The Politics of Piracy: Crime and Civil Disobedience in Colonial America

by Douglas R. Burgess Jr.

The seventeenth-century war on piracy is remembered as a triumph for the English state and her Atlantic colonies. Yet it was piracy and illicit trade that drove a wedge between them, imperiling the American enterprise and bringing the colonies to the verge of rebellion. In The Politics of Piracy, competing criminalities become a lens to examine England's legal relationship with America.

In contrast to the rough, unlettered stereotypes associated with them, pirates and illicit traders moved easily in colonial society, attaining respectability and even political office. The goods they provided became a cornerstone of colonial trade, transforming port cities from barren outposts into rich and extravagant capitals. This transformation reached the political sphere as well, as colonial governors furnished local mariners with privateering commissions, presided over prize courts that validated stolen wares, and fiercely defended their prerogatives as vice-admirals. By the end of the century, the social and political structures erected in the colonies to protect illicit trade came to represent a new and potent force: nothing less than an independent American legal system. Tensions between Crown and colonies presage, and may predestine, the ultimate dissolution of their relationship in 1776.

Exhaustively researched and rich with anecdotes about the pirates and their pursuers, The Politics of Piracy will be a fascinating read for scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in the wild and tumultuous world of the Atlantic buccaneers.

Genres: Pirates, History, Nautical, Nonfiction

308 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 2014

Reviews

[Jashvina Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of this book was fascinating. The second seemed to be a little off tangent. That plus some editorial oversight and the fact that he cited an account largely known to be false docks this a star.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't exactly what I expected, but still an interesting study of the complicated relationship between Great Britain and her American colonies concerning piracy in the 17th and early 18th century.

[Clara]

could this have been interesting if it wasn't for school? .... Nope! Not even then.

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the final years of the seventeenth century, the English Crown sought to bring Henry Every and his fellow pirates to justice after they attacked, plundered, and stole a ship belonging to the Great Mughal of India. Failure to do so would have grave consequences for English trade. This is where The Politics of Piracy begins, and the particular place in question is Pennsylvania where the customs agent, Robert Snead, believed that Governor William Markham was turning a blind eye to the fact that some of Every’s men resided in the commonwealth. But Markham was only one of several governors whose conduct where pirates were concerned demanded explanation.

This particular period in piratical history occurs on the cusp where societal attitudes toward privateers changed. Before this time, they were deemed essential to protecting the colonies because the State could not. Now they became “enemies of all mankind” because piracy threatened trade and diplomatic alliances. As Burgess points out, previous studies examine the legal aspects of this time period from the British perspective or the colonial one, rather than looking at both sides of the equation. What is often missing from these examinations is the role piracy and illegal trade played in the evolution of criminal law in the colonies. Burgess also discusses the role politics played in relationships between the Crown and her American colonies and how they foreshadowed the separation of these into two distinct entities.

The inclusion of end notes, a bibliography, and an index make it easy for readers to access the plethora of information found in this volume. Excerpts from primary documents enhance the reading experience and provide concrete examples to illustrate whatever points the author makes.

“Captivating” isn’t a term often applied to non-fiction books, but it aptly describes this account of politics, piracy, and law. It reads more like a novel than non-fiction. What I particularly liked was that Burgess examines colonies and people who rarely get more than a few mentions in other histories of piracy. And he provides an outstanding summary of piracy law that is easy to read and comprehend. Also fascinating is how opinions shifted over time until eventually both sides of the Atlantic viewed piracy as an evil that needed to be eradicated. He points out the problems with governing from afar and how laws and edicts enacted in England were a far cry from the realities of life and survival in the colonies. He deftly shows the intricate web connecting pirates and smugglers to merchants and colonial officials, while illuminating the differing perceptions about piracy that developed between Whitehall in London and the colonial governors. Equally compelling and consummately shown is how Every’s single attack on the Gang-i-Sawai had a profound impact on how the Crown and society viewed pirates.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC. I didn't think the writing was going to be as scholarly as it was, but since I took a lot of advanced English courses in college and read academic treatises and articles, I could follow what Burgess was saying. However, I'm pretty sure that just Joe-shmoe in the bookstore wouldn't quite follow. Maybe the book wasn't meant to be written for the general public, and that's fine, but I'm just saying it here so you won't be surprised if you happen to get this book.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh look at the issue of piracy in colonial America. Burgess gets a good feel for the political implications of decisions by colonial administrators on both sides of the ocean and is one of the few who understands that 1700 Great Britain was not yet able to use its military and political power to the extent that 1760 Great Britain was. A useful volume in any collection on 17th and 18th Century colonial America.