ACP exam 2
Buccaneer personalities
• "Basically doing a guerilla insurgency against the Spanish" o Very tough, hardy, and independent o Excellent with a rifle and cutlass o Smelly o Homosexual
Buccaneer
• Assorted rabble who attacked Spain for revenge and profit • Mercenary sailors and soldiers recruited to attack primarily Spanish interests.
The Antilles
• Cuba, Hispaniola, and PR • Primarily agricultural products like cotton, tobacco, spices, and hides • Copper from Cuba • Some precious metals early on
Pirates
• No government sanction or legitimacy whatsoever • No national allegiance • Indiscriminate in their attacks • Hostis humani generis • Enemies of mankind
Privateers
• Privately-owned and funded operations granted authority to attack enemy interests for a cut of the loot
Jean Ribault
1520-1565 o French Huguenot seaman o 1562: tried to establish a new world Huguenot colony • First effort by others than Spain to try and enter and set up o "Charlesfort" failed, but the Spanish saw the threat...
The age of the privateer
1600-1670
Life of a common seaman
o Hard dangerous work for peanuts o Crappy living conditions o Mean bosses o No real alternatives or hope for a better life o For many, the risk/reward balance made the choice to turn pirate an easy one
The treaty of Madrid
1670; o Spain • Recognizes English settlements in the New World (Jamaica, etc.) o England • Won't issue letters of mark against Spain anymore • Focus on control of peaceful trade for revenue • But... o Hostilities continue among other parties • France didn't sign nuthin... o West Indian Freelancers (The Buccaneers) didn't sign nuthin neither... • The result o British privateers and West Indian buccaneers and smugglers weren't willing to give up their trade • Now pirates! o From heroes to Hostis humani generis overnight • "Enemies of all mankind" • Royal proc. - declaration of war on the profession
• New Providence (Nassau), Bahamas o 1714-1718
Founded by pirates • No people there - no salt, soil for plantation economies o Great deep water harbor o Excellent location o Undefended, with no real government o Little more than a shantytown, but dozens of famous pirates called at New Providence o More of a hideout than a chance to thoroughly debauch, but one could shake (and spend) one's booty • Brief, but illustrious o For 5 years NP was da pirate bomb o 1718: Woodes Rogers put a permanent stop to it
Jean David Nau (L'Olonnais)
French buccaneer (1654 - 1668) o "The Flail of the Spaniards" • Renowned torturer • Slowly cut people to pieces, pulled out tongues, popped out eyes, ate hearts... o Sacked the Spanish Main and even Gibraltar with armies of up to 1,000 buccs o Captured by Indians in Honduras - and was himself cut up, roasted, and eaten!
• St. Mary's Island, Madagascar o 1690-1715
Haven for pirates who preyed on East Indiamen (mostly British and Dutch) and the Mogul's vessels. • There was legitimate merchandise coming through because of trade roots, "fish in a barrel" o Many pirates spent time in both Madagascar and the Caribbean • Henry Avery • Thomas Tew • Christopher Condent • Bart Roberts
Spanish main (what does main mean): 3 parts
Interests in the new world (they had a monopoly on New World trade); The Antilles, New Spain (Mexico and Central America), and Tierra Firme (South America)
New Spain
Mexico and Central America; • Silver and Gold from Mexico • Dyewoods and lumber from Honduras, etc. • Agricultural products (plus chocolate!)
