Was Drake's privateering considered piracy by his contemporaries?
Some called it piracy, others called it state-sanctioned enterprise. My actions were often in service to the Crown, particularly when engaging Spanish interests. The distinction, as I saw it, lay in who commissioned the venture and for what purpose. When sailing under a royal commission, with the Queen's blessing and a share of the spoils designated for the realm, it was a matter of strategy and opportunity, not mere thievery. The Spanish, of course, saw it differently, but the outcome of our engagements often spoke louder than their protests.
Ask Francis Drake the follow-up →