While only one battle was fought on Delaware’s soil during the American Revolution, the state would find itself threatened at sea throughout the war. British privateers, many of them American loyalists, prowled the coastlines, harassing ships and launching raids. Our collections include two British Letters of Marque privateer’s licenses that granted a captain and his crew the right to carry out acts of piracy against American and French ships. These letters were issued in 1782 from the Admiralty Court in Bermuda to Robert Burton and his ship, the Royal George.
To counter the presence of pirates in their waterways, the Delaware General Assembly commissioned privateers, like Matthew Aiken, whose Delaware Letter of Marque is pictured below. Aiken’s ship, the Christiana, was even provided to him by members of the Assembly!
To learn more about Delaware’s role in the Revolution, check out our Revolutionary War research guide at the link below!
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