195. Blackbeard & the Pirates of the Caribbean

Summary

Empire Podcast Summary: Episode 195 - Blackbeard & the Pirates of the Caribbean

Hosts: William Dalrymple & Anita Anand
Guest: David Wilson, Historian and Author
Release Date: October 16, 2024

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Introduction to Piracy and Blackbeard

The episode opens with William Dalrymple and Anita Anand delving into the captivating world of pirates, specifically focusing on the infamous Blackbeard and the broader context of piracy in the Caribbean. The hosts set the stage by distinguishing between the romanticized pirates of popular culture and their historical counterparts.

Anita Anand introduces pirates as embodiments of adventure, wealth, and exploration:
"Nothing encompasses this spirit of adventure, the lust for wealth, the desire to travel far across oceans to foreign places, than William. Yes, pirates."
(00:54)

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Understanding Piracy: History and Evolution

David Wilson provides a comprehensive overview of piracy's historical roots, tracing its origins back to the early modern period with a surge from the 16th century onwards. He explains how the discovery of the Americas spurred plunder voyages, particularly by northern European nations targeting the Spanish Empire.

David Wilson:
"Piracy does stretch back to the ancient period as well, but in terms of early modern piracy, there’s a surge from the 16th century onwards... particularly from northern Europe against the Spanish Empire."
(03:26)

The discussion highlights the role of state-sponsored privateers like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, who operated under licenses from their crowns to attack foreign ships, blurring the lines between legality and piracy.

William Dalrymple adds context by mentioning other famous pirate archetypes:
"Captain Pugwash, Don’t forget Captain Pugwash."
(04:32)

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Key Pirates: Charles Vane and Calico Jack

The conversation shifts to notable pirates, starting with Charles Vane, a Jacobite sympathizer known for his brutality. Anita Anand and Dalrymple humorously comment on the myth versus the reality of pirate personas.

David Wilson clarifies:

"Charles Vane appears around 1715, operating out of New Providence in the Bahamas... he was quite a violent individual, attacking merchant vessels and torturing sailors."
(07:05)

Calico Jack Rackham is introduced as another figure, famous more for his image than his success. The hosts engage in a playful "quiz" about fictional pirate characters from popular media, reinforcing the distinction between lore and history.

Anita Anand:
"Calico Jack. Disgust."
(09:26)

David Wilson:
"Calico Jack Rackham is also operating from New Providence... he’s not very successful as a pirate, but he’s credited with the Jolly Roger and having two female pirates on board."
(09:35)
(10:13)

---

Blackbeard: The Making of a Legend

The focal point of the episode is Blackbeard, whose real name was likely Edward Thatch or Teach. The historians discuss the origins, activities, and the mythologizing of Blackbeard.

Anita Anand remarks on Blackbeard's fearsome image:
"His beard covered his whole face and frightened America more than any comet that has appeared in a long time."
(30:27)

David Wilson explains how Blackbeard's notorious image was partly crafted by Charles Johnson's 1724 book, "A General History of the Pirates." The book embellished Blackbeard's persona, introducing the iconic silk bandolier and the terrifying image of lighting matches in his beard to instill fear.

David Wilson:
"The bandolier, the silk bandolier, and the idea of Blackbeard lighting matches under his beard are inventions of Charles Johnson’s narrative."
(13:15)

William Dalrymple muses humorously on the popular misconception shaped by media portrayals:
"He’s definitely Margaret Thatcher's forebear."
(11:14)

Despite the myths, historical records provide limited concrete information, revealing Blackbeard's origins likely tied to Jamaica and his role as a common seafarer turned pirate.

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The Pirate Republic of Nassau

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the Pirate Republic of Nassau in the Bahamas, a real historical pirate haven that inspired countless fictional representations.

David Wilson details its establishment post the War of the Spanish Succession, highlighting how the wreck of a Spanish flotilla in 1715 ignited a treasure hunting frenzy that bolstered piracy in the region.

David Wilson:
"The pirate community at Nassau begins after the War of the Spanish Succession. The shipwreck on 31-7-1715 caused a treasure hunting frenzy, leading to an explosion of piracy."
(19:35)

The hosts describe Nassau as a hub where various pirate factions coalesced, including leaders like Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and Sam Bellamy. William Dalrymple paints a vivid picture of the pirate utopia:

"Is it just a bunch of guys living anarchically for themselves, or do they have a sort of pirate council?"
(27:15)

David Wilson clarifies that Nassau was a melting pot of pirates operating within a broader illicit network, collaborating and competing within the pirate community.

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Pirate Leadership and Mentorship: Benjamin Hornigold

Exploring pirate hierarchy, David Wilson introduces Benjamin Hornigold, a British privateer turned pirate. Hornigold's leadership style and eventual shift from piracy to becoming a pirate hunter are examined.

David Wilson:
"Hornigold is one of the leaders in Nassau. He eventually takes a pardon and becomes a pirate hunter, making him one of the less violent pirates."
(25:08)

Blackbeard's relationship with Hornigold is pivotal, with Wilson explaining how Blackbeard served under Hornigold, adhering to his mentor's focus on attacking Spanish vessels.

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Stede Bonnet and the Ship Revenge

The narrative then shifts to Stede Bonnet, known as the "gentleman pirate." A plantation owner who inexplicably turns to piracy, Bonnet's collaboration and eventual subordination to Blackbeard are discussed.

David Wilson:
"Stede Bonnet builds the Revenge, hires a crew, and arrives in Nassau. Blackbeard then takes over his vessel and crew, intertwining their stories."
(32:03)

Anita Anand reflects on the romanticized backstory of Bonnet's descent into piracy, noting the embellishments introduced by Charles Johnson's writings.

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Pirate Raids and Methodologies

The episode delves into the operational tactics of pirates like Blackbeard, emphasizing the strategic use of swift sloops to conduct rapid raids and evade the Royal Navy.

