The Real History of Pirates

The infamy of pirates in today's culture can be greatly attributed to recent portrayals of them in Hollywood. However, nothing produced on the big screen can adequately compete with the intriguing history of actual piracy and the impact this history has had on the world throughout the centuries.

Although references to piracy were being made by historians as early as 1350 B.C., it was not until 100 A.D. that the word was given an understandable definition. It was then that the Greek historian Plutarch described pirates as those individuals who illegally attacked either shipping vessels or the cities where such vessels would dock. This definition continued to evolve over time, with our modern day understanding of pirates finally coming into existence around the eighteenth century. This characterization described pirates as outlaws who preyed on ships and sea towns and who could be legally killed or executed by any person. Overall, this definition continues to reign as the most widely accepted one to date.

The role of pirates in world culture is quite notable. Theoretically, acts of piracy have existed for as long as sea travel has been possible. Throughout even ancient history, references have been found that implicate pirates as both kidnappers and thieves. Ironically, acts of piracy were not always committed by outlaw individuals. As early as the fifth century, Polycrates, ruler of the Greek island of Samos used his 100 vessel fleet to commit acts of piracy in an effort to strengthen his fortune and secure his reign.

In time, the criminal acts of outlaw pirates were differentiated from those sanctioned by rulers, such as Polycrates. Although nearly identical practices, a new term was created to distinguish government sanctioned raids from outlaw raids. The term "piracy" continued to be used in describing the illegal practice of individuals for profit. However, the term "privateering" was now attached to such raids when carried out by pirates who had been hired by a government or ruler during a time of war. While several insignificant differences existed between the two, the primary distinction was that the latter could be committed in the name of patriotism rather than greed alone.

The word "pirate" typically evokes one of two extreme visualizations in modern society. Pirates are either romanticized with no consideration given to the gruesome nature of their actions or they are viewed as highly feared criminals who justly deserve their gruesome reputation. The truth lies somewhere between these two extremes.

While pirates certainly committed countless acts of thievery and murder, their activities did, in many ways, benefit societal interests. Indeed many of those benefits were directed at the colonies that would one day become America. The colonial government of North Carolina is an example of this. Many store owners there openly welcomed the pirates, as the realized that much of the treasure and gold stolen during their acts of piracy would be left behind in the merchants' coffers. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, actually had an arrangement with the governor of North Carolina to ensure Blackbeard's safe passage into North Carolina harbors in return for assurances that English ships would be left alone. Arrangements such as this were not rare and did, in fact, contribute to the rise of America.

The Boston Tea Party is another excellent example of piracy in America. The Boston Tea Party is often considered responsible for launching the Revolutionary War between American Colonists and Great Britain. Was the destruction of countless crates of tea being brought into Boston Harbor by British ships not technically an act of piracy? The war lasted from 1776 until 1782. During that time, the Continental Congress actually issued a proclamation that encouraged privateering of English ships. Colonial captains in charge of these privateering missions often profited financially themselves. By doing so, they not only fulfilled their patriotic duties to America, but benefited personally, as well.

While the cruel and gruesome reputation of pirates is without doubt a well deserved one, this reputation does not do justice to their historical significance. Pirates, while dreaded by many, were exploited by perhaps even more. In the absence of their immoral contributions to history, the world would certainly be a very different place, indeed.