The Influencers of

the Seas

By: Lauren Beelen

“-poor men in canvas jackets and tarred breeches – constructed a social world

where they had ‘the choice in themselves.’ This was truly a culture of

masterless men” ~ Rediker

Queen Elizabeth discovered that contraband merchants and freebooters could be helpful

In a time of ‘peace’ during war era she hired on these men to sabotage Spanish and Portuguese ships

An advisor of hers recommend to hire the sailors openly to be able to tax what they take

This lead to the difference between “men of choice”, and “choice men”

The Corsairs from France were some of the first examples of looting and plundering.

Drake and Hawkins followed their route north of Panama

Spanish gave them the name piratas, or sea-raiders.

The actions of Drake, Hawkins, and Morgan instilled fear into the Spanish and Portuguese.

Captain Drake’s flag

Elizabethan Pirates (1558-1603)

Spain’s take-over of where original Dutch salt mines were located required them to fight back

They attempted to take over part of Brazil and the Caribbean to take over the sugarcane trade.

The Dutch’s tactics gradually changed from relaxed idea to intimidation and fear

The Dutch Pirates

The Golden Age: Buccaneers• The most famous port was Port Royal in Jamaica

• Many of these men were ex-merchants and ex-navy men who had been treated poorly

• With their encroaching on the Caribbean, relations with the Dutch became stressed, as well as French who were on the Island of Tortuga.

• King James I sent many commissions condoning their actions for looting Spanish ships and offered them jobs with merchants and the navy

Guidelines to Piracy• Democracy, everything was a

vote• Most infractions punishable

by death or marooning.• Captain, Quartermaster,

Council, and rest of the crew.• Many men did volunteer

because of better standards.• Any argument between

sailors was handled off the ship. This kept tensions at bay.

• The only time the Captain had 100% control was during fights, fleeing, or pursuing.

Boarding the Ship: The Easiest Way Possible

Step 1: Raise the Jolly RogerStep 2: Command the other ship to

stop, when they don’t, use heavy artillery.

Step 3: Board ship, beat up a few sailors, tie them all up.

Step 4: “Distribution of Justice” The quartermaster questions how the

commander of the ship has treated his crew.

Step 5: Search for the booty Food, Rum, Silver & Gold, Medicine,

Ammunition.Step 6: Give crew ultimatum to join.

(Pirates were volunteer only)Step 7: Destroy ship and sail away with

new found goodies.

• By the mid 18th century piracy was actively pursued by the authorities

• Seen as enemies of the state.

• These men walked to the gallows head held high

Bibliography:

Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life among the Pirates. New York: Random House, 1995.

Fuchs, Barbara. "Faithless Empires: Pirates, Renegadoes, and the English Nation." ELH 67, no. 1 (2000): 45-69. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30031906.

Leeson, Peter T. "An‐arrgh‐chy: The Law and Economics of Pirate Organization."Journal of Political Economy 115, no. 6 (2007): 1049-094.

Lane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire Piracy in the Americas 1500-1750. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharp, 1998.

Rediker, Marcus. ""Under the Banner of King Death": The Social World of Anglo-American Pirates, 1716 to 1726." The William and Mary Quarterly 38, no. 2 (1981): 203-27.