MA, USA
Salem Privateering Operations Begin
September 1, 1775
Salem ship owners began outfitting merchant vessels as privateers after the Continental Congress authorized letters of marque. Over the course of the war, Salem-based privateers captured more than 450 British vessels, making the town the most productive privateering port in the colonies.
The captured goods — munitions, provisions, and trade merchandise — sustained the war effort and enriched the town's merchant class. Families like the Derbys and Crowninshields risked their fortunes outfitting ships, and many vessels were lost. But the returns on successful cruises were extraordinary, and the cumulative impact on British supply lines was devastating.
People Involved
Salem merchant who outfitted privateers during the Revolution, capturing British vessels and building a fortune that made him arguably the wealthiest American of his era.
Son of Richard Derby, he sailed the fast schooner Quero to London in 1775 carrying news of Lexington and Concord, ensuring the American version of events reached England before the official British dispatches.
Wife of Richard Derby Jr. who managed family business affairs while her husband served the patriot cause. Like many merchant wives, she kept commercial operations running during wartime disruption.