This was written as part of an Introduction to Research course at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. The associated project was not undertaken.
Pirates have plundered the high seas since man first took to the ocean thousands of years ago. Although pirates hail from all nationalities, some countries produced significantly more seafaring outlaws than others. What caused this imbalance? A comparison of piratical activity and European political states during the “Golden Age of Piracy” could lead to answers. By examining historical records, an approximate number of piratical activities can be determined as well as the political and economic state of the European nations pirates hail from. The outcome of this research can be used to combat rising levels of modern-day piracy, which is a major issue off the coasts of Southeast Asia and East Africa.
Of the seventeen pirate captains discussed in Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Jobberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, nine originated from England. The others came from Wales (3), Ireland (2), US Colonies (1), Barbados (1), and Jamaica (1). Further data suggests that “at least 80 percent of the buccaneers seemed to have been English, French, or Dutch” (Kuhn 58). From these numbers, it is clear to see that England produced significantly more pirates than other nations despite similar size and access to the seas.
Little research has been conducted to determine a relationship between pirates and their country of origin. The only area where any significant research has been conducted is off the coast of Somalia where piracy has surged in recent years. One article published by Indiana University suggested that piracy was able to exist in Somalia because of “populist support and lack of a sound governmental foundation,” (Anderson 323). Although their reasoning supports the rise of piracy in Somalia, it does not explain the previous numbers provided by Johnson. Golden-age England arguably had as strong, or stronger, central government than any other nation at the time, but still produced more pirates. Another paper published in the Virginia Journal of International Law suggests Somalia’s pirate crisis is a result of extreme poverty and already rampant on-land criminal activities (Silva 565). While this adds another layer of reasoning and warrants the further research into economic factors of piracy, it still does not provide a full understanding of pirate origins.
Today, maritime piracy remains a large problem across the globe. Stefan Eklof of Lund University suggests that “[p]irate attacks actually seem to be more frequent in Southeast Asia today than they ever were during the golden age of Atlantic Piracy” (2). Current estimates say approximately 218 vessels were plundered yearly between 1716 and 1724, and approximately 368 vessels were plundered yearly between 2000 and 2004 (Eklof 2). This data shows a need for better understanding of the origins of piracy in order to better prevent more people from turning to piracy.
For this project, the “Golden Age of Piracy” will be defined as the years between 1690 and 1725. “Piracy” and “Piratical activity” will follow the definition set forth by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea:
Piracy consists of any of the following acts:
- any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft, and directed:
on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft;
against a ship, aircraft, persons or property in a place outside the jurisdiction of any State;
any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship or of an aircraft with knowledge of facts making it a pirate ship or aircraft;
any act inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in subparagraph (a) or (b). (60-61).
This study will examine the ways in which politics and economy affect the number and severity of pirate activity. It is hypothesized that greater levels of political turmoil and economic instability will correlate to greater levels of piracy.
The first part of the study will collect primary source about piratical practices in the Atlantic during the Golden Age of Piracy. Primary sources will include court testimonies, naval reports, and newspapers from attacked villages. Particular interest will be given to the history of the pirates, and reasons they may cite for taking up piracy. This study will only collect information on English, Spanish, and French pirates. The information gathered in this stage will help direct the next stage of research.
The second part of the project will collect primary sources from late 17th century and early 18th century England. These primary sources will include government documents and records to determine the political and economic state of the nation. Focus will be placed on maritime law. The third part of the study will collect primary sources from the same time period about the political and economic status of France and Spain, to use as a control. These two countries are roughly comparable in size to England and have similar access to the Atlantic Ocean, however produced significantly fewer pirates.
Finally, comparisons will be made between the political state of England and those of Spain and France. Differences will be examined further as possible causes of piracy and maritime crime.
| Element | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | April | May |
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| Write Proposal | X | X | |||||
| Submit to IRB | X | ||||||
| Research | X | X | X | X | X | ||
| Write Paper | X | X | X | ||||
| Prepare Poster & Oral Presentation | X | X | X | ||||
| Present at Spring Forum | X |
Anderson, Elliot A. “It’s a Pirate’s Life for Some: The Development of an Illegal Industry in Response to an Unjust Global Power Dynamic.” Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 17.2 (2010): 319-339.
Eklof, Stefan. Pirates in Paradise: A Modern History of Southeast Asia’s Maritime Marauders. Copenhagen: NIAS, 2006. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Johnson, Charles. “A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates.” London, 1724. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Gale. Web. 13 Nov. 2014
Kuhn, Gabriel. Life under the Jolly Roger. Oakland, CA: PM, 2010. Print.
Silva, Mario. “Somalia: State Failure, Piracy, and the Challenge to International Law.” Va. J. Int’/ L. 50 (2009): 553-578.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. N.p.: United Nations, 10 Dec. 1982. PDF.