Villains of All Nations, by Marcus Rediker, is a collection of ideas and information about pirates in the Golden Age of Atlantic piracy, between the years 1650 and 1730. This book is a collection of the unprecedented social and cultural history of pirates, mainly at sea, but also before they became pirates, and how piracy affected maritime culture. It delves into the ideas and realities of pirate life and helps further an understanding of piracy during this time. Rediker claims, “The pirates of the 1710s and 1720s were among the greatest ever in the long history of robbery by sea” (Rediker 8). The text explores the Golden Age of piracy and the generation that shaped the modern, romanticized view of pirates. Rediker begins by claiming, pirates were among the most violent during the Golden Age of piracy. At sea, pirates wreaked havoc by capturing …show more content…
Many people of the time became pirates because they believed pirate ships had better conditions than other sea services, but this was a misconception. “Privateers were not always happy ships. Some captains ran their ships like naval vessels” (44). Furthermore, “Enslaved Africans … sought to escape slavery; fishermen sought to escape peonage; transported felons sought to escape … servitude; and sailors sought to escape impressment or deadly conditions aboard a ship” (58). Rediker claims people also became pirates because they were greedy and wanted money. According to Stephen Smith, a pirate during the Golden Age of piracy, “Money meant simply getting a living” (56). Pirate ships were comprised of both genders and many races and ages, however, the average pirate was between the ages of 15 and 40, and originated from Great Britain. Rediker states, nationalities included, “British, French, Dutch, Spanish, Swedish, Native American, African American, and … Africans” (53). Pirates were a diverse group and had strong bonds of
These pirates captured the crew and passengers of other ships. They then enslaved these people and some people died because of this.
Under The Black Flag , a book written by David Cordingly expressed the reality and myths behind piracy. He clearly states in the introduction of the book that his aim “is to examine the popular image of pirates today, to find out where this image came from, and to compare it with the real world of the pirates” (Cordingly xiv). Along with his aim his thesis is also stated in the introduction of his book, which essentially states that the views by everyday people of pirates consists of a mixture of facts, and many other things such as romantic novels and films. He successfully informs readers of the history behind many important misconceptions of common beliefs. Although some of the things every person has learned about a pirate growing up may
Marcus Rediker’s main point is the Atlantic Pirates were a group of highly intelligent people that unfortunately were forced to a criminal life because it was their only means to Survive. They were intelligent in the reason of choosing to attack the America colonies, but also in the way the pirates made their own governing structure. According to Dr. Rediker “a compact drawn up at the beginning of a voyage or upon election of a new captain, and agreed to by the crew. By these articles crews allocated authority, distributed plunder, and enforced discipline. These arrangements made the captain the creature of his crew”.(Rediker 209). These pirates knew that they had recently escaped a system of oppression that had done them wrong in many ways. This is why they made a system where everyone counted and where everyone got what they deserved. In a way they kept each other on check. An example of this today would be friend making sure another friend doesn’t cheat on his
For years and years the leaders of Tripoli which is located in the Middle East had been taking over merchant ships from either the Americans or the or the Europeans. The Tripoli pirates would take over ships and sell
Authors present similar information in different ways. In the golden age of piracy, despite being disputed when it actually happened. Despite sometimes being worlds apart, the similarities in all these people and their dastardly deeds is incredible. Their paths frequently intersected either through direct contact or other things. Both Rediker and Greene talk about similar situations and people, but they discussed it quite differently. From showcasing the hardships to glorifying their short and fast paced lives, their arguments are as different as night and day, but give us a solid insight into the average life of a pirate in the golden age of piracy.
Pirates were the thieves on the sea that came on the land to steal what ever they saw. When they came to the Caribbean, it was right after war when all regulations were down and not enforced. “As the nation battled law and order broke down entirely; pirates grew bolder… after 1700 the Caribbean became a battleground for the European natives” (Document 8). When the government was recovering around the 1700’s from war, no one regulated trade and many of the Native’s along with the European’s things were stolen. Pirates were very strong and successful in stealing and robbing the Natives, and that is why Pirates made trade a negative affect of the
When the word pirate is mentioned, many people think of ship carrying men across the seas as they pillage other ships. While this is true to some extent there was much more to the lives of the men that were known as pirates. Pirates were mostly men from French, English or Dutch heritage, and were privateers or merchants. Many of these men were sanctioned by their government. By the Spanish they were call piratas or unsanctioned sea-raiders, and would have a heavy influence of trade in the Caribbean and on the Spanish Empire.
