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The Impact of Pirates and of Piracy on the Spanish Empire
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At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the Haitian Revolution and the Latin American War of Independence, the 1823 United States Gazette estimated that almost 3,000 attacks had been made on merchant ships by pirates inhabiting the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Piracy in this region not only contributed to financial loss but frequently, murder and torture were seen as well. The 1820s was comprised of a resurge of pirates who had not been seen since the days of Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts in the previous century. This increase led insurance companies to raise their premiums above those charged at the height of the British blockade in 1815 which further hindered the common mariner’s ability to sail and trade.
Piracy in the early 19th century was popular with over an estimated 10,000 participants. Historians believe it was so successful predominately in this region due to the lucrative trade routes between New Orleans, South America and Puerto Rico. Pirates found it easy to travel in secret while covered by the geography of the surrounding coastline. Political turmoil in the first half of the 19th century facilitated these acts. Spanish pirates, in particular, found success due to their longtime protection from Cuba and Puerto Rico which made the Caribbean an agreeable place to repair, recruit, relax, and sell their winnings. Neutral countries, such as the United States, were drawn into this arena when privateers moved from targeting their prizes to attacking any readily available vessels in the area.
On 19 December 1818, the United States’ Vessel, the Emma Sophia was held up by a Spanish privateer in the Santaren Channel. She surrendered because she was not armed. In the struggle, an officer was taken to be hange...
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...rates to succeed in the open waters alone. Pirates also lost their justification when the Spanish accepted the independence of their former colonies in South and Central America so piracy all but vanished when the governors in Cuba and Puerto Rico stopped providing support. The Navy’s relentless fighting contributed to a great decrease in piracy within ten years which not only led to greater United States prosperity but that of all nations with commerce paths through that region.
Works Cited
Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center. “Operations Against West Indian Pirates, 1822-1830s”
July 15, 1996. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/stream/faq45-7.htm.
Konstam, Angus, and Angus McBride. Privateers and Pirates 1730-1830.
Osceola: Osprey, 2001.
Wombwell, James A. “19th-Century Piracy.” The Long War Against Piracy: Historical Trends. (2010): 36-49.
Between 2005 and 2012, Somali pirates have hijacked hundreds of ships and collected in total, ransoms between 339 million dollars or 413 million dollars. Each pirate makes between $30,000 and $75,000 per boat, and between all of them a 2.7 million dollar haul, which makes it a profitable and enticing endeavor. Although it may seem like a simple operation, there are quite a few factors that play into their pay. Each pirate receives additions in pay based upon their actions. An example is a crew mate might receive a $10,000 bonus for being the first on the ship to be hijacked. However, they also r...
Firstly, the Caribbean smuggling was viewed as necessary and positive in the late eighteenth century. According to William Taggart, a British sailor traveling to testify at his smuggling trial in April 1760, the illegal transportation of goods from the Spanish port of Monte Christi led to general prosperity in the area, as there were only 100 relatively poor families and that the governor had full knowledge of this and demanded a tax of one silver Spanish coin. Taggart mi...
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.
Throughout the film there are parts of historical piracy that are shown. In the start of the film, pirate Hector Barbossa is shown as a new privateer for the English. It is revealed that Captain Barbossa is not sailing the seas for the King, but instead
February 15th, 1898, all is quiet in Havana Harbor. The crew of the USS Maine is sound asleep less a few solitary watchmen. The brackish sea air and the calm ocean breeze are soothing and peaceful. This would hardly suggest the terror about to erupt on this “peaceful” visit to the Spanish-controlled Cuban harbor. At 9:45PM, a violent explosion rips the Maine apart sending it plummeting down to the muddy sea floor and killing nearly all of her crew. All of the Spanish boats in the harbor rushed to the aid of the American vessel and its survivors: the commander, Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, and a few lucky crewmembers. Even though Captain Sigsbee, a favorite of the Naval Department, urged President McKinley not to react in an aggressive manner toward Spain, the media, namely New York newspaper editors Pulitzer and Hearst, already inflating current issues relating to the Cuban revolution, spin the incident out of control. The American public goes mad with suspicion of Spanish fowl play and the sinking of the USS Maine serves as the immediate catalyst to the Spanish-American war.
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
By the beginning of the 1700’s piracy was deeply ingrained in the caribbean which led to permanent colonies, thriving cities, and the creation of a steady flow of money coming into of all professions. The caribbean’s
It consists of hijacking vessels and demanding a ransom. While their actions did not attract much attention in the beginning, publicity and awareness of this issue has steadily increased. The purpose of this paper is to show that the Somali pirate culture has reached a point, where they successfully influence the global economy, which has consequences in countries around the world. By controlling international trade routes, Somali pirates uphold this power. These efforts by the Somali pirates exhibit their disparity and signify that they will not allow the piracy of their own resources without retaliation.
