Jolly Roger Dbq Essay

During the Golden Age of Piracy, crime on the high seas flourished. Many individuals had a positive outlook toward a life under the Jolly Roger because they believed they would be independent of the national laws set in place, and more importantly, they expected to be treated better than the typical sailor. It was common for former seaman to become dastardly pirates as they hoped to escape the life of poverty, share out equally in prize money, and to become rich on the plunders of treasure and cargo ships. However, with the increase in privateers around 1717, many pirates were persecuted and brought to justice. With the number of pirate attacks around the world slowly declining, it was assumed that piracy was never to be heard of again, but

piracy was never truly abolished. Modern day piracy still exists throughout different parts of the globe, including Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, and between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. With enhanced forms of trade from 1945 onward, the transport of cargo on huge vessels and supertankers has proven to be a primary target for acts of piracy. Contemporary pirates have similar aspirations for wealth and plunder as do pirates historically, but they have significant differences in their motivations for conducting such a crime. The global phenomenon of piracy, both historic and current, exemplifies unique motivations, prominent reasons for the existence of the crime, as well as a reoccurring motif for the unsettled solution to the issue.
Historical piracy began as early as 1450, and prospered during the years of 1620 and 1720, which was otherwise known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Many individuals who had partaken in the life of piracy were former seamen for naval vessels and merchant ships. The conditions aboard naval ships were deplorable: wages were insufficient, the quality and amount of food served was appalling, the ship offered cramped living spaces, and slipups were disciplined vigorously (Vallar). A life as a pirate appeared to have its perks, compared to a prior seamen lifestyle. Piracy offers the chance to start life anew, by leaving the tedious and dreary life on land for a life under the Jolly Roger where every man is equal. As opposed to naval vessels, pirate crews are able to choose their own captains and create their own rules and regulations to ensure the equality of the men on board and to verify the proper sharing of the acquired treasures. This type of freedom is not available to men who work for the government, so it would seem that defying the law appears to be a prominent motivation for a life in piracy. It allows these men to provoke in whatever activity and share in the plunder awarded without a punishment. On the contrary, this tactic did not last for very long.
Privateering began with the intentions to bring piracy to an end.

With the issuing of the Letters of Marque and Reprisal, which were the “the official documents by which 18th-century governments commissioned private commercial ships, known as privateers, to act on their behalf, attacking ships carrying the flags of enemy nations,” (“Congress Authorizes”) privateers began to hunt down pirates, bring them to justice, and clear the waters of hostility. The Letters of Marque also stated that any fortunes found aboard a ship were to be shared with the captain of the privateer voyage and the government that had issued such letter. Due to the large profits obtained from these missions, there was an increase in the desire to become privateers; however, some men became greedy and wanted more than just half the share of the recovered goods found aboard captured ships. The lure of the possible rewards a pirate could procure was a motivation enough for the crime. One example of a privateer turned pirate was Edward Teach, who is more formerly known as

