In this
post we are going to talk about the differences between pirates, privateers, buccaneers
and filibusters, and also about the different causes that led to his birth.
Throughout
the 16th century and the following centuries, the Atlantic countries began to
be dissatisfied with their indirect participation in the colonial monopoly. That
is why countries like France, Holland and England, thanks to their social and
economic development, the evolution of their ships, and ever larger needs
generated by commercialism, began to participate without intermediaries in the
economic benefits of colonial exploitation.[1]
There were
two main ways in which they took out the meddling in the Spanish monopoly, the
contraband and the most violent, the piracy, which in war times turned into privateering.
One of the first and most important contrabandists was John Hawkins, because the
routes that he made between 1562 and 1568 would be followed by other
Europeans seeking direct connection with the colonies.
The objective
of the contraband was to create a direct link with the American Colonies and
their products; however, the interest of the pirates was to get the silver of
the galleons, and also to disturb the Spanish commerce.
The pirates
were free people, they did not have to be accountable to any country, but they
also had no protection of any country. The pirates were sailors who were
engaged in the same activity as pirates, there was just one difference, they
had official permission of the king, which was called patente de corso. They only were allowed to attack in wartime, and
it was totally legal, not as pirates. But we have to say that the governments
often gave permissions out of the war. As a reward for the work done, the
pirates received part of the booty they got in their attacks. Meanwhile, the
pirates did not have to divide their booty with any Government; all they got
was for them.
During the
16th and the 17th centuries, two new forms of piracy
appeared in the Americas, we are talking about the filibusterism and the buccaneers.
The buccaneers
were French who had occupied abandoned areas in La Española. There, they used
to make smoke meat and treating leader for selling it to the ships. When the
Spanish government expelled them from the island for not paying taxes, they
settled in Turtle Island, and once there, they started to attack Spanish ships,
often with the filibusters.
On the other
hand we have the filibusters. They were freemen and they used very fast ships. Their
main interest was to obtain loots as fast as possible.
As we can
see, there are many names to refer to the same activity, and the major
difference between them is the law under which they acted. There are also many
reasons to explain why some people decide to choose this way of live, which was
not very secure, but it made possible for many people to get rich quickly and
governments attack their enemies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
RIBOT GARCÍA, L.A.; “Europa y América en la época del monopolio ibérico”, in
NAVARRO GARCÍA, L., Historia de las
Américas II, Madrid, Universidad de Sevilla, 1991. (13-19)
[1] BIBLIOGRAFIA: RIBOT GARCÍA,
L.A.; “Europa y América en la época del monopolio ibérico”, in NAVARRO GARCÍA,
L., Historia de las Américas II, Madrid,
Universidad de Sevilla, 1991. Page 15
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