David Wilson:
"Pirates favored sloops for their speed and shallow draft, allowing quick strikes and easy escapes into shallow waters."
(31:35)

Blackbeard's aggressive incursions along the Eastern seaboard are highlighted, illustrating his transition from a member of a pirate crew to a notorious captain terrorizing American colonies.

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The Myth vs. Reality of Pirate Cruelty

Addressing the violent reputation of pirates, David Wilson contrasts cinematic portrayals with historical accounts, revealing the brutal realities of pirate life.

David Wilson:
"Pirates were violent, engaging in torture and ruthless attacks to instill fear and extract information."
(22:08)

Examples include severe punishments like burning matches under victims' eyes and public hangings, underscoring the terror tactics employed by pirates to maintain dominance.

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Conclusion and Tease for Next Episode

The episode wraps up with the hosts teasing the continuation of Blackbeard's saga, setting the stage for upcoming discussions on his further exploits and eventual downfall.

Anita Anand:
"We'll be back in the next episode to find out what this burgeoning new career that's terrorizing everybody on the seaboard is going to do next."
(36:26)

The hosts encourage listeners to join the Empire Club for exclusive content, enhancing engagement beyond the podcast.

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Notable Quotes

• Anita Anand:
  "Nothing encompasses this spirit of adventure, the lust for wealth, the desire to travel far across oceans to foreign places, than William."
  (00:54)

• David Wilson:
  "Piracy does stretch back to the ancient period as well, but in terms of early modern piracy, there’s a surge from the 16th century onwards... particularly from northern Europe against the Spanish Empire."
  (03:26)

• William Dalrymple:
  "He’s definitely Margaret Thatcher's forebear."
  (11:14)

• Anita Anand:
  "His beard covered his whole face and frightened America more than any comet that has appeared in a long time."
  (30:27)

• David Wilson:
  "The bandolier, the silk bandolier, and the idea of Blackbeard lighting matches under his beard are inventions of Charles Johnson’s narrative."
  (13:15)

---

Key Takeaways

1. Historical Context: Piracy in the Caribbean surged post-16th century, driven by European nations targeting Spanish wealth from the New World.

2. Pirate Hierarchy: Figures like Benjamin Hornigold played significant roles in mentoring younger pirates, including Blackbeard.

3. Blackbeard's Legend: Much of Blackbeard's fearsome image is a product of literary embellishments rather than strict historical fact.

4. Pirate Republic of Nassau: Served as a central hub for pirate activities, fostering both cooperation and competition among pirate factions.

5. Reality vs. Myth: While pirates are often romanticized, historical accounts reveal a much more brutal and violent reality.

6. Enduring Legacy: The portrayal of pirates in media owes much to historical accounts like those of Charles Johnson, blending fact with fiction to perpetuate enduring myths.

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This episode offers a deep dive into the intricate world of Caribbean piracy, disentangling myth from reality and providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of figures like Blackbeard and the socio-political dynamics of pirate havens like Nassau. Through engaging dialogue and expert insights, Dalrymple, Anand, and Wilson paint a vivid picture of an era defined by lawlessness, adventure, and the complex interplay between myth and history.

Transcript

[William Darymple]

If you want access to bonus episodes, reading lists for every series of Empire, a chat community discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcast ad, free listening and a weekly newsletter. Sign up to empire [e-mail].

[Anita Arnand]

His eyes naturally looking fierce and w wild. He made altogether such a figure that imagination cannot form the idea of a fury from hell to look more frightful. Hello. Hello, William. I wasn't talking about you.

[William Darymple]

It's something personal, is it?

[Anita Arnand]

No, no, I wasn't talking about you. Hello and welcome.

[William Darymple]

Hello, welcome.

[Anita Arnand]

I'll explain that in just a moment. I'm Anita Arnand.

[William Darymple]

And I am William Darymple.

[Anita Arnand]

Yes, and look, nothing, nothing encompasses this spirit of adventure, the lust for wealth, the desire to travel far across oceans to foreign places, than William.

[William Darymple]

Yes, you guessed it. Pirates.

[Anita Arnand]

Yes, pirates. Yes, I know, it's becoming more and more panto. Sorry, you know, put it down in the comments, it's fine. Look, we are discussing pirates today and that little piece about the fury from hell was about Blackbeard, who is a.

[William Darymple]

Historical character which I don't think I even knew.

[Anita Arnand]

No, he's a thing. He's not just a thing of pantos, he's a person. And honestly, for most people, they think piracy started well. I mean, the younger ones with Jack Sparrow, but the older ones with Errol Flynn.

[William Darymple]

Captain Pugwash.

[Anita Arnand]

Captain Pugwash. Good illusion there.

[William Darymple]

Don't forget Captain Pugwash.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, so we've got three tiers of piratedom, but David Wilson, author, historian David Wilson is here to talk us through a real life pirate named Blackbeard. Hello, David.

[David Wilson]

Hello. How are you doing? Good to be here.

[Anita Arnand]

Where are you sitting and talking to us now?

[David Wilson]

Hey, I'm sitting and talking to you from Glasgow in Scotland. So, another Scot, I'm afraid you'd never.

[William Darymple]

Guess from the accent.

[David Wilson]

I know, I know. Not the easiest accent either, being Glaswegian, but we'll make it work.

[Anita Arnand]

Just watch William drift into the Glaswegian burn.

[David Wilson]

That I'd like to see.

[Anita Arnand]

Within minutes he was all Highlander. A little while ago it is now going Glasgow.

[William Darymple]

I nearly ran out of petrol in Govan last week, so I was not far from you.

[Anita Arnand]

Oh, fun story.

[William Darymple]

The closest I've ever been to running out of petrol. I had zero on that. You know, it comes up and it goes 5, 3. Govan came to my rescue. Gulf Oil.

[Anita Arnand]

Govan is a lovely place with lovely people, very nice people, very friendly people in govern, I heard, anyway. Good. So, David David, David, let's first of all start with, you know, the history of piracy because we've talked about pirates in relation to, you know, the burgeoning East India Company and where, you know, sort of privateers were encouraged to go and rob the ships of the Dutch or the French or anyone else to take all the stuff that they'd already traded.

