Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs were a group of privateers, or hired pirates, which were founded by Queen Elizabeth I of England. The Sea Dogs were also known as Elizabethan Pirates.

The Sea Dogs were essentially a military branch that were authorized by the Queen to attack the Spanish fleet and loot their ships in order to bring back riches and treasure. The Sea Dogs were able to do this because they carried "Letters of Marque" which lawfully made this okay even though both countries technically weren’t at war or anything with each other. The Sea Dogs were initially started in 1560 as a way to bridge the gap and close the difference between the Spanish Navy and the British Navy. By having a small fleet of ships that would sail around and pick off Spanish ships, risking their lives and own ships in the process, they were able to reduce the funds and size of the Spanish navy significantly. The Sea Dogs continued carrying out raids against the Spanish until 1604 when England and Spain made peace. After that, many of the Sea Dogs left England to continue pillaging off either the Barbary Coast or in the Caribbean.