Letter of Marque and Reprisal

Simply put, the letter of marque and reprisal, often referred to just as the letter of marque, is the document that permitted privateers to capture vessels belonging to enemy nations in a time of war. Not only did it ensure that captured privateers were treated as prisoners of war and not pirates, it also outlined what types of ships privateers could capture and how they must treat the crews of captured vessels.   One type of letter of marque allowed for ships to be specifically fitted out to primarily hunt enemy vessels. Another type allowed vessels primarily used in trade to capture enemy vessels as a secondary option.   This can be seen in use in my book, Where Cannons Roar.