II.   Sovereign

A Pirate is a 16th Century English legal term describing a sea robber. The word was updated at the start of the 18th Century with the formation of Admiralty Law to mean “one who acts solely on his own authority, without any commission or authority from a sovereign state, seizing by force and appropriating for himself without discrimination”.

The word “pirate” comes from the Ancient Greek word πειρατής (peiratēs) meaning “sea robber; the feared”.

The earliest mention of Pirates in Western-Roman Law is English Law in 1536 and 27 Hen. 8. c.4. and then in 1537 with 28 Hen. 8. c.15. However, the major revision of the legal concept of “Piracy” as one without any commission or authority (letter of marquee) was first introduced through 1707 with 6 Ann. c. 37 and the “encouragement of trade to America”.

Since 1707 to the present day, America has remained the spiritual and literal home of privateers and Pirates, with Piracy remaining the primary modus operandi of the United States Government in use of its military forces for commercial gain and advantage since 1795.