Pirates, Privateers, and Missing Treasure
Sir Francis Drake burned St. Augustine in 1586, and Robert Searle raided it in 1668. Was each a pirate or a privateer? It depended on who you asked. History + a fictional game
Two raiders. One burning town. Was it piracy, or was it permitted?
In 1586, the English sea captain Sir Francis Drake attacked St. Augustine during war between England and Spain. His forces burned the wooden town. To Queen Elizabeth I, Drake was a licensed privateer serving his country. To the people of St. Augustine, he was a pirate.
In 1668, the English raider Robert Searle struck again, sacking the town and killing dozens of residents. That raid helped convince Spain that St. Augustine needed a fort that could not burn. Construction of the stone Castillo de San Marcos began in 1672.
Pirate or privateer?
A privateer carried a government license, called a letter of marque, allowing attacks on an enemy nation's ships. A pirate had no license at all. In practice, the line was blurry, and it often depended on which side of the war you were on.
What about the treasure?
There's no evidence of buried pirate treasure in St. Augustine. That's exactly why we invented one: our Lost Treasure family adventure follows the fictional Captain Mara Tide through real landmarks, and it's clearly labeled as fiction.
Your mission
Stand on the bayfront and look out at the inlet. Imagine sails on the horizon in 1586. Write two captions for the same ship: one from an English sailor, one from a Spanish townsperson.
Plan it
- Pirate-themed and harbor cruises
- St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
- Explore it on a Since 1565 adventure
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Historical basis: National Park Service, Sir Francis Drake; Castillo de San Marcos history. See all sources.