aarrgh.

Didn't the US have to deal with pirates before?

Boy! have times changed.

Pirate is such a coarse term...the p.c. term is "privateer".

However, they did fight valiantly under Andrew Jackson's command at the Battle of New Orleans, defeating the British handily. But even when given a chance to co-exist in society, no one, not even among themselves, could control them for any extended period of time before boredom and desire won out leading to plunder and carnage.