Tierra Firme
South America • Silver and Gold • Potosi (richest silver mine in Bolivia) o At 13,200 feet it is the highest city in South America o Between 1546 and the mid 1700s more than 40,000 TONS of silver were extracted here o That's $23 billion in today's dollars • Pearls from Venezuela • Agriculture
Spain's political actions between 1492 and 1600
Spain married, conquered, and cajoled its way into alliances with many European powers (not England)
Piracy got started ripping off _____ interests
Spanish
Corsair definition
captains with direct government support authorized to attack enemy interest • Quasi-military • Difference b/w them and navy: corsairs were more commercial, economic, bring home money (they were more offensive, navy was more defensive)
Effects of disease
o "Treatments" were laughable by today's standards... o Mercury tinctures for enemas and penile injections were sometimes looted before the booty! o Many pinks and men o'war lost half the crew or more to disease...PER VOYAGE! (but at least it kept the press gangs busy!) o Bart Roberts lost 100 of his crew during a 2 week careen in coastal Africa
Spain's monopoly 1494
o 1494- the pope made Spain "sole proprietors" o Spain claimed control over new world resources, and used them to pick fights o that didn't go over well in other parts of Europe.... (French and English)
French corsairs
o 1525-1560 the French pioneered privateering against the Spanish • Huguenots were happy to sign up o English and eventually the dutch followed after 1565 • Also protestants o Attacking Spain was a religious thing as much as economic
Pirate violence
o Flogging o Woolding • Crushes head o Sweating • Stand in front of stove, stabbed with hot pokers if movement o Keelhauling • Drag underneath keel of ship o One instance of feeding a heart to another person o Hanging • As opposed to hanging with the noose, this strangles you to death o Marooning o Etc.
Sir John Hawkins
o 1562: looted slaves from Portuguese vessels off Africa and sold them in New World ports o His daring and profitable voyage got the Queen's attention • Privateer - pirate w/permission • 1564-1567 o Liz backed him for a cut, and loaned him the Jesus of Lubeck, a 700 ton warship • Ship of the line o Took 4-6 ships on each voyage, and made nice profits • But Spain was MAD! o 1568: stuck in Veracruz when the treasure fleet arrived o The new viceroy "betrayed" Hawkins (and Drake). o Spanish/English relations on both sides of the Atlantic went to hell from there... • Sir John Hawkins o Became a naval honcho and was knighted in 1588 o Chivalrous? Slaving and pirating? o Died trying to rip off Spain some more in Puerto Rico, 1595
Buccaneer timeline
o 1605-1610: First French boucaniers in Hispaniola • Spanish kills animals on island • Turns buccs into bloodthirsty Spanish haters o 1625: driven to Tortuga o 1630: built a fort a started really harassing Spanish shipping • Buccs turn pirate o Spain tried to stop them by killing all the feral animals...it backfires o 1630s • Pierre la Grand takes a Spanish treasure galleon • Pierre Francois attacks 2 men o'war off Venezuela and wins! • 1640: the brethren of the coast
Port Royal, Jamaica
o 1655: English take Jamaica o 1657: Buccaneers brought in as hired muscle • 1657-1671 o Privateering and illicit trade in stolen and contraband goods funds growth o The "Golden Age" for pirates • The pirates of Port Royal o Supported a variety of vibrant industries o Supported dozens of bars and brothels, too! o Carousing declined some after Treaty of Madrid was enforced ca. 1672 • The merchants o Port Royal was also the only sanctioned port in Jamaica o Merchants controlled flow of • Legit merchandise • Hot merchandise • Slaves • Jamaican produce (sugar, molasses, rum) o They fenced pirate loot for cash, and took it back in the shops, whorehouses, and taverns o Dominating all trade made Port Royal's merchants incredibly wealthy! o By 1690 it was the economic hub of British America o 8,000 people and 2,000 buildings. Quite civilized. • Looked like London • 11:43am, June 7, 1692 o Earthquake! o 2/3rds of the city sinks into the harbor o The rest was flattened and raked by tsunami o 2,000 killed; 3,000 more die within weeks
Central America pirate hideouts
o 1680-1720 o Bay of Campeche o Bay of Honduras • Logwood Cutters o Similar to buccaneers • Tough, independent frontiersmen • Detached from society • Disliked Spain o Welcomed pirates in camp - many were seasonal/part time pirates
Pirate privations
o 2-4 times larger than the average man o'war or pink crew... o Hunger and thirst motivated attacks just as often as lure of booty
The pirate articles
o A de facto "constitution" that outlined contractual, obligations, individual rights and responsibilities, and guidelines for how the ship would be governed
Letter of Marque
o A royal decree granting permission to act like a depraved thieving SOB against other countries' interests
Sir Henry Morgan
o Arrived as a soldier o Helped take Jamaica from Spain, 1655 o Served alongside buccs in campaigns under Capt. Sir Christopher Myngs o See Morgan timeline on canvas • Becomes leader of buccs • Governor of Jamaica
The Sea Rovers (Dogs) (British)
o Began by trading in the New World in defiance of Spain and the Pope o Eventually turned to privateering with direct Crown support o To Spain, they were vile terrorists...
