1804 Thomas Jefferson - Privateering in America

In 1798, Congress passed "An Act to Authorize the Defense of the Merchant Vessels of the United States against French Depredations". This act allowed and encouraged private American vessels or "privateers" to arm themselves to defend against any search, restraint or seizure. The Federalists who wanted a large nave opposed this action. They believed that it slowed the growth of the Navy by relying on help from the privateers. A year later, in 1799 authorized the building of six public armed vessels to fight in the Quasi-War with France. These U.S. Navy vessels demonstrated great success by capturing 85 French ships and numerous foreign privateers. America would now turn to the U.S. Navy for success rather than privateers. In 1804 Thomas Jefferson shared the Federalist's complaints of privateers, and their waging of private war. He looked to congress to adopt measures that would eliminate it. Yes, Thomas Jefferson the man of liberty who opposed a standing army, was a supporter of a large Navy. Shown in the picture is one of the U.S. Navy ships in battle with a French ship.

The High seas would be patrolled by the U.S. Navy, not privately armed vessels. That is until 1812, when 517 privateers would capture 1300 enemy ships. But that is another story.

In 1804, Thomas Jefferson addressed congress regarding privateers with these words:

"Complaints have been received that persons residing within the United States have taken on themselves to arm merchant vessels and to force a commerce into certain ports and countries in defiance of the laws of those countries. That individuals should undertake to wage private war, independently of the authority of their country, can not be permitted in a well-ordered society. Its tendency to produce aggression on the laws and rights of other nations and to endanger the peace of our own is so obvious that I doubt not you will adopt measures for restraining it effectually in future."

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29446
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/qw02.asp
http://repository.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/5688/Thesisrealfinal.pdf?sequence=1
http://www.usmm.org/warof1812.html
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/USSConstellationVsInsurgente.jpg

Today

Today, 40% of shipping vessels transiting the Horn of Africa had private armed guards on board.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/.../The-Development-and...