Midterm

Question 1

Elizabeth I

Answer 1

Queen of England during the War of Spanish Succession; “Armada Portrait” shows power of English over the sea, while imperial crown visualizes imperial power; enlists privateers called “Elizabethan Sea Dogges” to wreck havoc on Spanish war ships along Caribbean; ruled over time period of maritime expansion

Question 2

Sea Dogges

Answer 2

privateers associated and employed by Queen Elizabeth I in the 1580s/90s; shared little commonalities with Golden Age pirates; no equal distribution of wealth; inequal hierarchy aboard ships, own of vessel profited the most; Francis Drake and John Hawkins

Question 3

Sir Francis Drake

Answer 3

Privateer, “Sea Dogge”; B. 1540 in England; traveled with cousin John Hawkins in privateering expeditions; some piracy, trade, slaves; Caribbean privateering against Spanish vessels; circumnavigation aboard Golden Hinde in 1577; died in 1595 due to botched raiding expedition against the Spanish in the Caribbean

Question 4

Privateering

Answer 4

government-commissioned and privately promoted action against enemy shipping and goods in time of war; having letters of marque (!) for a private individual to take action against an enemy; most notable during the war of Spanish succession

Question 5

The Golden Hinde

Answer 5

circumnavigation voyage commanded by Sir Francis Drake, 1577-80; massively successful, celebrated by Elizabeth I upon arrival; English myth to this day

Question 6

Buccaneers

Answer 6

Bridge between the Privateers and Golden Age pirates; those active during the piracy flourish in the Caribbean and Americas, 1650s-1710s; conflicts between the Spanish and French Huguenots, constant warring and looting of vessels; those out of work after the end of the war of Spanish succession! (privateering exists no longer)

Question 7

Tortuga

Answer 7

Pirate base off the coast of Northern Haiti; port became buccaneer stronghold; active against the Catholic Spain and Cuba; during Golden Age, piracy centered around this hub

Question 8

Alexander Exquemelin

Answer 8

Author of “The Buccaneers of America” (1678); first-hand accounts of the buccaneers, violent and entertaining to the public; sensationalized (!); started the standard image of what we think of pirates today within the mainstream/pop culture

Question 9

Sir Henry Morgan

Answer 9

Welsh pirate; Important member of Cromwell’s expedition in the Caribbean, 1645; infamous for raiding Spanish settlements, establishing and leading Hispaniola, and capturing Jamaica in 1655; hailed as hero in England; rest of life devoted to comfort and politics in Jamaica (very wealthy!)

Question 10

The Atlantic World c. 1700

Answer 10

Primary sources- witnesses, firsthand account, maps, letters, navy records, engravings, shipwrecks
Secondary sources- textbooks, etc.
“… a sudden and harsh encounter between two old worlds that transformed both and integrated them into a single New World…” (Meinig)
Prescence of 5 imperial powers: Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and England

Question 11

Taino

Answer 11

Cuba, Trinidad, Hispaniola; Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and other islands; Society divided into two classes (naborias= commoners, nitainos= nobles); chiefdoms were governed by caciques; matrilineal societies; caciques were advised by priests or healers known as bohiques; settlements varied in size depending on location; some seafaring and settlement movement around the island; large emphasis on canoes, used for travel- not hunting!

Question 12

Sugar

Answer 12

“White gold”; increased the economic value of the Caribbean colonies; massive abundance of plantation establishments, greater need for sugar= greater need for slaves; massive involvement of the Transatlantic trade

Question 13

Slavery in the Caribbean

Answer 13

Began with enslavement of the natives (died out due to enslavement and brutal treatment); transatlantic slave trade, importance of need for sugar, tobacco, cotton; planter reliance on African slaves; some resistance within the Caribbean- Jamaica, Haiti

Question 14

Marronage

Answer 14

process of escaping slavery, then creating or joining a community; extracting oneself from slavery; petit vs grand (leaving for a while, coming back vs. leaving for good!); maroon communities in isolation

