In his text, Rediker follows the evolution of the merchant seaman, from a wage laborer looking for work, to an employee of a brutal and often times unfair labor system, to a pirate, striking out against the establishment that hired him, in an effort to gain fair compensation for work performed. In the seafaring world of the 17th and 18th centuries, many changes were taking place in the economy. The form of labor changed from a share system to a wage system. Trade shifted from luxury goods to bulk goods, such as tobacco and sugar. (Rediker 112) And the scope and authority of the trading community widened and organized itself into a well oiled profit based international business. In all of these changes, the merchant seaman was a cog, caught …show more content…
(Rediker 112) While there were several ways for a seaman to obtain pay, the most common form of payment was on a monthly basis. (Rediker 118-19) The amount of pay varied according to a sailor’s occupation. Additionally, they were paid more during wartime than during peacetime. (Rediker 121-23) It was during peacetime that the sailors had the most difficult time supporting themselves. While they were afforded the opportunity to supplement their income by bringing small amounts of trade items onboard, it seems clear that there were many ways for the captains and the merchant owners to circumvent this. (Rediker …show more content…
Because of this ill treatment, some sailors decided to become pirates. The system of piracy was a particularly egalitarian one. It reinstituted the medieval method of payment, by offering each member shares of the profit, which in the sailor’s mind meant better pay for their labor. Additionally, as written in the codes the pirates followed, the ship was run by the crew, not the captain. The crew had the ability to depose a captain that treated them unfairly. (Rediker 261-62) In many cases piracy offered better working conditions, better food, better pay, and better leadership. However, an organized effort to eradicate the threat of piracy began to take shape in the late 1720’s. Colonial governors began offering bounties on the heads of pirates and the Royal Navy engaged in a much more organized and focused attack on such enterprises. (Rediker 283) These factors, combined with the inability of pirates to organize on a large scale, lead to only a short reign at sea for these ill-treated rebels. (Rediker
The film ‘Galipoli’ directed by Peter Weir displays mate-ship in many different styles. The market scene in the film articulates the meaning
This paper investigates why Donald McKay is the father of American clipper ships. He was born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, September 4, 1810.2 When Donald was sixteen years old he had the desire to learn the trade of ship building, so he went to New York. In 1826 New York was the worlds best shipbuilder and shipbuilding was America’s leading industry. McKay decided that in order to learn the trade he must obtain an apprenticeship. So he became an apprentice to Isaac Web who has appropriately been called the “Father of Shipbuilders”. This is because more successful master shipbuilders came out of Web’s shipyard than from any other place in America.3 At the conclusion of his apprenticeship he went on to work for Brown & Bell. In 1832 packet building was the best and most readily available work in New York. The majority of these ships were built at Isaac Web’s, Brown & Bell’s, and Smith & Dimon’s. At this time McKay was what would be called a free lance ship wright. McKay then married Albenia Martha Boole the eldest daughter of John Boole.4 At this time McKay then went to Newburyport and formed a partnership with William Currier.
There are many instances in Ken Mitchell's play The Shipbuilder, where the main character Jaanus Karkulainen, insists on being called by his Finnish name Karkulainen. In the play, many characters call him Johnny Crook. This situation creates controversy about names and shows how important names are to some people. Jaanus and Jukka create most of this controversy.
The book takes place in the Atlantic Trading Triangle which was used to carry slaves and other goods across the Atlantic during the 1700 and 1808. Rediker uses first-hand accounts of the of the slaves that were passengers to illustrate
Cordingly’s book Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates tells the story of many different pirates of different time periods by the facts. The book uses evidence from first hand sources to combat the image of pirates produced by fictional books, plays, and films. Cordingly explains where the fictional ideas may have come from using the evidence from the past. The stories are retold while still keeping the interest of the audience without having to stray from the factual
The word "privateer" conjures a romantic image in the minds of most Americans. Tales of battle and bounty pervade the folklore of privateering, which has become a cherished, if often overlooked part of our shared heritage. Legends were forged during the battle for American independence, and these men were understandably glorified as part of the formation of our national identity. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of these men were common opportunists, if noteworthy naval warriors. The profit motive was the driving force behind almost all of their expeditions, and a successful privateer could easily become quite wealthy. In times of peace, these men would be common pirates, pariahs of the maritime community. Commissioned in times of war, they were respected entrepreneurs, serving their purses and their country, if only incidentally the latter. However vulgar their motivation, the system of privateering arose because it provided a valuable service to thecountry, and indeed the American Revolution might not have been won without their involvement. Many scholars agree that all war begins for economic reasons, and the privateers of the war for independence contributed by attacking the commercial livelihood of Great Britain's merchants.