Treasure fleets impact on Spain's economy
o Brought so much silver and gold to Spain that the economy eventually crashed from runaway inflation
Tortuga Island, Haiti
o Buccaneer haven, 1625-1690 • (Most were French that fled persecution during 30 years war) • Self-governed by "Brethren of the Coast", then by complicit French administrators • Why lie with pirate dogs? o They protected growing French interests in Saint Dominique better than the navy, and cheaper! o Privateering raids were lucrative • Kept Spain occupied and away from French interests in other parts of the Caribbean • Tortuga o Population began to dwindle by 1660 o Some relocated south to Petit Goave o Others lured by the English to Port Royal
Pirate health -- injuries
o Common in combat o Lost limbs and eyes • Eyepatches • Also tactical - see better below deck (keep one eye adjusted) o Crippled pirates filled critical non-combat roles • Cooks • Seamsters • Smiths
Establishing a pirate lair
o Cooperative government, or none whatsoever o Near shipping lanes o Distant from enemy strongholds
Spain's objective (late 1400s to 1600; i.e. 15th century)
o Create a new, expanded Holy Roman Empire: a Catholic State with global reach o But others in Europe naturally resisted... • Reinforce Catholicism in the face of Protestant religion
Scurvy
o Diet aboard ship was exclusively protein and carbohydrates - no veggies! o Scurvy killed 1,000,000 seamen between 1600 and 1800 o Pirate punch with citrus juice seemed to stop it! o Dr. James Lind—Royal Navy surgeon ID'd how to prevent it: 1751
• Pieter Heyn
o Dutch privateer, struck a major blow for independence from Spain in 1628 • Dutch Independence: 1628-1648 o 31 ships, 679 guns and 3,300 men o Sacked an ENTIRE Spanish treasure fleet off Cuba o Thousands of chests of bullion worth >$100million funded the war of independence (from Spanish) • Blood in the water... o Spain is vulnerable o Britain's privateering operation includes naval and marine assaults on Spanish interests • Hispaniola • Jamaica
Spanish coinage
o Eight reales, or pieces of eight (Peso) •Minted by one of 3 spanish mints in the new world •Piece of eight = about an ounce of silver =$17 today •Were cut up into wedges to make change •2 bits= 1 quarter o doubloons •escudo • 1 escudo = 16 reales • coins came in 1, 2, and 8 escudo denominations, but the "double escudo" was most common •1 doubloon = 2 escudos = 32 reales = $540 in today's dollars! ARRR!
The captain
o Elected by popular vote o Only had authority in combat o Could be replaced by a show of hands
Mary Cartleton
o Exiled to Port Royal, Jamaica, 1671 • Prostitute o "As common as a barber's chair: no sooner was one out, but another was in..."
