There, he armed privateers and merchantmen. Saint-Malo became notorious as the home of the corsairs, French privateers and sometimes pirates. This made ship and crew vulnerable to capture by Dunkirk privateers and Barbary pirates. The status of buccaneers as pirates or privateers was ambiguous. These provided some autonomy for privateers and buccaneers. The Canaries' wealth invited attacks by pirates and privateers. About 55,000 American seamen served aboard the privateers. There were also several marque fleets of privateers. About 55,000 sailors served aboard American privateers during the war. These were former pirates who now held a more venerable status as privateers. He recaptured several U.S. ships that had been seized by French privateers. The few British colonists there needed protection from attacks by Indians and Spanish privateers. The territories freed themselves, often with help from foreign mercenaries and privateers. English mercantile shipping suffered through frequent attacks by Dutch privateers. These battles were between local privateers from Edenton against the British Royal Navy.