The Golden Age of Piracy Blackbeard, otherwise known as Edward Teach, was an English pirate around the early 18th century. He ransacked ships with his crew off the eastern coast of North Carolina from the summer of 1717 to November 1718. North Carolina was almost a sanctuary for pirates and other unfavorable people, and it had a coastline advantageous to the pirating of ships. Blackbeard’s ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, was possibly discovered recently in 2008, which provides much information on how he operated. Blackbeard turned to piracy in 1716, following in the footsteps of the pirate Benjamin Hornigold.
“After the 1890 season, the Pittsburgh Alleghenys signed several players from rival American Association teams- including the Philadelphia Athletics star second baseman Lou Bierbauer. The Philadelphia team loudly protested the move, complaining to league officials that the Alleghenys’ actions were “piratical.” The Alleghenys made sport of being denounced for being “piratical” by renaming themselves the Pirates for the 1891 season.” Pirates have had a strong presence throughout the ages; their presence has often garnered acknowledgment from governments- both foreign and domestic. For the most part, pirates are more real than ninjas based upon their presence and the acknowledgment of their existence by governments throughout history.
The Villains of All Nations is book written by Marcus Rediker that follows the origins of the pirate boom before and after the War of Spanish Succession. The book covers infamous pirates like Bartholomew Roberts, William Fly, and Edward Teach also known as Blackbeard.It discusses the grim environment of working the seas for the government, what lead many people to turn to piracy, the tale of the first women pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, how piracy impacted slavery, the pirates bonds of brotherhood under the Jolly Roger, and the events that lead to the death of the pirate era itself.
The pirates who sailed the Atlantic and frequented the New England coast were made up of several different groups of men, and a few women, who attacked ships off the New England coast and had a rather large effect on parts of colonial America. Although the pirates who frequented these areas came from many different countries, many of those that that targeted the New England area and the waters around it, came from England during the rule of King James I
The most important feature about the movie Sea Hawk is that pirates were for doing what the pirates thought was right. These pirates could almost be thought of as gentlemen. These men were out fighting for their country and for a just cause, not out to steal someone else's ideas or positions, it seems. This is because these pirates were fighting a naval war against Spain for the benefit of the British. For these pirates this was considered an act of piracy for a just cause. The pirates in the movie Sea Hawk were considered to be the heroes which is a major movement away from the standard evil, rival, or self-serving character the pirates normally represent in other movies of books. There was a point to their piracy, which was to defeat the British. Even though these pirates still enjoyed the rewards of their actions, they did it not for the fame of fortune but more for the physical rewards. These pirates were doing something much different then the normal pirate might do and it is that they were doing what they were doing in the name of their county and in Spain there were considered patriots by their fellow countrymen.
For centuries, all forms of crime have been displayed across history. Since the time of the Greek civilization, pirates have roamed the seas. These men and women have left their homes and families in a daring attempt to take what does not belong to them, all in the name of money and glory. Even today, pirates are still a present and very real threat to trade ships and their crews all over the world, with the areas of pirate activity shifting from one sea to the next over time. As time and technology has moved on, so too have the methods and effectiveness of these sea thieves.
During the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries, piracy was rampant in the Atlantic, specifically in the West Indies. Piracy has existed since the earliest days of ocean travel, for a range of personal and economic reasons. However, one of the major reasons why piracy was wide spread and rampant in the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries was Great Britain’s endorsement and usage of piracy as an asset; in wars fought in the New World. Great Britain with its expanding power and conflicts with other nations would make piracy a lifestyle and lay down the foundation for the Golden Age of Piracy and eventually bring what it created to a screeching halt.
Are you concerned about pirate attacks on your ocean voyages? Although it may only seem like a good movie plot, the threat of piracy still exists. Nowadays, pirate incidents are often not covered in mainstream media. One researcher commented on the topic, saying that piracy has “…been romanticized in such films as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean” (Lunsford, “What Makes Piracy Work?”). Nevertheless, pirates have proved their aggressive behavior through history and their effects on society. Modern and past pirates share similarities and differences, and countries around the world are looking for ways to control the issue before it spreads.