Richard Blakemore, an Associate Professor of Social and Maritime History at the University of Reading, delves into the fascinating world of piracy in his latest book. He explores why the late 17th and early 18th centuries became the iconic period for piracy. The discussion covers the complex dynamics of Caribbean piracy, including the blurring lines between piracy and privateering, and how politics shaped figures like William Kidd. Blakemore emphasizes the intricate relationship between piracy, colonial politics, and the legal perceptions that emerged during this turbulent time.
The collective image of pirates primarily stems from the Golden Age of Piracy in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, despite piracy occurring throughout history.
Richard Blakemore identifies three models of piracy—parasitic, episodic, and intrinsic—illustrating the interconnectedness of piracy with socio-economic contexts.
The decline of piracy, epitomized by figures like Blackbeard, was influenced by loose governance in regions like the Bahamas and shifting political dynamics.
Deep dives
The Historical Context of Piracy
Piracy has been a significant aspect of maritime history, occurring in nearly all regions and eras. The prevailing image of pirates largely stems from the late 17th and early 18th centuries, known as the Golden Age of Piracy, yet this period represents just a fraction of historical sea raiding. Richard Blakemore's work explores the myriad connections between piracy and events such as the slave trade, imperial administration, and legal frameworks of the time. Such connections reveal that piracy during this golden age was intricately linked to broader economic and political changes in the Caribbean and beyond.
The Caribbean as a Piratical Hub
The Caribbean emerged as a focal point for piracy due to its unique geopolitical landscape in the mid-17th century. By 1650, large areas of the Caribbean were ungoverned, primarily under the waning Spanish Empire, which struggled to maintain control over its territories. As rival European powers like France, the Dutch, and the English began capturing smaller islands, alliances formed between them and escaped enslaved people, further complicating the region's dynamics. This ethnic and cultural diversity among European, indigenous, and African communities contributed to the Caribbean's mixed society that ultimately fueled piracy.
Models of Piracy Explained
Blakemore presents three key models of piracy: parasitic, episodic, and intrinsic. Parasitic piracy occurs when there are lucrative trade routes to exploit, such as the silver shipments from the Americas to Spain, while episodic piracy emerges during political or economic upheaval. Intrinsic piracy becomes embedded in a community's social and economic fabric, evident in places like Jamaica where plunder fueled the local economy. Understanding these models illustrates that piracy cannot be understood in isolation, as these scenarios are often interconnected within a broader socio-economic context.
The Complexity of Legal Definitions
The definitions surrounding what constituted piracy during the 17th and 18th centuries were far from straightforward, influenced by varying legal frameworks and jurisdictions. British maritime law differed significantly from that of Spain or France, complicating the classification of actions as piratical or legitimate. Pirates were often entangled in legal arguments over their actions, with accusations of piracy frequently arising from rivalries rather than clear crimes. This ambiguity illustrates how the political climate and local interests shaped the perception of piracy at the time.
The Final Surge of Piracy and Blackbeard's Legacy
The collapse of the Golden Age of Piracy culminated with figures like Blackbeard, who epitomized the chaotic nature of piracy in the early 18th century. The Bahamas became a nexus for these pirates due to loose governance and economic opportunities, particularly following the wreckage of a Spanish treasure fleet. Blackbeard's notoriety was characterized by ruthless plundering and public theatricality, which contributed to his legendary status. His demise, marked by a confrontational battle with a naval officer, solidified his place in the annals of piratical history as a symbol of defiance and lawlessness.
Maritime plundering, or piracy, has happened in nearly all regions of the world, in most ages of human history. Yet the image that we have of "a pirate" in our collective imagination comes from one period in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. So "why has that one relatively short moment come to stand for all sea raiding across time and space?"
That is the question with which Richard Blakemore begins his new book Enemies of All: The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age of Piracy. To answer it he not only surveys decades of plundering and combat at sea and on land, but also interprets court cases, parliamentary legislation, imperial administration or the lack of it, and the slave trade. For the “golden age of piracy”, like a conspiracy theory of the Kennedy assassination, at times seems to be connected to pretty much everything else going on at the same time. Except that in the case of piracy from 1650 to 1722, it actually was.
Richard Blakemore is Associate Professor of Social and Maritime History at the University of Reading. Enemies of All is his second book.
For Further Investigation
We've talked about pirates of the "golden age" with Steve Hahn in Episode 87; and they came up again in, of all places, in the history told by trees in Episode 156
Probably the previous single best book about pirates in the "golden age", both factual and fictional, was David Cordingly, Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates (Random House, 1995)
Marcus Rediker provides a view of pirates as proto-Bolsheviks in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age; Peter T. Leeson describes them as highly rational market actors in The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates
And for more on one of the most curious episodes we talked about, see Robert C. Ritchie, Captain Kidd and the War against the Pirates–a great book
There are a lot of bad editions of Charles Johnson, General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates, but this is the best one until we can convince Richard Blakemore to produce an edited and annotated version.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
