ican privateer heritage, and when the American Revolution began many
             of these same men viewed the opportunity to profit, and resumed their ventures. The American privateer
             vessel was a ship "armed and fitted out at private expense for the purpose of preying on the enemy's
             commerce to the profit of her owners". Not just anyone coul!
             d be a privateer, however. What distinguished a privateer from a common pirate was a commission, or a
             letter of marque. These were granted by the government, and were quite easily obtained. The
             government's benefit was twofold. First, the revolutionary government took a share of the profits from
             the sale of any cargo captured by a commissioned privateer. The percentage ranged from ten to as much as
             forty percent, depending on the nature of the cargo. This provided the then cash-starved government
             with considerable revenue, with little to no overhead. It cost the government virtually nothing to issue
             a commission, and the financial rewards were great. Second, these privateers disrupted the enemy's trade
             and sometimes even captured British military transports and supply ships. This system helped the
             government financially and strategically, while affording the privateer great economic benefits. These
             fabulous profits created an environment laden with potential for up!
             ward mobility for motivated and talented seamen.
             To fully appreciate the available opportunities, one must first be aware of how the individual
             privateer operated, and a cursory knowledge of ship design is helpful. Virtually every ship in that era,
             commercial or military, carried at least some cannon. However, these ships could not be outfitted with
             as many cannons as their owners desired. The term "pierced" refers to the rectangles that were cut in a
             ship's sides through which cannons were fired. Cannons were usually located on either the top deck, or
             the level just below it. This...