Following the death of the heirless Charles II of Spain in 1701, the War of Spanish Succession broke out across Europe. The world superpowers of the age - France and Spain on one side, England and Holland on the other – vied for control of the powerful and lucrative Spanish crown.
After two massive fleet engagements with neither side losing a ship or achieving a decisive victory, it was decided that a different strategy would be required to win.
In what would become known as the Queen Anne's War, both sides commissioned private merchant and mercenary crews to outfit smaller vessels for war. They were told to sail for the New World to raid their enemies' settlements and shipping lines, choking their wealth from the Americas in an attempt to force a surrender through attrition. In return, these private sailors got to keep the loot they plundered.
They called these men privateers.
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The Scourge - Pirates & Privateers
Fiction HistoriqueSHORTLISTED FOR WATTYS 2022 What should have been an easy payday for a band of British privateers turns into a desperate fight for survival when they find a young woman in the wreck of a schooner. Life is unforgiving for any privateering ship fighti...