Question 15

War of Spanish Succession

Answer 15

era of privateering, letters of marque and reprisal, admiralty courts, Treaty of Madrid (1670, legitimized English claims in the Caribbean, some peace between Spain and England); struggle for succession of Charles II of Spain, between Charles of Hapsburg vs. Philip of Anjou; ended in 1713

Question 16

Treaty of Madrid

Answer 16

1670, legitimized English claims in the Caribbean; lessened need for Privateers; Spain formally recognizes English colonies in the Caribbean, leads to some peace

Question 17

Treaty of Utrecht

Answer 17

1713, Britain gains Gibraltar, territory in North America, and in Mediterranean; Philip V confirmed as King of Spain; End of French domination in Europe; France recognizes that the Hanoverian Protestants in power are legitimate, less push for the Stuart line

Question 18

Port Royal, Jamaica

Answer 18

heart of colonial privateering where captured ships were brought; vice-admiralty court and privateering base; profits to local merchants; earthquake (1692) and fire (1703) leads to shift to Kingston; constant threat of Spanish and slave revolt

Question 19

Henry Jennings

Answer 19

Former Privateer and Pirate hunter, leads an English raid on the wreck of Spanish gold of July 1715 (Spanish fleet off Florida), captured upon returning to Jamaica and labeled a pirate

Question 20

Edward Teach/Thatch

Answer 20

“Blackbeard”, 1680-1718; Bristol, England and the Atlantic world; privateering during the War of Spanish Succession; alliance with Benjamin Hornigold; “Blackbeard” image; Spanish Main- Cuba and Hispaniola; literacy and education helped him rise through the ranks

Question 21

Benjamin Hornigold

Answer 21

Pirate Captain, chose not to harass English or Dutch ships; former privateer; founder of pirate republic in Nassau; member of the Flying Gang, pirate crew operating out of Nassau

Question 22

Nassau, Bahamas

Answer 22

New Providence Island; establishes as Charles Town c. 1670 for commerce; burned by Spanish in 1684; rebuilt by Gov. Nicholas Trott in 1685, some warring between Bridgeman and Trott until pirate prevailed; pirate operating base moving forwards

Question 23

Republic of Pirates

Answer 23

centered around Bahamas; founded by Benjamin Hornigold; main operation out of Nassau

Question 24

Charles Johnson

Answer 24

1724, author of “A General History of Pyrates”; speculation about his true identity, Daniel Defoe, Nathaniel Mist- a maritime sailor and journalist, both a Jacobite and sailor, believed in anti-liberal individuals being removed from power; seems enamored by pirates, wrote in positive light to appeal to the public

Question 25

Royal Navy Impressment

Answer 25

heavy reliance on forcing sailors to join- instances of kidnapping; press gang; "spirits"= went into taverns/inns to find men; "crimps"= approached drunkards/indebted

Question 26

Sailors in early 18c.

Answer 26

considered the lowest of the working class; forced to sail the entire length of the journey, or as stated in their contract; extremely low wages and poor living conditions aboard ship; own culture developed as a result of being so far removed from civilization- language, clothing, etc.

Question 27

The "Invisible Hook"

Answer 27

based on Peter Leeson's idea in 2009 novel= pirating self-interest seeking led to cooperation among sea bandits; criminal self-interest's effect on cooperation in pirate society; importance of Adam Smith's 1776 "The Wealth of Nations"= invisible hand of self interest guides economic cooperation 3 ECONOMIC IDEAS: individuals are self-interested, rational, and respond to incentives idea of collectivism

Question 28

Egalitarianism on Pirate Ships

Answer 28

social order deliberately created by pirates on their vessels; collectivism; anti-authority; running a ship without brutal methods of the Royal navy; crew would vote decisions; equal division of labor and booty

Question 29

Captains

Answer 29

limited authority except during pursuit of a prize or in combat; elected by crew members or recommended; rarely has more privileges than the crew; tenure based on maintaining trust, respect, and goodwill; dismissals over risk-taking, cruelty, etc.; crews "permit him to be Captain, on Condition, that they may be Captain over him"