The Horn of Africa is also a hotspot for piracy, primarily Somali pirates (Kraska 2011). In 2010, Somali pirates successfully attacked 219 ships on the waters around the Horn of Africa (up two from the previous year) and have expanded their operations to roughly 2,500 miles from Somalia’s coast (Kraska 2011). Successful captures of vessels usually include many hostages that can be held for ransom. The number of hostages held by pirates in Somalia increased from 263 in 2009 to 1,181 in 2010 (Kraska 2011).
On March 5th 1770, five people fell dead on Kings Street from shots fired by British soldiers. Weeks after the shooting, more than 90 people of all colonie ranks gave their testimonies. Some say that Captain Preston and his men are guilty of murder and should be hanged, and some say they are a lawful assembly and not guilty of murder, that they were acting in pure self-defense. I will prove Captain Preston and his men are not guilty of murder, through eyewitnesses and testimonies.
The image of the Virgin Mary seen by Juan Diego has changed the world. About forty years after Mary’s appearance to Diego, it is believed to be a turning point in western civilization. At this time there were a lot of copies of the painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe being circulated around Europe and one ended up in the hands of Admiral Giovanni Andrea Doria. The King of Spain gave this special copy to him. There were three hundred Turkish ships blocking the Gulf of Lepanto and the admiral was given command of a squadron to sail to the blockade. The Christian fleet consisting of about three hundred ships was to meet the Turkish navy head on. However, the Turkish outmaneuvered the Christian forces. It is said that when this crucial hour was at hand, Doria went into his cabin to kneel and pray before the Image of Guadalupe. By nightfall the direction of the battle started to shift. One Turkish squadron was defeated and captured causing the others to panic which lead to the destruction of the whole fleet. Fifteen thousand Christians that were enslaved in the Turkish galleys were freed. This battle marked the end of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion into the western Mediterranean.1
Most people are familiar with the words pirate, privateer, and buccaneer. These words are all names given to groups of pirates. They were all essentially the same thing, with slight differences. In one case, however, you could be considered a legal pirate. These men were called privateers. “A privateer was a pirate who by commission or letter of marque from the government was authorized to seize or destroy a merchant vessel of another nation (http://www.piratesinfo.com/fact/famous.html).” Many kings hired privateers to help weaken their enemies. Privateers would sail the seas and loot and pillage ships in the name of their country. They tended to stay as far from the coast as possible to avoid any navy that might be about. Privateers with a letter of marque were considered legal by international law and they were not supposed to be charged with the act of piracy. However, more often that not, if the enemy managed to seize a privateer, they would oft...
The Renaissance was a time of great change in Europe beginning in the late middle ages. Philosophies and culture shifted, and so did rebellion. Many feared the seas, for thieves and murderous gangs filled it. Privateers or crews who received funding from royalty or other authorities to fight enemies were corrupt, but they were not the main cause for worry.(Paine) Pirates were the ones who were feared by many and adored by few. Pirates traveled the seas in search of fortune. They would often murder, kidnap and use any other violence necessary to get what their greedy hearts desired.(Paine)(Aldrete) Only the most desperate and greedy would dare to join the bands of rebels because it took specific traits to be a pirate.(Aldrete) To be a successful pirate during the Renaissance, one needed fighting skills, perseverance, and the demeanor to carry out difficult and cruel tasks.
Although Britain cannot be blamed though for lack of trying, piracy still exists today. Yet, because the act continues at sea often far from land, it gains little media attention, and therefore less action from governments. China, despite being a number one producer of pirates, continues to deny that there is a problem while at the same time often pardoning those who are caught. Countries such as Indonesia and Philippines, which have been hardest hit in the past few years by pirates, are looking for international assistance. The West is, of course, looked to for solutions yet choose seemingly chooses to turn a blind eye, perhaps in the name of diplomacy. When the world is ready to combat the perpetual problem of piracy, it may discover that by intertwining tougher policies aimed at dealing with piracy with current or future trade negotiations, productive steps can be taken to initiate plans to curtail modern day sea wolves who prey on the helpless. The suggestion of ‘Piracy Charters’ will be discussed further as the means of which to add the topic of to multilateral agreements.
The pirate code as it is called in the movie could be considered an analogy to U.S. Constitution for being rules that it’s citizens follow that make up the very being of what makes an American an American or what makes a pirate, a pirate. Becoming a pirate was basically the original American Dream, the idea of coming to America to free oneself and be given a chance to make a name for themselves as well, this is the same for pirates leaving British control and being able to live freely and claim fame for themselves. This is shown in the movie when they go to Tortuga and the town is in anarchy, yet everyone is happy to be free and even though it doesn’t look like it the town is still thriving. Pirates are just men who are looking for a better life beyond what they are living now without the constraints that the government put on them while they were citizens. Americans are the same way and that was how the United States came to be formed because the US didn’t not accept the control that Britain had, so they fought back to free themselves and develop a new country. The diversity of America could also be seen in the Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew, which included African-Americans, women, midgets, and a parrot. This also goes for any of the pirate crew presented in the movie, while the British soldiers are all Caucasian and almost all the citizens