Blackbeard.
Blackbeard began his maritime piracy career peacefully, as he found work sailing the West Indies as a merchant seaman. During this time frame, the War of Spanish Succession broke out, and any Englishman with “sea legs” were recruited as privateers in the service of Queen Anne (Asfar 150). It was at this point in history where Blackbeard embarked in a life as a privateer, sailing out of the coast of Jamaica around the year of 1710. It can be confirmed with Blackbeard’s notorious reputation, that he did not have any difficulty with the transition from commerce to violence. When peace was negotiated in 1713, and the need for privateering came to an end, as stated by Dan Asfar, “Teach suddenly found himself deprived of an outlet for this talent and so pursued what he saw as the only other option for a rum-loving, cutlass-swinging sea dog such as himself” (151). He pursued a life of piracy, which was also true for many other privateers. Vallar states that when Europe was at war, the nations recruited seamen to serve as naval men on their vessels as well as privateers, but when peace arose, these men were out of a job. The Royal Navy employed 53,000 men and dismissed 40,000 of those seamen once the war was over (Vallar). The choice was simple for some of these individuals: find other employment or die of hunger and poverty. The men who only had a background of a life at sea primarily chose to turn to piracy, which was the prominent choice for Blackbeard.
Blackbeard made his way to the Bahamas, where he met the infamous Benjamin Hornigold. He soon became his best student and protégé, and later after boarding and capturing the Concorde, Teach requested that he command the newly seized ship, to which Hornigold approved as he was exiting the piracy lifestyle. Blackbeard renamed the ship the Queen Anne’s Revenge after the Queen of England. Blackbeard exemplifies the exact qualities of a dastardly pirate as he always sought to cause chaos and defy authority. Asfar offers a rational explanation for Blackbeard’s actions as a pirate to which he states, “Piracy amounted to his declaration of war against the civilized world, and he wanted it known that he was not afraid of any authority’s agents – not its magistrates, not its priests, and certainly not its soldiers” (159). He certainly was not fearful of the repercussions that followed his unlawful actions. In May of 1717, Blackbeard came across a ship commanded by a man of the name Stede Bonnet; however, Bonnet was not your typical pirate, and could be foreseen as the anomaly of piracy. He originates from a rather wealthy family, with no economic necessity for a piracy lifestyle. He was a distinguished plantation owner and made large profits off of sugar cane production in Barbados. It came to a surprise for many of his acquaintances that he would choose such a lifestyle because he had no knowledge of the sea and what it took to operate a ship. Many of the individuals pitied the man, and believed that he was ill for making such decisions, but this was no mistake.
Stede Bonnet was made a captive on Blackbeard’s ship after his own ship, Revenge, was confiscated by Blackbeard and his crew; conversely, Bonnet was enthused by the idea of being amongst a pirate such as the disreputable Blackbeard that he willingly chose to join the crew. Bonnet was promoted as one of Blackbeard’s captains soon after his addition to the pirate crew, and the two men worked together rather cohesively. This demonstrates the idea that pirates originated from many different nations, backgrounds, and social statuses. The idea of piracy was not strictly limited to those individuals who were suffering from unemployment and a life of poverty, who had no other option or outlet for a way to survive. Individuals such as Stede Bonnet and Dr. John Hincher were educated and affluent men, yet they chose to partake in the pirate way of life (Vallar). It would appear that Bonnet’s primary reasons for choosing such a lifestyle was for the pure enjoyment and thrill of leaving domestic life on the land for an extravagant and action filled life on the sea. Nonetheless, some pirates were not so willing to become a pirate at first and were forced into joining the crew, as was Dr. John Hincher.
When pirates seize a ship, they have one of two options: kill the crew and ransack the ship for all of its valuable belongings, or keep the men who acquire some seamanship skills and use them for their assets, such as Dr. Hincher. According to Vallar, “Able-bodied seamen, however, especially those who possessed a specialized skill (surgeons, carpenters, coopers, and musicians) had no such option” (Vallar). This was true for Dr. Hincher, as he was forced against his will to work as a surgeon on the ship of Edward Low. Pirate crews always needed members who were well affiliated with the sea and the operations onboard a ship, as well as those individuals who procure specialized skills. These characters were not easy to come by and so many pirate captains forced them to join in their devious ways. A famous example of a pirate who was forced against his will to join the crew was Bartholomew Roberts. Bartholomew Roberts, otherwise known as Black Bart, is famous for his pirate code of conduct that he enforced aboard his ship; however, what many do not know about him is that piracy was not his first option.
Bartholomew Roberts originally sailed as second mate on the Princess, where he was later taken prisoner and forced into a life of piracy by Captain Howell Davis. Johnson states, “In the beginning he was very averse to this sort of life, and would certainly have escaped from them, had a fair opportunity presented itself; yet afterwards he changed his principles, as many besides him have done upon another element, and perhaps for the same reasons too” (194). Howell Davis was later replaced as captain by none other than Bartholomew Roberts, who had only been with the crew for a mere six weeks. With his election, he states, “Since I hath dipp’d my hands in muddy water, and must be a pyrate, it is better being a commander than a common man" (195). Once individuals were forced into a life of piracy, it was common for these newfound pirates to make the best of the situation and to become one of the best. Many of the historical pirates did not have original intentions for a life in piracy, but once they were taken hostage aboard a pirate ship, they did not have any other option. However, this was not always the case. Another obscure motivation for piracy was one which was possessed by Samuel Bellamy.
Samuel Bellamy was not your typical cold-hearted, malicious pirate; he embarked in a life of piracy for love. He was in love with a young woman by the name of Maria Hallet of Eastham, Massachusetts. Bellamy was a “poor sailor” in the eyes of Maria’s parents, and they believed that he would not make much of a husband for their daughter (“Captain Bellamy”). With treasure and fortune in mind, he and a friend, Palgrave Williams, began to hunt for treasure in the remains of shipwrecks. This tactic did not last very long and Samuel Bellamy, the “Rogue Romeo,” (“Captain Bellamy”) turned to a life of piracy and was later known as “Black Sam.” With his most famous capture of the Whydah, which was worth more than two thousand pounds sterling, Bellamy was ready to return home to his love with his newfound fortune; however, every love story appears to end with a tragedy. On April 26, 1717, Bellamy and majority of his crew were killed in a brutal storm which sunk the ship. Although it may appear that every pirate had intentions of violence and chaos once they sailed under the Jolly Roger, Bellamy definitely was unique. An even more unique case of piracy was that of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, in which Bonny shared very similar motivations for piracy as she too, followed her heart for a life filled with romance.
Women pirates were not very common during the great age of piracy; however, Anne Bonny and Mary Read were an exception.

These women were two of the most feared female pirates of the early 18th century, and many wonder why they chose to embark in a life of adventure on the high seas. Historians Rudolf M. Dekker and Lotte C. van de Pol deduced that Anne Bonny disobeyed her father’s orders and followed her instincts for a life full of adventure and romance, while Mary Read chose to leave her life of poverty behind for a more opportunistic future and for economic necessity (Rediker 105). Anne was married to a man by the name of James Bonny, and the two moved to New Providence where Anne became acquainted with John Rackham, who is more commonly known as Calico Jack. She fell in love with Calico and joined his crew of pirates, leaving her husband behind. It would appear that love is a strange motivation for a life in piracy, but with Anne’s aggressive and vicious background, she settled right in underneath the Jolly Roger. On the other hand, Mary Read had very different incentives that brought her into the lifestyle. Unlike Anne, Mary was born into a very poor family and in order to escape her life of poverty, she chose to suit up as a man and join the voyage shipping to the West Indies (Johnson 153). The ship was later captured by pirates and the captain of the ship asked Mary to join his crew, in which she eagerly accepted. Although she never had the idea of piracy in mind, the

opportunity for wealth and plunder were encouraging factors in her decision. Maritime women pirates however, did not last in the current age of piracy.