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I went to graduate school at Harvard, intending to write about fatherhood in early America. I never dressed as a pirate on Halloween or even read pirate books. I was wholly uninterested in piracy as a child. Instead of the snarling drunken fiends that parade through children’s books, these pirates spent their booty on pigs and chickens, hoping to live a more placid and financially secure life on land. Others established even deeper ties by settling in these cities and becoming respected members of the local elite. Many of the most notorious pirates began their careers in these ports. But only particular locations became known as “pirate nests,” a pejorative term used by royalists and customs officials. Pirates could be found in nearly every Atlantic port city. While traditionally depicted as swashbuckling adventurers on the high seas, pirates played a crucial role on land, contributing to the commercial development and economic infrastructure of port towns in colonial America.
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In it, I analyzed the rise and fall of international piracy from the perspective of colonial hinterlands, from the inception of England’s burgeoning empire to its administrative consolidation. These repeated acts of rebellion against royal authorities in support of men who had committed blatant criminal acts inspired me to spend about ten years researching pirates, work that resulted in my book, Pirate Nests and the Rise of the British Empire, 1570–1740. Openly helping a pirate escape jail was also a way of protesting policies that interfered with the trade in bullion, slaves, and luxury items such as silk and calico from the Indian Ocean. Many colonists feared that crack-downs on piracy masked darker intentions to impose royal authority, set up admiralty courts without juries of one’s peers, or even force the establishment of the Anglican Church. There were less materialist reasons, too, why otherwise upstanding members of the community rebelled in support of sea marauders. Some of the instigators were fathers-in-law of pirates. In large part, these leaders were protecting their own hides: Colonists wanted to prevent depositions proving that they had harbored pirates or purchased their goods. Local political leaders openly protected men who committed acts of piracy against powers that were nominally allied or at peace with England. Jailbreaks and riots in support of alleged pirates were common throughout the British Empire during the late seventeenth century.
#Modern warships fight pirates free
As it was, he was confined for four days until Butterworth was free and clear. Had the Bordens been killed in the melee, he said, the mob would have murdered him. Governor Hamilton had felt that his life was in danger. The mob then seized Hamilton, his followers, and the sheriff, taking them prisoner in Butterworth’s place.Ī witness claimed this was not a spontaneous uprising but “a Design for some Considerable time past,” as the ringleaders had kept “a pyratt in their houses and threatened any that will offer to seize him.” Soon, however, the judge and sheriff were beaten back by the crowd, which succeeded in taking Butterworth away. “Commanding ye Kings peace to be keept,” the judge and sheriff drew their swords and injured both Bordens in the scuffle. The shouts of the men, along with the “Drum beating,” made it impossible to examine Butterworth and ask him about his financial and social relationships with the local Monmouth gentry.Īrmed with clubs, locals Benjamin and Richard Borden freed Butterworth from the colonial authorities. One report estimated the crowd at over a hundred furious East Jersey residents. In a surprising turn of events, Samuel Willet, a local leader, sent a drummer, Thomas Johnson, to sound the alarm and gather a company of men armed with guns and clubs to attack the courthouse. But the swashbuckling Butterworth was not without supporters. Governor Andrew Hamilton and his entourage rushed to Monmouth County Court to quickly try Butterworth for his crimes. When Butterworth was captured, he admitted to authorities that he had served under the notorious Captain William Kidd, arriving with him in Boston before making his way to New Jersey.