In the first case the judge would like to show the 3 men sympathy but he believes he isn’t above the law, he sentences the death penalty. The philosophical label of this judge is legal positivism. One thing that the judge says to back this up is “As much as I would personally wish that these men could return to their families and put this tragic event behind them, I cannot permit them to do so. I am not free to make the law”. This quote showed that this judge was a legal positivist because he says that he wants to show them sympathy and let them return to their families, but he is not free to make the law and he is not above the law. Another quote to back this up is “I have sworn an oath to apply the law that authorized legislators have enacted”. Similar to the last quote, the judge is showing that whether he wants to be sympathetic or not he cannot because he has sworn an oath to the law that he cannot break. One weakness of this theoretical approach is that it is very ruthless. These men did not have a choice, killing Ozzie was the only way for the men to
The Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650, and ended around 1730. Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea, but can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the criminal. The term has been used throughout history to refer to raids across land borders by non-state agents. A pirate is one who commits robberies at sea, usually without being allotted to do so by any particular nation. The usual crime for piracy can include being hung, or publically executed. Some of the most famous pirates who were killed either because of piracy, or because of natural causes, are Barbarossa, Stede Bonnet, Anne Bonney, Sir Francis Drake, Captain Greaves, William Kidd, Jean Laffite, Sir Henry Morgan, Mary Read, and Giovanni da Verrazano.
These four dramas did not operate in isolation, of course, but understanding the dynamics of each paints a more complete picture of how the trade was able to flourish for almost 400 years and how it finally was able to be stopped. Rediker's thesis spoke about the four dramas that were played out on the ships by “the ship captain, the motley crew, the multi-ethnic enslaved, and towards the end of the period, middle-class abolitionists” (6). These smaller stories within one set setting is what makes this book and its intent so brilliant. We hear tragic incidents such as “they died from starvation” or “they got separated from their family” and that’s it; that’s where most people stop at. Rediker forces the reader to acknowledge the depth in these
Conclusively, Austen portrays key differences in characteristics in order to enhance her point of how some professions began to “hold out the promise of a more open society.” She pays particular interest to the navy profession as it represents the new meritocratic people who have earned their wealth. Austen’s representation using the contrasting identites of Captain Wentworth and Admiral Croft against Sir Walter Elliot serves to illuminate the growing concern of the upper class and how their shallow characteristics fail to welcome the change caused by the war.
The setting for this novel was a constantly shifting one. Taking place during what seems to be the Late Industrial Revolution and the high of the British Empire, the era is portrayed amongst influential Englishmen, the value of the pound, the presence of steamers, railroads, ferries, and a European globe.
British Naval Documents 1204-1960, 548-50; Shipboard Life and Organisation, 1731-1815, ed. B. Lavery (NRS, Vol. 138, 1998), 377-9, 391-409.
While over the past few centuries, new pirate perceptions have been introduced, some have managed to withstand time and Pop Culture. The infamous Jolly Roger flag that is seen accompanying pirate ships, known for the intimidating skulls and weapons on a black flag used to be a red flag used by privateers for the same reason during the 1600’s and eventually developed into a black flag (Konstam). Initially, for the same use this is a prime example of how a traditional concept from pirates can stay over time and is rooted in truth. The first Pirates of the Caribbean film describes a pirate code which dates back centuries (Shultz). The pirate code originated with a confederation of pirates, whose concepts such as “no prey, no pay” for fairness
Individual members of a business system are affected by changes observed by any other member of that system, the effect of which could be positive or negative. The Maritime Industry forms part of such a system. Changes in behaviour or policy impinge on dramatic variances in performance in a matter of days. The changes are not limited to that of 'International Maritime Policy' but also changes in other areas of business. There are varying opinions and arguments as regards the effect of such changes on The Maritime Industry and if changes in policy are necessary depending on the aforesaid effects.
Piracy was a large issue back in the 1500’s and it still is a huge issue today. Every day there are ships and vessels getting hijacked on the coast of Somalia and other African countries. The movie Captain Phillips directed by Paul Greengrass gave an in-depth look of what is going on in those areas and shows how much pirates have evolved over the years. While there are many popular myths and legends in the world of piracy, there is a real factual history of this naval culture. Looking at their history, tactics, famous figures, and the development into the modern age, we can have a better understanding of the real world of pirates.