Chapter 1: Coming of the Pirates
I've been on a bit of a pirate kick lately, and I got to thinking about the so-called "Republic of Pirates." Was there any way it could have survived and gained legitimacy? I am going to try and keep things as realistic as possible, and see where the voyage takes us. By the way, I'm still writing Back From the Brink, this is a side project while I'm going through writer's block. Without any further ado, I present the introduction and first chapter!
For as long as men have sailed the seas, there have been pirates. When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas in 1492, he opened up a new chapter in the story of robbery on the high seas. Ships travelling to Spain from its colonies loaded with gold and silver were tempting targets, and the other European powers could not resist the chance to enrich themselves while undercutting their rival at the same time. The English in particular would sponsor many of the most famous privateers, such as Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, piracy in the New World, especially the Caribbean, would ebb and flow as the great powers struggled for dominance.
Despite their ubiquitous presence, no one ever believed these pirates, the so-called “enemies of all nations”, would ever be more than a nuisance. Certainly, no one thought them capable of carving out their own state. But with the sacking of Nassau by the French and Spanish during the War of the Spanish Succession, their time was at hand. Over the coming years, through struggle with enemies both within and without, the pirates of the Bahamas would go from hated “sea dogs” to a maritime power in their own right. This is the story of the Brethren of the Coast, and the creation of the Pirate Republic.
Chapter 1: Coming of the Pirates
Pirates had been a part of the Bahamas, especially the island of New Providence, for years. In 1695 Henry Avery landed on the island, bringing treasure looted from Mughal ships in the Indian Ocean. This marked the beginning of an increasing pirate presence on the island, much to the dismay of the British government which theoretically ruled there. When the war of the Spanish Succession began in 1702, the Royal Navy found itself distracted from policing London’s Caribbean holdings. The French and Spanish both attacked the island’s principal settlement of Nassau, causing the governor and many of the British colonists to flee, leaving behind about 100 civilians with no government.
When the war finally ended in 1713, hundreds of former privateers suddenly found themselves out of a job. With weapons, ships, and combat experience, they flocked to New Providence, using the island as a base to raid passing ships. One of the most respected pirates on the island was an Englishman named Benjamin Hornigold. Having served as a privateer during the war, Hornigold loathed the Spanish and, despite turning pirate, viewed his attacks as a continuation of his vendetta against Spain, and urged his fellow pirates not to attack British ships. Knowing that the Royal Navy had become one of the largest and most experienced in the world during the recent conflict, barring a few isolated incidents, most of the pirates listened. Although New Providence was officially British soil, for all practical purposes, the inhabitants governed themselves, electing their captains and dividing the spoils equally among themselves. They were quite proud of their way of life, and reluctant to see colonial rule reinstated. London, on the other hand, was embarrassed by having territory officially belonging to the crown being controlled by brigands. These disagreements put the pirates on a collision course with the British government, one that seemed unlikely to end peacefully.
Brethren of the Coast: The Pirate Republic
For as long as men have sailed the seas, there have been pirates. When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Bahamas in 1492, he opened up a new chapter in the story of robbery on the high seas. Ships travelling to Spain from its colonies loaded with gold and silver were tempting targets, and the other European powers could not resist the chance to enrich themselves while undercutting their rival at the same time. The English in particular would sponsor many of the most famous privateers, such as Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. Throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, piracy in the New World, especially the Caribbean, would ebb and flow as the great powers struggled for dominance.
Despite their ubiquitous presence, no one ever believed these pirates, the so-called “enemies of all nations”, would ever be more than a nuisance. Certainly, no one thought them capable of carving out their own state. But with the sacking of Nassau by the French and Spanish during the War of the Spanish Succession, their time was at hand. Over the coming years, through struggle with enemies both within and without, the pirates of the Bahamas would go from hated “sea dogs” to a maritime power in their own right. This is the story of the Brethren of the Coast, and the creation of the Pirate Republic.
Chapter 1: Coming of the Pirates
Pirates had been a part of the Bahamas, especially the island of New Providence, for years. In 1695 Henry Avery landed on the island, bringing treasure looted from Mughal ships in the Indian Ocean. This marked the beginning of an increasing pirate presence on the island, much to the dismay of the British government which theoretically ruled there. When the war of the Spanish Succession began in 1702, the Royal Navy found itself distracted from policing London’s Caribbean holdings. The French and Spanish both attacked the island’s principal settlement of Nassau, causing the governor and many of the British colonists to flee, leaving behind about 100 civilians with no government.
When the war finally ended in 1713, hundreds of former privateers suddenly found themselves out of a job. With weapons, ships, and combat experience, they flocked to New Providence, using the island as a base to raid passing ships. One of the most respected pirates on the island was an Englishman named Benjamin Hornigold. Having served as a privateer during the war, Hornigold loathed the Spanish and, despite turning pirate, viewed his attacks as a continuation of his vendetta against Spain, and urged his fellow pirates not to attack British ships. Knowing that the Royal Navy had become one of the largest and most experienced in the world during the recent conflict, barring a few isolated incidents, most of the pirates listened. Although New Providence was officially British soil, for all practical purposes, the inhabitants governed themselves, electing their captains and dividing the spoils equally among themselves. They were quite proud of their way of life, and reluctant to see colonial rule reinstated. London, on the other hand, was embarrassed by having territory officially belonging to the crown being controlled by brigands. These disagreements put the pirates on a collision course with the British government, one that seemed unlikely to end peacefully.
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