What is the Difference between Pirates and Privateers?
Pirates and privateers are often considered to be the same things, leading to the words being used interchangeably by some. However, scholars argue that there is a clear distinction between pirates and privateers, despite the fact that the realities of their work were often identical. During the Age of Sail, opportunists could actually change from one to the other, and records exist of seamen who switched sides several times during their busy lives. A pirate, by definition, is one who robs people by sea. The word comes from a Greek term that loosely means to find luck on the ocean. Traditional pirates are often considered free agents, not beholden to any governing body or system. This freedom has led to their modern portrayal as rebels and independents, hero figures that have abandoned conformative systems. In actuality, pirates are criminals who will often resort to violence in order to rob ships or towns. Pirates and privateers differ subtly in several ways but their main distinction
