Piracy in the New World

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, in the decline of the Golden Era of piracy, pirates were romanticized and their tales of debauchery and barbarism became tales of adventure and heroics. What was a rough crew of crude, unhewn and dirty men became a galleon full of assorted yet amiable fools led by a gentleman-captain. The paper then debates whether pirates were an asset to the British Empire, their influence remarkable yet unnoted for the most part. The paper also looks at how, although they were thought of as thieves by both empire and colony, they were thieves who encouraged trade, encouraged battle between empires, raised a black flag to ward off political involvement, led lives of debauchery and violence, and yet opened a door to the largest and most influential empire of our time.

From the Paper:

"The British Empire encouraged piracy in another way as well: the values held by the Crown were the same values held by pirates. Unconsciously, the British Empire encouraged the growth of pirates by making lawlessness in the New World seem perfectly acceptable in the Old World. The Crown handed out commissions to privateers with a free hand, encouraging attacks on the Spanish and French Empires and ships. Seeing this, those who were once privateers or had worked on privateer ships, colonists whose small plantations could not compete with larger ones, runaway slaves and indentured servants, women in disguise fleeing lives and families in Britain, criminals on the lamb, and many other sorts of people, were all encouraged to take to pillaging recklessly on their own, as the Crown mirrored their actions by pillaged other Empires. Using their own or merchant ships, they set out to plunder and pillage with abandon, not fearing reprisal from their own Empire as it was permitted by Crown and Country. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "British Colonial Policy"; available: www.answers.com
• Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. New Jersey: Chartwell Books. 2005.
• Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag. New York: Random House.1996.
• Exquemelin, Alexandre Olivier. The Buccaneers and Marooners of America. Michigan: Gryphon Books. 1971, Dutch Edition 1678, Spanish Edition 1681, English Edition 1684, London Edition 1893.
• "History of Pirates"; available: www.piratesinfo.com

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