my favorite pirate becoming a privateer in the “Pirates” franchise is a large part of why I read this book. Pirates are always awesome, and privateers are just legal pirates, right? Right.

Despite how obvious it seems that the Americans during the American Revolution would have used privateers, because they were just fighting however they could, it never actually occurred to me what a large part privateers actually played. It was fascinating, really, and it was surprising to read such familiar names as Washington and Benjamin Franklin being all about privateering (although Franklin changed his tune at the end of the war) and both played a huge role in American privateering during the American Revolution.

This book’s chapters are divided into different aspects of privateering and a privateer’s life. They are long chapters with lots of information and pictures, which is also fun. There is also a section of glossy colored pictures in the middle of the book. Two of my favorite chapters were “A Privateersman’s Life” and “Privateering Triumphs and Tragedies.” Although the history was really interesting, and this book is obviously well-researched and documented, I really enjoyed reading about what the privateersman were like, who they were, and what they faced. There were some definite tragedies involving privateersman who had been captured and put on prison ships, and these tragedies rival anything horrible that has happened in American history.

This book was really informative and is written well, although it is quite heavy. I enjoyed reading small chunks at a time interspersed with my regular fluffy nonfiction reader. It made me feel smarter, and I found it so interesting and enjoyed learning about this very large part of the American Revolution that I had no idea about. I don’t know if I just missed this part in school or what, but the Americans were actually very successful at privateering during the Revolution and, as mentioned before, many famous revolutionaries were involved very heavily in privateering.

Another thing I enjoyed about this book was because it was so detailed, there were a lot of interesting connections made between the privateersman and the famous revolutionaries. For instance, a privateer turned normal citizen became a dentist and made George Washington’s dentures! Check out his pic of the last remaining full set of dentures! They don’t look comfortable, to say the least, and they were apparently made out of a strange conglomeration of things that don’t all seem to go together if you ask me including human teeth, lead, gold, elephant, walrus or hippopotamus ivory, as well as springs to help them open. So…yeah. Probably as unnatural looking as they were uncomfortable.

There were lots of interesting tidbits of information like this in the book, as well as the very interesting discussions of the Americans as privateers during the Revolutionary War. If you are into history, especially American or American Revolutionary history, you should definitely check this book out.

Read my full review here: https://www.readingforsanity.com/2023...

[Cropredy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Correct rating - 3.5 stars)

So, if you have a modestly deep interest in the American Revolutionary War and have already read books on:

* the major campaigns,
* the lives of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and their fellow travelers
* explored the sequence of events leading to the Declaration of Independence

then you are ready to learn about the naval war against Great Britain. The obvious first choice would be Ian Toll's Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U. S. Navy but that covers the official US Navy. Once you're done with that, it is worth turning to Dolin's book Rebels at Sea.

There was quite a lot of information that I was not aware of and Dolin does a good job in a readable manner of explaining

* The scale of the privateering enterprise (it was vast)
* How it influenced the overall war (noticeably)
* Life (and usually death) of American POWs on British prison ships (also vast)
* The economics of it all

Ultimately, this is a book of both vignettes (accounts of various privateers from the crew's, captain's and ship's point of view) as well as a book of themes (prisons, equipping, politics). As such, there's no driving narrative as the book jumps around in time to tell stories of specifics within the context of the chapter's theme.

The material in the chapter on prison ships was new to me. The horrific treatment of the prisoners hardened many colonists to continue the fight against the British. Really awful stuff.

Privateers operated under letters of marque - essentially government licenses to seize enemy property. It could be exceptionally profitable, especially to the ship owners / investors. A fortunate crew could set themselves up for a good life.

This power to grant letters of marque can be found in the US Constitution and has been used by legal scholars to argue that only Congress has the power to authorize US force even in "limited wars". See THE QUASI WAR CASES-AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO WHETHER "LETTERS OF MARQUE AND REPRISAL" CONSTRAIN PRESIDENTIAL WAR POWERS. Dolin explores the legacy of privateering in the decades following the Revolution including up to the Civil War. I found this fascinating.

The book is exceptionally well-illustrated with period engravings and portraits. A couple of maps of specific places but if you don't know where various Caribbean Islands are or the relationship between France and England geographically, go find a map.

Quibble:

The publisher (or author) decided on using a font that is a modernized version of the typefaces used in the late 18th century. This was unnecessary.


Read this if you're an American Revolution fanboy/girl and you want to flesh out your knowledge. It is not a specialist book so it reads easily.