[William Darymple]

The first meeting of the East India Company, the Spanish ambassador reports to his court that they were pirates. Pirates. Pirates, he wrote. And they bought an ex pirate ship, the Scourge of Malice, and rechristened it the Red Dragon to make it sound more respectable.

[Anita Arnand]

The Red Dragon. Like a pub? Like a pub, it sounds. But where does the route of piracy stretch back to as far as the timeline is concerned?

[David Wilson]

Well, it's sort of quite a well known quote that as long as manners went to the sea, there was also been someone waiting to capture them. So piracy does stretch back to the ancient period as well, I guess. Won't go back that far. But in terms of the piracy we're speaking about now, in terms of early modern piracy, really, there's a surge from the 16th century onwards. Once you have the sort of so called discovery of the Americas, you start to have an outpouring of plunder voyages, particularly from northern Europe against the Spanish Empire especially.

[William Darymple]

And are the English the particular culprits here? Is it largely an English game? People like Francis Drake and Raleigh? These guys are busy at it, aren't they?

[David Wilson]

They are busy at it. They sort of follow on from the French and the Dutch. It's really the French and the Dutch who pioneer these piracies in the Atlantic, the Western Atlantic. But the English are not far behind them with people like Francis Drake.

[Anita Arnand]

That's interesting because, you know, Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh are the gentleman pirates. You know, we are used to seeing the imagery, the iconography of them as a well dressed, well educated, sort of this elite of society.

[William Darymple]

And they're licensed, aren't they? They have licenses from the Crown to do this.

[Anita Arnand]

Yeah, Encourage plunder your hearts out. But was that the same? Was that mirrored among the Dutch and the others as well?

[David Wilson]

I mean, they were more, I guess, respectable, if you want to say that, more sort of aristocratic seafarers in that sense. They did tend to have captains from the gentry, but as William says, although the Spanish would see them as pirates, they did see themselves as being sort of lawful maritime predators because they were licensed a lot of the time, not always, but a lot of the time they had licenses from the state, from the Crown to go off and attack the Spanish, or at least they claimed the legitimacy to do so, because when the Spanish first discovered the Americas, they put in place what is known as the Line of Demarcation. So an agreement with the Portuguese in 1494, you have the Treaty of Tordesillas. And what that does is that all lands west of the Cape Verde Islands essentially fall under Spanish control. At least that's what they claim. They claim they control that area, and all lands to the east that would be newly discovered would be the Portuguese. They sort of didn't realize that was a lot of Brazil, neither here nor there, for that point in time. But what that then means is that anything beyond the line the Spanish claim is theirs. So that when anyone who isn't a sort of subject of the Spanish Crown, when anyone traverses past that line, the Spanish call them a pirate, regardless of whether they are there to commit piracy or otherwise, they become pirates.

[Anita Arnand]

So, I mean, you've got that class of pirate who have the blessings of their state to go pillage another state that you may or may not presently be at war with, but you have recently, or you will soon. But then you also have the ones who are railing against the state. I mean, you know, I'm thinking about the Jacobites who are fighting against a power. And piracy is a thing for them as well, isn't it?

[David Wilson]

Yeah, exactly. So if you sort of fast forward past that point, so the 16th century, is that more sort of licensed maritime predation, where there's a. There's a bit of a line of ambiguity between what's legal and what's illegal, what's piracy and what's not. But then by the time that you get to the 17th century and then the 18th century, the lines between piracy and privateering, between piracy and licit maritime predation, becomes more starkly drawn. And this is especially the case in the 18th century, because by that point, you really do have this fine line between what is legal maritime predation and what is not legal, what is piracy. And it's at that point that you start to get these figures that seem to be railing against the state, or at least that's the. That's the claim that's often made about them.

[Anita Arnand]

Well, let's talk about one of them. I mean, the pirate king himself, Charles Vane, the Jacobite sympathizer, you know, the one who, a lot of people say he. He's the one who inspired the pirate look, if you like, tell us who he was and where did he start.

[David Wilson]

What we know is he's Operating from New Providence in the Bahamas after the War of the Spanish Succession. So from around 1715, 1716 onwards, we start to see Charles Vane appear in the record, but he appears without any background. People then start saying that he was a Jacobite sympathiser. Again, we don't actually know how far he was a Jacobite sympathiser, but he was quite a violent individual. As he attacked merchant vessels, he would torture sailors and captains alike. And that's where he gets this notoriety from. But again, we don't know anything about how he dressed.

[Anita Arnand]

Oh, okay. So people just kind of back project onto him that he was, you know, wearing that very distinctive hat.

[William Darymple]

So Keith Richards lookalike.

[Anita Arnand]

Yeah, the ruffled shirt, the open waistcoat. Okay, so not him, but is there a connection between him and Blackbeard?

[David Wilson]

Yeah, so they are both operating around about the same time from the same area. So from New Providence and the Bahamas, from Nassau.

[William Darymple]

Wasn't there a Puritan commonwealth or something in the Bahamas at one point? Very improbably, because Bahamas we associate with James Bond and beach clubs and the idea of guys wearing sort of, you know, black hats and looking like Oliver Cromwell doesn't go.

[David Wilson]

It was a formal English colony from about the 1660s onwards. It was settled by the lords proprietors of the Carolinas, similar to those who settled North Carolina and South Carolina. So they also claim the Bahamas and it becomes, it becomes a colony. But to be honest, it's. It's already pretty lawless. Even though it is an official colony, there's a lot of piracy, smuggling, wrecking all the way throughout that second half of the 17th century for the Bahamas. But during the war, it essentially becomes devastated by the French and the Spanish, who both attack it several times during the War of the Spanish Succession. So that by the end of the war in 1713, the Bahamas is basically no longer a formal colony. It's lawless, completely. There's no governance there and there's just families spread across these islands and they've.

