This book examines an often glossed over
aspect of piracy – those
who assist pirates in some way, whether be it as a grantor of letters
of
marque, as a buyer for plunder, or as some other facilitator for
pirates. Colonial
governors often ignored crown law to protect their colonies and/or to
provide
their citizenry with goods not available through legal channels. Using
period
correspondence between governors, the Board of Trade, and others aware
of this
alliance either as casual observers or governmental employees, Burgess
reveals
the truth of how pirates might be deemed “enemies of all mankind”, but
at the
same time played an important role in how the colonies survived.
In delving into this aspect of history,
Burgess also focuses
on the legal ramifications of these alliances. England
passed certain laws dealing
with pirates, and colonial governors were expected to enforce those
laws. The
problem was the officials in England
were far removed from the realities the governors faced. Thus men like
Sir
Francis Drake, Sir Henry Morgan, Governor Thomas Modyford, Governor
Benjamin
Fletcher, Adam Baldridge, Thomas Tew, Lord Bellomont, William Kidd,
Henry Every,
Governor William Markham, Edward Randolph, John Quelch, and Woodes
Rogers
played vital roles in shaping the colonies and their futures. Also,
this
account clearly shows how attitudes toward pirates changed over time.
In an earlier article, I wrote about the
friends and enemies
of pirates because these sea robbers didn’t act in a void. Without the
assistance of others, they wouldn’t have menaced shipping to the extent
that
they did. Through the use of primary documentation The
Pirates’ Pact provides an in-depth and riveting examination of
this assistance and its impact on England’s right to govern
its
colonies from afar. Burgess deftly demonstrates how “legitimate trade,
aggressive
mercantilism, and outright piracy commingled and coalesced,” and in
doing so,
introduces readers to new insights about names long associated with
piracy.
(page 22)
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Book Review Copyright ©2009 Cindy Vallar
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