Chapter 2: Rapprochement or Repression?
For years, England’s American colonists had been content to overlook the depredations of pirates. The Navigation Acts, which required that all overseas trade by conducted with England on English ships, were very unpopular in the colonies, and pirates offered a way to get trade goods, including highly sought-after luxuries, without having to pay customs duties. It helped that many pirates were Americans, and were viewed as respected members of the community, who helped enrich their fellow colonists at the expense of the crown’s enemies. This sympathy made the idea of cracking down on piracy in the New World unpopular. The colonists were not alone in their willingness to coexist with the raiders in the Bahamas. There was a faction in Parliament that hoped to enlist the services of the pirates, especially as many of them were former privateers.
The pirates, meanwhile, were starting to become more organized. Two individuals in particular emerged as leaders in Nassau: Benjamin Hornigold, and Henry Jennings. Both men took on younger pirates as proteges, forming a group known as the Flying Gang. They soon became known as the most dangerous pirates in the Spanish Main, bringing wealth and new recruits to the island. By the mid-1710’s, the island of New Providence was home to as many as 1000 pirates. The informal system of rule by captains enforcing a generally agreed upon yet informal Pirate’s Code was no longer adequate. In 1715, the most prominent captains on the island convened a council and agreed that a governing council should be formed. Englishman Thomas Barrow was elected Magistrate, with authority to enforce the laws of the island, which, for the most part, followed the Pirate’s Code. The biggest change, besides an official magistrate, was the establishment of the Brethren Council, made up of twenty Councilmen, to be elected by a popular vote.
This news came as a surprise to many, in Britain and beyond. The idea of an island full of outlaws governing itself seemed outlandish. The faction in favor of reconciliation with the pirates gained some support, as this development made New Providence appear open to civil discourse, while those in favor of reconquering the island by force felt that this was an affront to the dignity of the crown. For the moment, however, the pirates of the Bahamas had taken a large step towards true self-governance. They just had to survive the rest of the world.