[William Darymple]

Got to make a living somehow. Is that the idea?

[David Wilson]

They've got to make a living somehow. And then also just because it's location next to the Spanish colonies of Cuba and Florida, it's also a really good haunt for those who, who don't agree with the war coming to an end and who want to continue to attack the Spanish, which is where these pirates come from. Most of them had been privateers during the war, and then afterwards they sort of continue their attacks on the Spanish from the Bahamas.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, can I do a quick fire quiz for you, just for the benefit of all of our listeners, please. Okay, this has got to be real. Not real. Okay, Calico Jack.

[David Wilson]

A real individual.

[Anita Arnand]

Yes, real. Okay.

[William Darymple]

Did he have the Jolly Roger? That's the other thing which is associated with Calico Jack.

[Anita Arnand]

Yes, exactly. Okay. Calico Jack. Disgust.

[David Wilson]

Calico Jack Rackham is also operating from New Providence at this point in time. So from 1716 onwards, he is actually not a very successful pirate at all. Is in the record very briefly. He takes a few vessels roundabout Jamaica, but he's basically captured as quickly as he begins. But what makes him famous is. Yes, he's sort of been given the credit for the Jolly Roger.

[Anita Arnand]

Is he Calico Jack because he wears.

[David Wilson]

Calico, he becomes Calico Jack Rackham because he wears this sort of calico outfit.

[William Darymple]

So he's a sort of hipster pirate who's no good at all at pirates.

[David Wilson]

It makes a lot of sense. Also, what makes him famous is the fact that on board his vessel, he also has two female pirates who are operating as well, Anne, Bonnie and Mary Reid.

[William Darymple]

Oh, tell us about them quick.

[David Wilson]

Yeah, yeah, they become really, really famous characters because it is so rare for women to be on board these vessels as active members of the crew. And they are Anne, Bonnie and Mary Reid. Afterwards, there's this sort of story that goes around that they're hiding their identities, they're hiding their gender by wearing male clothing. But if you read the testimonies of their victims, they really are not. I mean, it's very clear that these are. These are women on board this vessel.

[Anita Arnand]

They're dressed in skirts, dressed as women, and not hiding their gender at all. That's amazing. How about Long John Silver? Real. Not real. Really not real.

[David Wilson]

Really? Completely not real.

[Anita Arnand]

Really? Really, Kev?

[William Darymple]

Definitely not real.

[Anita Arnand]

And just to end Captain Hook, I won't even answer.

[William Darymple]

Really, really not real.

[Anita Arnand]

Really not real. Okay. Glad we've sorted that out.

[William Darymple]

But it's interesting because I always thought Blackbeard was one of them, that it was just one of those names.

[Anita Arnand]

Precisely. Yeah. Well, let's talk about him. He had a real name, didn't he? He was Edward Teach.

[William Darymple]

Or Thatcher.

[David Wilson]

Yeah. Or Edward Thatch.

[William Darymple]

I think I prefer the idea of Thatch as a sort of Thatcher sort of precursor. He's definitely Margaret Thatcher's forebear. Definitely.

[Anita Arnand]

I mean, I think in the movies they do call him Edward Teach. I'm sure I've seen that sort of replicated in those old.

[William Darymple]

And there's a brand of rum after Edward Teach, isn't there?

[Anita Arnand]

Yeah, I Mean, I think that Errol Flynn, period, they were a little bit obsessed with him, weren't they?

[David Wilson]

They call him Edward Teach. And the reason for that is that it's printed in one of the newspapers at the time, the Boston Newsletter, which has one of the largest circulations in the Americas. They print his name as Edward Teach, but if you look at all the records, his name was more likely Edward Thatch. It's just that Teach is the one.

[Anita Arnand]

That takes off, so they ran with the typo. That's amazing. Gosh.

[David Wilson]

Okay, I remember I was at a pub quiz, and they asked what the real name of Blackbeard was, and I wrote Edward Thatch, and they wouldn't give me it.

[Anita Arnand]

Oh, no. Outrageous.

[David Wilson]

Always write Edward Teach. Always write Edward Teach.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, so where was he born? When was he born? And tell me, what was his background?

[David Wilson]

The claims are that he was a Bristol seafarer who made his way to Jamaica to become a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession. There's another sort of more recent claims who say that his family actually migrated to Bristol when he was quite young, and so he began his seafaring career in Jamaica. Either way, it seems he's connected to Jamaica somehow. And the family name of Thatch is fairly common. Eamonn Wills and Testaments in the 18th century in Jamaica. So it seems reasonable that he at least has his origins in Jamaica, and that's where he starts his seafaring career.

[Anita Arnand]

And people are fairly obsessed with him and his image early on. I mean, there's a lot of talk of his wild eyes. There's a lot of. Of, you know, this silk sling over his shoulders. You know, he cuts a dash.

[William Darymple]

Yes. Is that something he invents, the bandolier? Is that the kind of invention of this guy?

[David Wilson]

It's an invention, certainly, but it's an invention of a gentleman called Charles Johnson, who writes a book in 1724 called the General History of the Pirates. And it's really this book which has been written at the same time that there's a surge of piracy and that some of these actors are still already operating. But it's at that point that all these sort of myths come from, including the bandolier, the silk bandolier, and the idea of Blackbeard wearing a hat with matches that he lights to enact fear in his prey.

[Anita Arnand]

I didn't know that one. That's great.

[William Darymple]

It's brilliant.

[David Wilson]

I mean, it's nonsense, basically. None of the victim accounts mention that. And you think they would mention it.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay.

[David Wilson]

The only descriptions we have of him is that he went by the name of Blackbeard because he let his beard grow and he tied it up in black ribbons. That's from one of his victims.

[William Darymple]

Who says that that really is the Jack Sparrow, Keith Richards thing. That's real.