Bucs as mercenaries
o French, Dutch, and English captains always found a willing crew in Haiti o Privateer and Buccaneer attacks began Spain's demise
Sir Francis Drake
o Hawkins' younger cousin, was there for the Spanish treachery in 1568 o He dedicated his life to vengeance thereafter. Spain eventually called him "El Dragon" • Drake's Raids o 1570 and 1571: two minor voyages to raid Spanish shipping. o 1572: bad luck • Sacked Nombre de Dios but the loot was gone • Tried to hit the mule train and failed • April 29, 1573: Success! o He sacked the mule train with its 57,000 pounds of silver o Returned to England with >$30 million. • 'Round the World 1577-1580 o Sacked Valparaiso, Chile o Looted Cacafuego (Shitfire) o Returned to England with $110,000,000 for Liz. • Circumnavigated • 1586-1588 o Captures Santo Domingo, Cartagena, and St. Augustine, and wrought economic devastation to Spain o He returns and attacks Spain, then helps defeat the Armada! • Drake's legacy o He was instrumental in cracking Spain's monopoly and looming threat to England o Drake remains a national hero, akin to Gen. George Washington
Social organization of pirates
o Highly democratic o Checks and balances on power o Antithesis to British society (peerage system), the Royal navy, merchant capitalism
Jacques de Sores
o Huguenot o Looted Havana and burned it to the ground, 1555 o Forced the Spanish to invest more in fortifications and defense in the new world o Privateered against Spain for many years o Attacked Spanish canaries, 1570
Buccs: "The Brethren of the Coast"
o Hunted the feral cows and pigs of Hispaniola o Boucan: Roasted beef and pork jerky (from the Taino "barbacoa") o "Boucanier" (jerky salesman) became "Buccaneer" • The Bucs o A motley crew of Protestants, refugees, criminals, escaped slaves, runaway sailors and such... o Despised and harassed by the Spanish as interlopers and thieves
1523 Jean Fluery
o Jean Fluery intercepts 3 Spanish treasure ships from Mexico off Portugal o Discovered several tons of treasure looted from the Aztecs by Hernan Cortes o Took it back to France and now everyone knows "Enter the corsairs"
British influence
o Most pirates were former British merchant seamen or naval deserters o Most chose piracy as an alternative to that life o Thus, pirate ships were "bizarre" version of the legitimate maritime establishment
Bart Roberts
o Most successful pirate of the Golden Age o Captured 400+ vessels in the Atlantic and Indian ocean o Pirated longer than most, from 1719 until his death in 1722 o Personal • Born John Roberts in Wales, 1682 • Took to the sea in his early teens, served with both the Royal Navy and Pinks o Career • Captured by Howel Davis 1719 • Roberts saw how lucrative piracy was o Captain • Davis killed • Roberts elected captain of Royal Rover • Had only been on board six weeks, but had shown his "pistol proof" o BR • Captured more than 400 vessels of every flag • Hated Irishmen after being betrayed by Walter "That Bastard" Kennedy • Would kill Barbadians and Martiniquais on sight o Wrong place wrong time • Sept 1720 - Roberts encounters a 52 gun ship carrying the Gov. of Martinique • Takes ship and hangs governor o Demise • Captain James Ogle on HMS Swallow • Less ships, guns, and men but luck was on his side o Afterwards • Biggest pirate trial ever • 166 captured, 147 put on trial • 1/3 hung • sent to work camps/prison (died there)
Ship's food
o No canning or preservation, so quantity trumped quality
Why did privateering stop
o Peace breaks out o Holland/Spain 1648 o England/Spain 1670 • The golden age of piracy follows
Tortuga 1656-1690
o Piracy was the buccs sole industry and Tortuga was the world headquarters o Thousands of buccs lived on the island o 1659: chartered as a colony by Louis XIV • Gov't sends hookers • 1673-1690 o Bucc capital moved to Petit Goave because it was easier to sell stuff o 1697: Spain gives up, cedes Haiti to France
Pirate deals with authorities
o Pirates cut deals with many colonial authorities o Pirates got black market trade, safe harbor, and pardons o Colonies got "protection" and scarce goods cheap
1690-1700 era of piracy begins
o Political and economic changes made the "buccaneer model" obsolete • War between France and England (with Spain?) throughout the 18th century • Larger, more prosperous colonies demanded military presence • Becoming "pirates" o Buccaneers were not regarded as useful allies anymore o The tiger didn't change its stripes... o 1690-1730: Pirates!
Where was the navy during piracy?
o Post war (1714-1720) Royal Navy was: • Undermanned • Under shipped • Under motivated o Charged a 1/8 cut for their "protection"
Why privateering
o Privateering (i.e., legally sanctioned murder, vandalism and theft) was incredibly profitable and low-risk • (More so than the corsair model where they funded it) o Privateering brought England $20-40 million a year for the first quarter of the 17th century
For king and country
o Privateers were usually fiercely patriotic and regarded as national heroes o Their targets thought less of them
Ribault adieu.
o Returned to Ft. Caroline with 600 men in 1565 • 1565 - Spanish established St. Augustine in response (first to work) o Stumbled into fight with Aviles • First naval battle • First St. Augustine fort o Hurricanes and Spanish trickery led to everyone's death! ARRR! o Matanzas = massacre • 1568 o Fort Caroline, Jacksonville (French) • Spanish attacked and made their own o Corsair Dominique de Gourgue • French sent him to attack Fort Caroline and remove Spanish o Killed every Spaniard, burned the fort, and left satisfied. ARRR! • Fallout o France never again tried to settle the area o Focused on the West Indies instead, early 17th century
What's a privateer?
