Pirates and Privateers

This book examines an often glossed over aspect of piracy – those who assist pirates in some way, whether be it as a grantor of letters of marque, as a buyer for plunder, or as some other facilitator for pirates. Colonial governors often ignore crown law to protect their colonies and/or to provide their citizenry with goods not available through legal channels. Using period correspondence between governors, the Board of Trade, and others aware of this alliance either as casual observers or governmental employees, Burgess reveals the truth of how pirates may be deemed “enemies of all mankind,” but at the same time play an important role in how the colonies survived.

In delving into this aspect of history, Burgess also focuses on the legal ramifications of these alliances. England passed certain laws dealing with pirates, and colonial governors were expected to enforce those laws. The problem was the officials in England were far removed from the realities the governors faced. Thus, men like Sir Francis Drake, Sir Henry Morgan, Governor Thomas Modyford, Governor Benjamin Fletcher, Adam Baldridge, Thomas Tew, Lord Bellomont, William Kidd, Henry Every, Governor William Markham, Edward Randolph, John Quelch, and Woodes Rogers played vital roles in shaping the colonies and their futures. Also, this account clearly shows how attitudes toward pirates changed over time.

In an earlier article, I write about the friends and enemies of pirates because these sea robbers don't act in a void. Without the assistance of others, they won't have menaced shipping to the extent that they do. Through the use of primary documentation The Pirates’ Pact provides an in-depth and riveting examination of this assistance and its impact on England’s right to govern its colonies from afar. Burgess deftly demonstrates how “legitimate trade, aggressive mercantilism, and outright piracy commingled and coalesced,” and in doing so, introduces readers to new insights about names long associated with piracy. (22)

Review Copyright ©2009 Cindy Vallar




The Politics of Piracy: Crime and Civil Disobedience in Colonial America
by Douglas R. Burgess, Jr.
ForeEdge, 2014, ISBN 978-1-61168-527-5, US $35.00
Also available in other formats

In the final years of the 17th century, the English Crown seeks to bring Henry Every and his fellow pirates to justice after they attack, plunder, and steal a ship belonging to the Great Mughal of India. Failure to do so will have grave consequences for English trade. This is where The Politics of Piracy begins, and the particular place in question is Pennsylvania where the customs agent, Robert Snead, believes that Governor William Markham is turning a blind eye to the fact that some of Every’s men reside in the commonwealth. But Markham is only one of several governors whose conduct where pirates are concerned demand explanation.

This particular period in piratical history occurs on the cusp where societal attitudes toward privateers change. Before this time, they are deemed essential to protecting the colonies because the State cannot. Now, they become “enemies of all mankind” because piracy threatens trade and diplomatic alliances. As Burgess points out, previous studies examine the legal aspects of this time period from the British perspective or the colonial one, rather than looking at both sides of the equation. What is often missing from these examinations is the role piracy and illegal trade play in the evolution of criminal law in the colonies. Burgess also discusses the role politics play in relationships between the Crown and her American colonies and how they foreshadow the separation of these into two distinct entities.

The Politics of Piracy is divided into four sections as shown below.

Introduction: The Sorrowful Tale of Robert Snead

Part I. Beginnings

1. London Fog: A Brief, Confusing History of English Piracy Law

2. The Phantom Fleet of Porto Principe: Jamaican Privateering under Charles II

3. “A Spot upon Our Garment”: The Red Sea Fever in Colonial New York, 1691-1698

Part II. An Empire in Crisis

4. Voyage of the Fancy, 1696

5. A Tale of Two Trials

6. The Ballad of Henry Every: Criminality and Print Culture in the Public Sphere

Part III. Pirate Nests

7. “Ignorance of Their Duty”: A New Jersey Warning, 1697

8. A Society of Friends: Quakers and Illicit Trade in Colonial Pennsylvania

9. “A Bloody Crew of Privateers”: Resistance and Right in Rhode Island

Part IV. Rope’s End

10. The Bonds of Slavery: Law, Letters, and the Resumption Bill of 1701-1702

11. From Community to Periphery: Trial and Execution in the American Colonies, 1705-1730

Conclusion: Forgotten Revolutions

The inclusion of endnotes, a bibliography, and an index make it easy for readers to access the plethora of information found in this volume. Excerpts from primary documents enhance the reading experience and provide concrete examples to illustrate whatever points the author makes.

“Captivating” isn’t a term often applied to nonfiction books, but it aptly describes this account of politics, piracy, and law. It reads more like a novel than fact. What I particularly like is that Burgess examines colonies and people who rarely get more than a few mentions in other histories of piracy. He provides an outstanding summary of piracy law that is easy to read and comprehend. Also fascinating is how opinions shift over time until eventually both sides of the Atlantic view piracy as an evil that needs to be eradicated. He points out the problems with governing from afar and how laws and edicts enacted in England are a far cry from the realities of life and survival in the colonies. He deftly shows the intricate web connecting pirates and smugglers to merchants and colonial officials, while illuminating the differing perceptions about piracy that develop between Whitehall in London and the colonial governors. Equally compelling and consummately shown is how Every’s single attack on the Gang-i-Sawai has a profound impact on how the Crown and society view pirates.

Review Copyright ©2016 Cindy Vallar

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