[David Wilson]

Yeah. The black ribbons make sense.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay. He sort of makes his name and finds his destiny, as you say in the Caribbean. But before that, I mean, is he a cultured man or is he a haha, rough and ready brute on the waves? What do we know about his refinement and education, shall we say?

[William Darymple]

Yeah, and what are our sources for him?

[David Wilson]

So until he erupts into the newspapers in 1716 onwards for his piratical attacks, we really know nothing about his background, his education. All we know is that similar to most pirates, he's a seafarer. So he has seafaring education. And he's likely more just a common seafarer, a common sailor, like most pirates in this period. Whether he'd been involved in privateering, seems to have taken up a privateering commission in Jamaica. It doesn't seem likely that he was a captain of a privateering vessel. Probably just rank and file sailor.

[William Darymple]

Do we know if he was literate? Has he left many letters or any written accounts himself?

[David Wilson]

No written accounts from Edward Thatch, unfortunately. However, there is at least one letter written to him. So we know he was literate.

[Anita Arnand]

But this makes him fodder for, you know, films, books, fantasies.

[William Darymple]

You can project onto him.

[Anita Arnand]

You can project anything you like on him, and he can be the boogeyman. You can make him as frightening as you like. I mean, one thing, you know, to have a crew on a ship like this, if you are, you know, somebody from nowhere, Edward from nowhere, who, you know, we don't know very much about, is it a lot of defections from the English Navy? Because we know, and we know from people like Samuel Johnson, that being in the navy was hard. It wasn't very lovely. And I think he wrote, you know, the loss of the sailor was very much the same as that of a prisoner, only with the added possibility of drowning.

[William Darymple]

It's a brilliant Johnson lie.

[Anita Arnand]

So very Johnson. But, I mean, is that why people at sea would suddenly go, well, actually, forget this, I'll just go and join Edward from Nowhere, who we don't really know very much about, because it's got to be better than this?

[David Wilson]

To an extent, that's true. But it was more merchant vessels where pirates sort of tended to recruit from. So particularly slaving vessels, but also other mercantile Vessels as well, where merchants who were being taken by pirates, some of their crews would join voluntarily, would join the pirates who were taking the vessel. They tended not to encounter naval vessels. They tended to avoid them as much as possible. So those defections didn't really happen into piracy, although perhaps some deserted and found their way on board pirate vessels as well. But for the most part, it tended to be more from the merchant side of things.

[Anita Arnand]

So, okay, so he devotes his life. We do know that he does decide to be a pirate. Do we know how successful he was in the early days? And who does he target when he's, you know, sort of little blackbeard, little beardette, when he's just starting out? Who does he go for first?

[William Darymple]

Black stubble.

[David Wilson]

Black stubble, exactly.

[Anita Arnand]

That makes sense.

[David Wilson]

He operates, again, like most of these individuals from New Providence. At first, he's actually sailing with one of the foremost captains in that area, Benjamin Hornigold, who's one of the origins of these pirate crews from New Providence. So he sails with Benjamin Hornigold for a couple of years out of New Providence, mostly attacking the Spanish, it must be said. So they continue to concentrate their attacks on the Spanish, particularly.

[William Darymple]

Is there a religious talk of that? I mean, is it the fact that the Spanish are Catholic and they are Protestant, or is it just the Spanish are rich and got gold on the ships?

[David Wilson]

About both. So part of that is the religious context, but really it's more the local, the geopolitical context, because these are individuals who have been trained as privateers. They've been taking part in privateer and voyages with Spain, where the enemy. And they just want to continue that, because Spain, they do have wealth as well, so they want to continue to plunder these vessels and to plunder the Spanish.

[William Darymple]

What we haven't said, and which we should perhaps clarify, is that the reason that everyone is so keen on these Spanish vessels is the gold. Silver and is it tin? What are the other things that they're finding in the New World?

[David Wilson]

Gold, silver, sugar as well, and tobacco on board these vessels. And lots of different manufactures also that they're bringing to the Americas to trade. But mostly, to be honest, what they're interested in is the silver. So the pieces of eight that we all. That we all know from all of the different films.

[Anita Arnand]

Sorry, I need to do it. Pieces of eight. Pieces is what the parrots say on all the movies.

[William Darymple]

And again, just to explain what a piece of eight is. Eight of what?

[Anita Arnand]

Yes, describe.

[David Wilson]

The piece of eight is a silver coin. So it's eight pistols, basically, is what it's worth, which is a significant amount. But these are large silver coins and they are melted down silver from the mines in Central and Southern America. And it's really what the Spanish are extracting from the Americas and sending back to Europe to fund their wars and their empire building elsewhere. And it's that silver that the pirates want access to, because it's that silver that circulates in the Caribbean as the main currency.

[Anita Arnand]

All right, well, look, with all that in mind, with the idea of the plunder in mind, let's take a break. Join us after the break where we go from goatee to full beard. I suppose I just. I loved your stubble thing so much. Had to trump it. Back soon.

[William Darymple]

Welcome back. We are with David Wilson and we are now heading to the Pirate Republic of Nassau in the Bahamas. Now, in the films, we all know that sort of pirates to the Caribbean Pirates Pub, that they all go, with the incredibly beautiful barmaids and all these characters around the tables with peg legs and so on, that is actually based on a real pirate republic and there is a historical basis for that.

[David Wilson]

Yeah, exactly. So the pirate community at Nassau in New Providence begins after the War of the Spanish succession. So from 1714 onwards, you have these small sets of pirates operating from Nassau to attack the Spanish. Particularly, they are quite small scale. So you have these accounts of sort of crews of about 25 people using canoes to attack the Spanish. But they start to build up their operations and to start taking larger vessels. And really this is where you get the emergence of Benjamin Hornigold as being one of the leaders within this space. But after 1715, this really explodes. And the reason it explodes is that the Spanish flotilla, which carries all of the wealth from the mines of South America and Central America back to Europe, it actually gets shipwrecked off the coast of Florida on the 31st of July, 1715.

[William Darymple]

This is like whiskey galore, but with pieces of eight rather than. Rather than whiskey.

