Pirates

Photos for this discussion of pirates.

Photo of HMS Surprise at San Diego Maritime Museum by James Ulvog.

Photographs for this series of posts are of the HMS Surprise, replica of a British 24-gun frigate named HMS Rose. The ship is now part of the collection of the San Diego Maritime Museum.

It was built in 1970 and weighs in at 500 tons. It is 170’ long, with 32’ beam and maximum draft of 13’.

All photos of the HMS Surprise are by James Ulvog, taken during various visits to the museum over the last decade or so.

HIstory of HMS Surprise at San Diego Maritime Museum by James Ulvog.

This ship was configured as the star of the movie Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World. It name was changed from Rose to Surprise for the movie.

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Pirates

Pirate ship organization.

Photo of HMS Surprise at San Diego Maritime Museum by James Ulvog.

Mr. Dolin’s book Black Flags, Blue Waters provides intriguing background on how pirates organized themselves and how they split up the booty. Also provides a contrast of their reputation compared to their actual battle techniques.

Pirates organized themselves in something with very strong correlation to a democracy. The crew voted to select the captain and first mate (or quartermaster). In battle the captain had absolute authority, which is obviously necessary. Other than during battle the crew could vote to depose the captain if he were sufficiently unacceptable.

Apparently this issue has been discussed at great length in the literature.

The author says this self-governance structure was not due to any particular philosophical enlightenment or fondness for democracy as a concept. Proof for this is they held slaves and did not treat non-crewmembers well.

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Pirates

Volume of silver flowing out of the conquered territories.

Spanish Piece of Eight, Carlos IV Mexico Mint 1805 – – 8 Reales b by Jerry “Woody” is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

In Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates author Eric Jay Dolin provides background on one reason why piracy flourished in the Caribbean – that’s where the money was.

In the 16th century Spanish explorers harshly conquered the Aztec empire (in 1521) and the Incas (in 1532).

This opened the door to a flood of gold and silver flowing to Spain.

It also opened the door to ruthless exploitation, brutal labor conditions, and plenty of death for the Aztec and Inca people. Because of the dangerous backbreaking work one of the most productive mines in the history of the world, named Cerro Rico or “rich mountain”, was known locally as “mountain that eats men.”

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Pirates

Why pirates were accepted in the colonies, even welcomed as good neighbors.

Photo of HMS Surprise at San Diego Maritime Museum by James Ulvog.

In Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates Eric Jay Dolin says that from the early 1680s until about 1726 pirates usually had a positive relationship with the citizens in the American colonies. I will summarize points he makes that caught my interest.

The harsh nature of life in the colonies combined with the exploitative policies of England explain this comfortable relationship.

Hard currency, whether British pounds or Spanish pieces of eight, were scarce. That by itself makes commerce more difficult.

Compounding the situation is British imports had to be purchased in hard currency.

When pirates returned to the colonies from their adventures they brought plenty of hard currency with them and used it to pay for their nice lifestyle thus moving coins into the economy.

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Pirates

Pirates in the Americas are fascinating, just not like anything you see in the movies.

Photo of HMS Surprise at San Diego Maritime Museum by James Ulvog.

Blockbuster movies of today, swashbuckling movies of yesteryear, and fantastical books give us a delightful picture of piracy in the Americas several hundred years ago.

The reality isn’t as flashy yet is more interesting and far more fun to read.

My first introduction to this concept was several years ago in an article by Prof. Mark Hanna in the Winter 2017 edition of Humanities magazine published by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Article titled  A lot of What Is Known About Pirates Is Not True, and a Lot of What is True Is Not Known / The pirate next door

In popular lore, pirates of the 1600s and 1700s are anti-social anarchists, rebelling against governments, wearing colorful clothing, and speaking oddly. In contrast, the professor found in his research there were a huge number of pirates in the American colonies who were otherwise average neighbors who went to sea, plundered some, then returned home to enjoy an otherwise normal life.

He found a lot of pirates in the early colonies and a lot of support from neighbors, friends, and relatives for those accused of piracy. He found the colorful legend of popular movies and books was only in place for about a decade, from 1716 through 1726.

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Viking Era

Food preservation in Viking Era

Buckets of whey left after making homemade cottage cheese. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Ever wondered how Vikings preserved food?

Jesse Byock, in his book Viking Age Iceland, gives us insight.

Lots of great stuff in the book, of which I’ll highlight a few items that caught my eye. Posts in this series:

Food preservation

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Viking Era

Homespun cloth used for money in Viking Age Iceland.

Viking woman standing near Drakkar on seashore. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.  Illustration is highly consistent with other things I’ve read describing women’s clothing during the Viking Age. Notice the brooch securing the outer wrap, hair ornament, inner and outer garment.

Money is usually defined as something that is a medium of exchange, a measure of value, and a store of value.

For example, I sell you something in return for “money” which I can then immediately buy something from someone else. Or, we can use “money” to set a value for something you have. Or, I can sell something now, store the value in “money” and then buy something of equal value later.

In Iceland during the Viking Age there was not enough silver to use it as “money.” So, other things, especially homewoven cloth was used as substitute.

In Viking Age Iceland, Jesse Byock gives a good explanation of how cloth was used as a measure of value and medium of exchange.

Posts in this series:

Homespun cloth used as “money”

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Pondering

When will this mess from the pandemic be over? Focus on the idea that it will end, not what that date will be.

We will prevail. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

When will we be done with this stay-at-home restriction?

When will the economy recover?

When will we be back to “normal?”

 

I don’t know the dates for any of those transitions.

I have a suggestion for you.

 

Don’t set a specific date in your mind. Instead firmly set in your mind that this mess will end, we will get through it, we will survive, and we will thrive at the end.

What is the danger of setting a date in your mind and having faith it will be over on that date?

Let me introduce you to the Stockdale paradox.

Admiral James Stockdale was an American pilot shot down during the Vietnam war. He was a prisoner in North Vietnam for 7 1/2 years, routinely subject to brutal torture, legs broken twice during interrogation, and held in solitary confinement during four of those years with his legs locked in a metal stock each night. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor a few years after his release.

I think we should listen to him. His physical courage and moral courage are a role model for all of us.

For one explanation of the phenomenon he described check out article titled The Stockdale Paradox.

 

Who did not come home from captivity?

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Other eras

Raising watermelons as cash crop.

Watermelon by Karen and Brad Emerson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

One source of cash on my grandparent’s farm was raising watermelons, going to town, then selling them for cash. That provided a bit of money for groceries.

Many years ago my dad and his siblings wrote down many of their recollections of growing up on the farm. Hopefully very soon I will republish their remembrances.

Following comments are used with permission.

My Aunt Louise recalled:

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