Revolutionary Privateers at Sea Symposium: Newburyport and the Wider World

Join experts from around the world for a one-day symposium on Revolutionary War privateers and Newburyport’s Atlantic impact!
From Newburyport wharves, privateers surged into the Atlantic with a single mission: take the fight to British commerce. Armed with letters of marque, these privately owned vessels disrupted enemy supply lines, seized valuable cargo, and brought home provisions, weapons, and even captured vessels that could be refitted into more privateers to help keep the cause alive.

Privateering was a town-wide enterprise. Merchants financed voyages. Carpenters, ropemakers, and sailmakers outfitted vessels. Mariners signed on for a share of prize money. Women kept households, farms, and businesses running, and stocked stores with goods brought in as prizes. When captures returned to port, they could make fortunes. When privateers were lost, it meant tragedy and ruin.

As we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, join us for a fast-paced, people-centered program that connects Newburyport to the wider Atlantic war and the astonishing records privateers left behind, from logbooks and diaries to prize papers and court documents.