[David Wilson]

Pieces of meat covered the Gulf of Florida, let's say, and it causes a treasure hunting frenzy amongst seafarers throughout this Atlantic world. So the Spanish.

[William Darymple]

This is brilliant. What date is this?

[David Wilson]

So 31-7-1715 is when it's wrecked.

[William Darymple]

This is where we all should have been, 1715 in the Bahamas, with gold littering the beaches. It's pretty good.

[David Wilson]

People are still, to this day, you know, working these wrecks. So they are still there doing this. But these pirates then start to operate these wrecks. But what that means is you get a lot of difference. Seafarers from throughout the Atlantic coming to Florida, but also coming to the Bahamas and starting to get involved in these pirate crews as well. And that's really where you get this explosion of a seafaring population who turn to piracy.

[William Darymple]

And who are the people that are part of this? They're mainly British, mainly English. What sort of nationalities would you find in this republic? Give us some stories.

[David Wilson]

Particularly in the Bahamas, it was mostly British by this point, because it was a British colony. But there are French arriving and Dutch members of the. So one famous individual is a character called Olivier Labussy, who's an extravagant French captain.

[William Darymple]

Oh, I know labussy. He ends up in Reunio.

[David Wilson]

Exactly.

[William Darymple]

I've been to his grave. I've left a bottle of rum on his grave, in fact.

[Anita Arnand]

Have you? No.

[David Wilson]

Oh, fantastic. Oh, wow. Amazing. I mean, I shouldn't say fantastic. He's not a good person.

[William Darymple]

No, he's not a good person, but his grave is still a subject of what we would call voodoo. And when you go there in the evening, there are these incredible crowds of people leaving offerings today for Lubusie.

[Anita Arnand]

Why wasn't he a good person? I mean, I don't think we've really highlight what these pirates did.

[William Darymple]

Give us the story.

[David Wilson]

Yeah, we think back in the pirates, we sort of romanticized these figures as being anti establishment. What they were really doing was quite violently attacking merchant vessels and slaving vessels as well, and not treating either the sailors or the enslaved persons that they found or the captains particularly. Well. They were very violent. A lot of torture happened on board these vessels and what they really wanted to do was enact fear in the broader seafaring community.

[Anita Arnand]

So the torture, again, I gotta sound like a vampire, don't I? But I mean, you know, things like walking the plank or keel hauling and the stuff that, you know, we're raised on in the movies. Are these gifts of the navy or gifts of piracy to the world?

[David Wilson]

I think probably a bit of both, to be honest. With regards to the torture that we have that we see in the records, it tends to be a lot more violent in some ways than those. So things like burning matches under people's eyes is one of the ones that we have.

[William Darymple]

Oh, keep going, Devin.

[Anita Arnand]

HE SHUDDERS More. More. Come on. Yes, more.

[David Wilson]

Lots of lashing and whipping and then a lot of hanging people from the mass as well.

[William Darymple]

The yardam. Hanging from the yardam.

[David Wilson]

Exactly. Things like this. And the reason they do that is because they want to feel them, but also to give up their pressure and to give up information of other vessels as well.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, so the grave with the voodoo and the William Durhampool whiskey offering. Rum, rum, rum offering. What did he do, this chap?

[David Wilson]

So Olivier Lubusi is a really interesting character because he sort of comes into the record very early on. So he's operating from 1770, 16 onwards and is committing piracies in line with other more British pirates. Particularly Sam Bellamy is another individual he cruises with in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean. And they are picking off different British vessels, different French vessels. But Olivier Lubusi is one of the very few pirates who then also directs to the west coast of Africa and is operating there, attacking the slaving vessels.

[William Darymple]

There and in the Indian Ocean. Ultimately one of the very few who.

[David Wilson]

Makes it to the Indian Ocean, because really that's what they want. What these pirates want to do is to trade up their vessels to get bigger vessels so that they can then go to the Indian Ocean or to the coast of Brazil.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay. And I mean, well, on the vessels, how big are we talking? Are we talking to match the Royal Navy or. Much, much smaller than the Royal Navy vessels?

[David Wilson]

So they start off in very much smaller vessels, but as they build up and build up, the reason they start to attack the slave trade, especially the slaving vessels, is because they want large vessels that basically can match the Royal Navy if they have to. These are as big as the Royal Navy vessels in the Atlantic.

[William Darymple]

Now, if I remember correctly, the big strike of Lu Bussi was when in the South Seas, he captures the governor of Goa, going home with his fortune, and he pulls into Reunio and he gets the entire life savings of this enormous Portuguese sort of megabucks governor. And that is his great find. And he buries it and it's never been discovered. And he leaves half the map or something. There's wonderful stories about Lubusi. When he dies, he's being hung publicly by the French and he shows half the map and then takes the other half to his grave, so to speak. And it's never found.

[Anita Arnand]

So the bit with the X marking the spot, nobody knows. Can we circle back to just for a second, the Pirate Republic again? Because you mentioned this amazing character, Benjamin Hornigold, and anyone who plays video games Assassin's Creed has a character, Benjamin Hornigold. Do you play Assassin's Creed? Do you know who I'm talking about?

[David Wilson]

I've had to play Assassin's Creed for research, of course.

[Anita Arnand]

Just for research.

[David Wilson]

Of course.

[William Darymple]

You've got a PhD in Assassin's Creed.

[Anita Arnand]

I mean, I Don't play, but I know about it. So in the game, they have a very handsome, dashing, square jawed, clean cut, you know, girls might swoon kind of character. As Benjamin Hornigold, I just want to flesh out his personality because he's going to be very, very important in a little while because he's going to be Blackbeard's mentor. We can't lose sight of Blackbeard because he's the reason we're here. So, I mean, what do we know about what people said about Hornigold? How dripping in blood he was or how dripping in gold he was?