Question 30

Quartermaster

Answer 30

authority of ship operations; distribution of plunder, rations, and justice; largely held the most authority on pirate vessels (besides the crew themselves); in charge of discipline, calling policy meetings, acting as judge during trials; "chief director" and "keeper of pirate traditions"

Question 31

Pirate Articles or Codes

Answer 31

articles, or codes, drawn up by crews for governance; drawn from the "Jamaica Discipline" or "Law of the Privateers" of the Buccaneer era; drew on traditional maritime customs; land of cockaygne; considered by authorities to be the antithesis of discipline, law, and order

Question 32

Bartholomew Roberts

Answer 32

Welsh pirate born in 1682; operated out of Western Africa; "Black Bart"; elected to be Captain of Davis's crew after capture; flamboyant, red silk; died in 1722 after engagement with Royal Navy off Cape Lopez

Question 33

Mutiny

Answer 33

about 1/3 mutinies on merchant and naval vessels led to piracy; leaders often met violent deaths; about one in five pirates got their start via mutiny; a "revolution" in miniature; idea of a social-political revolution occurring

Question 34

Jolly Roger

Answer 34

"Jolie Rouge" of pretty red flags pirates used to indicate no prisoners were to be taken; The Black Flag, importance of skull and crossbones; united pirate crews as a community; iconography of death; pirates manipulated symbols to be useful in maritime conflicts; phallic imagery and masculinity

Question 35

Red Flag

Answer 35

"jolie rouge"; "bloody" flag; pavillion nomme sanscartier= the flag called "no quarter"; no quarter- take no prisoners, fight to the death; red indicated the vessel would take no one alive

Question 36

ruse due guerre

Answer 36

trick flag, "false flags"; way of deception by raising one flag and then lowering it and raising the pirate flag upon closer arrival

Question 37

(Essay) Explain the origins of the Golden Age. How did the end of the War of Spanish Succession and privateering lead many seafaring men to piracy? What advantages were there to choosing piracy over service in the Royal navy or merchant marine?

Answer 37

With the end of the war, privateers and other seamen were out of work. The Royal Navy was bankrupt and merchant marines cut wages. Building resentment between the Spanish and the English within the Caribbean led to the widespread belief that piracy was justified- especially with the Guarda Costa, in which the Spanish constantly bombarded English to Jamaica shipping vessels- need for protection. Naval and merchant life was extremely rough, sailors were "lowest of the low", poor conditions and meager pay. Piracy offered freedom, better quality of life and wealth.

Question 38

(Essay) Discuss the social organization of the pirate ship. How did pirate crews reflect ideas of collectivism, egalitarianism, and democratic organization? What were some of the main roles of authority on the vessel? How did the pirate crew's articles or codes ensure equity in things like provisions, plunder distribution, and care for the disabled?

Answer 38

The social organization of the pirate ship was an egalitarian crew where power and loot was equally divided, the crew voted on most decisions, and the captain had little authority. The main roles of authority was the captain in times of battle and plunder, and the quartermaster, in terms of keeping the peace and dividing the spoils of plunder. Pirate articles/codes ensured these aspects through a welfare system, in which the disabled was awarded plunder according to the severity of their wound; provisions and plunder were carefully recorded and divided according to the quartermaster- they were harsh punishments against this to deter the rest of the crew.

Question 39

(Essay) Explain how Golden Age pirates both disrupted and supported the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the early eighteenth century? What happened when pirate crews took slaving vessels? What opportunities did piracy offer the enslaved and other seafarers of African descent? What limitations were there?

Answer 39

Pirates supported the trade by creating more revenue within the colonies- especially the Caribbean. Pirates disrupted the Transatlantic Slave Trade by taking some vessels which had slaves aboard them- in some instances they set them free and they joined the crew. In others, they were treated like commodities. Piracy offered Africans equal opportunity to bear arms, an egalitarian lifestyle, and freedom from enslavement and a harsh life on land. Limitations include a lack of evidence on their personal experiences that exist today.