ABSTRACT
The Indian and Atlantic Oceans were zones of opportunity, and violence was a natural means of pursuing the latter, giving the sea the character of a frontier, on which trade and violence were intertwined. The maritime world offered many incentives for ship captains, pilots, sailors, and merchants to use violence; attacking and plundering ships was a good source of income, a means for political engagement, and a way for states to assert their sovereignty. This chapter argues that individuals could benefit from the competition and conflict between different political powers. Overseas entrepreneurship was an important cog in the machinery of violence, offering a means to convert both private and public money into violence overseas. By seizing ships, privateering, capturing forts, and negotiating with local rulers individuals attempted to appropriate as much power, money, and resources as possible.