[David Wilson]

Honog's really interesting because he seems to have been a British privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession, and he's one of the pirates who sort of continues to want to only attack the Spanish. So he has this sort of nationalistic strike to him as well. So he only wants to attack Spanish vessels. He does eventually start to attack some British vessels, but really you can tell that Hornigold is a bit more patriotic than, say, some of the other pirates. And he's one of the first to take a pardon that is later offered, and he actually turns into a pirate hunter. So he is one of the less violent and one of the sort of more nationalistic, let's say, of the pirates.

[Anita Arnand]

But is it true that he becomes Blackbeard's mentor at some point?

[David Wilson]

Yeah. So Thatch first appears as a member of Hornigold's crew and is given his first command under Benjamin Hornigold. So he does become a bit of a mentor to Thatch. And at that point, sort of 1716 into early 1717. Thatch is very much loyal to Benjamin Hornigold and seems to believe in his mentor and to sort of follow what his mentor sets out for him in terms of piracy, in terms of really just focusing on attacking the Spanish. They do attack some British vessels. In fact, their largest prize comes in April 1717, where they take two trading sloops not far from Jamaica, which are actually South Sea Company vessels. And they're reported to carry 25,000 pieces of eight, as well as several enslaved persons as well. And this is one of the first things that Honduras really attacks the British. But it's also interesting, they attack the South Sea Company, who have this trading connection with the Spanish as well. So I think that might be part of the reason they attack it.

[Anita Arnand]

Am I right in understanding, as well as the pieces of eight, the commodities that really mattered that you wanted to bring back to Nassau or back to the Bahamas would be flour for example, because there's just no farming on Nassau. So if you want bread, you're going to have to steal the flour to make it. Is that right? I mean, is it more valuable than whiskey?

[David Wilson]

They always did also, you know, make sure to raid the alcohol that was on board the vessels, too. But you're right, it's more provisions that they need, because at this point, especially by the early 18th century, pirates are isolated from any colonial port, so they need to get their provisions from somewhere. So what they have to do is attack smaller vessels and build up their provisions, build up their supplies to then be able to continue their piracies.

[William Darymple]

David, what I haven't got in my head is the picture again in Nassau. Is it just a bunch of guys living anarchically for themselves, or do they have a sort of pirate council? Is there any form of collective action that they take against the government, and do they defend themselves against the government? Is it genuinely a pirate republic, or is it just a bunch of guys off the map doing their own thing?

[David Wilson]

It seems that there were different factions involved in Nassau, in New Providence, So there was different pirate captains who sort of had groups, coalesce around them. So you had Hornigold as one camp, Vane seems to be another camp, and Sam Bellamy as well. And these were individuals that they had, their sort of crews who would follow them, but they also had to negotiate with each other because they were all using this pirate base. What's important to also remember is that there was a population in the Bahamas before these pirates started to operate there. So they're also working with some of the members of the community as well, who are already involved in things like piracy and smuggling as well. So they are operating as part of this broader illicit network. It's just the pirates seem to take over from this period.

[William Darymple]

And is there a point in which the government takes these guys on? Do you ever have an organized Royal Navy attack on the pirate havens or regular attacks? Does it go on over a period?

[David Wilson]

What's really interesting is they don't at first. The British government really sort of sleeps on this. There's a lot of colonial governors who are warning constantly about this pirate nest, as they call it, this nest of pirates in the Bahamas. They warn the government constantly that, you know, you need to take this out before it becomes too much of a problem. But they don't respond because basically they don't have the resources. There's not a great Royal Navy presence in the Caribbean or the Atlantic at this time, and they don't really want to put the resources into somewhere like the Bahamas, which doesn't promise to become much of a lucrative colony. They sort of are happy to neglect it and ignore it until it becomes too much of a problem. And then they do take it on.

[William Darymple]

And is there any sense that they are aiming mainly at the Spaniards, so the British government are fairly happy to let them get on with it? Or is there a point when they cross the threshold and they start attacking British vessels and they become in the sights of the Royal Navy?

[David Wilson]

Exactly. So by the second half of 1717, that's when these pirates start to just operate against anyone. So they start to take the Dutch, the French and the British as well. And it's really from that point on, really, when the merchants get involved, the British merchants get involved, that's when you start to see more proactive measures against pirates. But again, they don't go against New Providence. It takes an expedition by an individual called Wood Rogers, who then takes on New Providence basically as part of a private expedition rather than a naval expedition.

[Anita Arnand]

With all this as backdrop, you've got sort of Edward Teacher, the knee of the master, with Hornigold, sort of teaching him the ropes, quite literally from the yard arm. But at what point does Edward Thatch teach Blackbeard? Say, actually, my name is Blackbeard now. That is who I'm going to be. Is it a name that people start calling him because he's decided to grow his beard? Or does image matter? I mean, I'll tell you something that was said about him. Apart from the eyes like a frightful meteor, his beard covered his whole face and frightened America more than any comet that has appeared in a long time. So I mean, it's sort of Circus 1717, that you, you hear him being referred to as Blackbeard. His decision, the newspaper's decision, a journalist's decision. I mean, who does this?

[David Wilson]

I think it must be a bit of both because, you know, he has chosen to wear his beard in this way and it is quite long and quite distinctive. And what's useful for that is that if he wants to take vessels, what he wants to do is to take them quite easily. He doesn't really want to engage in a long standing fight against these vessels. So if he can create a name for himself, whether that name is Blackbeard or just an image of the Blackbeard, if they see that from afar, then they might be more likely just to give up their vessel and to give up their goods without a fight, just to avoid any sort of torture or violence or anything. Like that. But at the same time, as news of his attacks start to circulate, the newspapers are also building up this image as well, which is really helpful for him, but it's also helpful for the Royal Navy and for this campaign against piracy, because if you become notorious, and if you become notorious as this Blackbeard, then you are going to become a target of these anti piracy campaigns as well. So it sort of benefits both parties in some ways when he's sort of.