o Sails under the national fag o Has the gov't blessing and/or support o Loots enemy targets for profit o Shares proceeds with the gov't
Spanish treasure fleets
o Semi-annual treasure fleets called at new world ports Dozens of ships per fleet massed together for protection • Veracruz (mexico) • Nombre de dios (panama) • Cartagena (Columbia) • Santo domingo • San juan o Mules carried silver from the mines to Caribbean ports o Other goods were shipped to the pacific ports of Acapulco and panama then mule trained overland to Caribbean ports like Veracruz and Nombre de Dios
Woodes Rogers
o Son of a Bristol ship-owning and merchant family • Privateering o 1709-1711: took the Duke and Duchess 'round the Horn to harass Spain's Pacific fleet o 1709: found Alexander Selkirk on Juan Fernandez Island o Subsequent mission • Took 20 ships, lost half his face and part of a leg in combat • Wrote a book about it all and was widely regarded as a serious, capable man • 1714: commerce in trouble o 1714: peace breaks out, again... • Privateers out of work, again... o Now "pirates" based in New Providence, begin plundering merchant traffic from the Caribbean to Maine • Easier target than Spain • Governor Rogers, 1718 o Arrives NP 7/26/18 as Governor of the Bahamas, and immediately encounters Charles Vane! o Vane escapes (for now) and Rogers moves into this "nest of pirates" o Local piratical activities cease immediately o (5 men o'war and hundreds of soldiers can have that effect) • Dec. 9-12, 1718 o Trial for other pirates caught in the Exumas o Rogers wants to send a message... • The effects o 1718-1720: Rogers manages to hang on and secure Nassau • Rogers can be considered the founder of the Bahamas o Pirates moved to new pastures, especially the eastern seaboard
The political climate in the 16th century
o Spain was the most powerful nation in Europe. It controlled a global empire, but wanted more...
Smugglers in 17th century
o Spain's hegemony began to fade by 1600 o Refugees from the "30 years war" (1618-1648) came to the West Indies o Hid in the hinterlands o Traded illicitly to avoid Spanish taxes and authority o Began to steal goods from the Spanish to fence
Europe 1500-1600
o The continent was in an almost constant state of war, with Spain the primary instigator o "Defeat of the Spanish Armada" o 8-8-88 (that's 1588!)
Privateering as statecraft
o The practice of issuing letters of marque was ubiquitous in the 17th century o England, France, and Holland used privateers to attack Spain and each other
Rum /Rhum
o With a huge crew, theres not much to do on a ship in the middle of the ocean o Drinking, playing games gambling, shooting contests, even elaborate stage productions helped pass the times • This ain't Bacardi o Rum was 120-160 proof! o Straight up or diluted o Rum punch - mixed with fruit juices
"Enter the corsairs"
o corsair- "corsario: one who crusies" o their mission: harass and sack Spanish interests and steal their stuff for King and Country" o some used state resources, others were privateers o it was the French's idea, but the English and others soon followed o eventually independent contractors got involved : the boucaniers
"Cracking the Spanish monopoly"
o corsairs hijacked ships and even led armies to sack and burn Spanish towns o many behaved far worse than pirates, and it was all nice and legal like
Bucs form the basic structure that pirate crews use in the future
• Very similar to Bart's articles • "Custom of the coast" is their code of conduct • Elect captains and sign articles • No prey, no pay • Establish pensions for various injuries • Sharing and trust - no locks or keys aboard • Violators lose nose and ears or get marooned
Pirate health -- disease types
• W. Africa - didn't expect to survive when posted there o No germ theory of disease o There were all kinds of crazy ideas about how you caught things and how to get rid of them o Malaria: "mal air" or "bad air" • Bart Roberts - had, but survived it o Mosquito borne: • Malaria, dengue, and yellow fever o Water borne: • Dysentery/diarrhea o Wench borne: • "The French Disease" aka Syphilis • French called it "the English disease"