[Anita Arnand]

Morphing into Blackbeard, you know, growing into the image that he's got. He's sailing a six gun sloop and a sloop, for those who don't know, much faster vessel, it's smaller, sleeker. I mean, it wouldn't be steam sloops at this point, would it? I mean, it's just a smaller, swifter vessel at this point in time, a.

[David Wilson]

Smaller, swifter sailing vessel. It tends to be favoured by pirates at this point in time because it's quicker and you can get in and out of places much easier and much faster. So you can take a vessel and then escape. What's really useful about a sloop is it's got a shallow draft so you can also escape into sort of shallower waters and around islands and creeks away from the Royal Navy, who are in much larger vessels and can't follow you into these areas.

[Anita Arnand]

And at what point does he swap the sloop for, you know, the very famous, the vessel, the Revenge. Where does he get that from? And what is that?

[William Darymple]

It's actually called the Revenge. That's the real name for Blackbeard's real ship. I'm beginning to look at pirates of the Caribbean as a work of history now.

[David Wilson]

So the Revenge, the first Revenge, there's the Queen Anne's Revenge, which is really famous flagship, but the Revenge itself is actually a vessel that is purchased by an individual known as Stede Bonnet. And he's a really interesting character because he is known as the gentleman pirate. He's actually a plantation owner and Barbados.

[William Darymple]

He has a dressing gown, doesn't he, that he wears.

[David Wilson]

Supposedly has a dressing gown that he wears as well on board, but he, he has quite a comfortable life in Barbados. He's a plantation owner, he's a slaver, but he turns to piracy. No one really knows why he makes this decision, but he does. He builds a vessel, he calls it the Revenge. He hires a crew, he also pays the crew, which is unusual on a pirate vessel, to pay wages to your sailors. And he turns up in New Providence and really from that point on him and thatch Their stories become intertwined because Thatch starts to take Stede Bonnet kind of under his wing. But what he's really doing is using Stede Bonnet, using his vessel.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, well, I mean, the thing I heard about Steve Bonnet, the plantation owner, and again, I wonder how much this is sort of back projected journalistic guff. But he has this, you know, he's on the plantation, he's got a family, he's very happy. You know, he's living the life of a gent. He has enslaved people. He has servants. They're living a lovely life and eating off silver. And then his children die and he has a complete sort of mental breakdown. And that's what leads to this lawless life. It's grief and woe, and then he just takes to the seas.

[William Darymple]

Is that true?

[David Wilson]

It's another one of these accounts that comes from Charles Johnson's general history. And what he tries to do is he takes the little information we have and then fleshes out of something that may have happened. We don't actually know if that's what happens to Steve Bonnet. It certainly makes sense. That's maybe why he would turn to piracy.

[William Darymple]

Tell us about this Charles Johnson. You've mentioned him a couple of times. What date is it written? How reliable is it?

[David Wilson]

It's written and published in 1724. And we don't know who Charles Johnson is. This author. For a while people thought it was Daniel Defoe, but that's been thoroughly disproven now. So we don't know who Charles Johnson is. But what we do know is when you read the book, you can see where the facts are coming from. You can see the newspaper articles that he's using. Once you start to delve into this research, but then you just start to see how he takes that and just runs a mile with it. He takes little details and then, you know, turns it up to 11 and just goes with it.

[William Darymple]

And where's he based? Who is he? This guy?

[David Wilson]

So we don't know who he is, but we know the book is published in London. So it's basically a popular book for those interested in pirates.

[Anita Arnand]

Yeah, for punters. And you can see why, because, I mean, he writes these delicious, gorgeous details. Like, you know, Bonnet has an entire library on his ship. You know, he's like. He's sort of like this gentleman pirate who can recite poetry at the drop of a hat and is pining for his dead children. I mean, you can see.

[William Darymple]

Yeah, it's a great storyline, it's true.

[David Wilson]

But it's One of these things that Charles Johnson is really interesting for understanding how people wanted to see pirates or how people wanted to engage with pirates.

[William Darymple]

So take us, David, to September 1717, and there is a crisis. Bonnet and his crew have limped into the pirate sanctuary at Nassau, having run afoul of a Spanish warship. Tell us what happened.

[David Wilson]

Yeah. So Bonnet and his crew, when they are in the Caribbean, they mistake a Spanish warship for a merchant vessel, and they engage and are quite quickly dispatched away by the Spanish warship, as you can expect. And so they limp into New Providence, having been. Having been devastated by this attack. And it's really from this point on that you start to see that Thatch becomes in charge of this vessel, starts to take over Stede's crew and his vessel with his own vessel and his own crew as well. And it's really from this point on, just sort of later, 1717, where Thatcher's name appears in the record more forcefully because he is terrorizing the Eastern seaboard of North America with Steve Bonnet in tow as basically his consort.

[William Darymple]

So when you say terrorizing the coast of America, what's going on? He's landing on a remote peninsula and raiding the plantations inland, or what sort of stuff are we talking about?

[David Wilson]

What they do is they sort of move from colony to colony, from port to port, and they just attack all the vessels that they can in a short amount of period. So they move to New York, to Delaware, to the Chesapeake. They'll lie off the capes of these ports waiting for vessels to arrive or to try to leave. They'll plunder those. But then before anyone can respond, they'll just move up to the next port and they keep going, and they take several vessels at this point in time, and his name starts to become very well known amongst the colonies in the Eastern seaboard.

[Anita Arnand]

Okay, well, look, let's leave you there, and we'll be back in the next episode of this double bill on pirates and Blackbeard in particular, and find out what this. This sort of burgeoning new career that's terrorizing everybody on the seaboard is going to do next. If you want to hear the next one already, you know what you have to do. Just join the Empire Club. EmpirePoduk.com that's EmpirePoduk.com. you get all these miniseries in one big galoof, and also you get access to a newsletter and you get early tickets to any live shows. We do. But you're going to be back. We're going to be back. Till the next time we meet. Goodbye from me. Anita Arnand.

[William Darymple]

Goodbye from me, William Durimpel.