Charleston and the Golden Age of Piracy
by Christopher Byrd Downey
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Christopher Downey, author of Charleston and the Golden Age of Piracy, it’s a pleasure talking about your work on HocTok. Thank you for having me on HocTok. It is a great pleasure. First, what fascinates you the most about pirate tales and legends? How do you explain the general endless infatuation with pirate legends? |
Photo: courtesy of the author |
I think that the idea of piracy for most people is the ultimate “escape from reality” fantasy. For those that daydream about leaving their sedentary life of cubicles, mouse-clicks and staff meetings behind for a life on the high seas and declaring “It is a pirate’s life for me!”, the fantasies that we have of pirates are a really potent cocktail.
First, pirates live their lives on their own terms. They have the ultimate “bad boy” persona – non-conformist who are unbound by the rules and regulations that dictate life in the civilized world.
Second, there is the lure of treasure and the chance for wealth beyond our wildest imaginations. And last, and perhaps most importantly, this imaginary life of boundless freedom and riches is set against the backdrop of tropical beaches, clear blue waters and rum drinks. It sounds pretty good, right?
Of course, the reality of life as a pirate is much different. There are very few “…and they lived happily ever after” stories in the history of piracy. For the majority of pirates, life was short and violent and most often ended with their neck in a noose.
How would you describe the Golden Age of Piracy?
The “Golden Age of Piracy” encompasses roughly the first quarter of the 18th century. Two related events sparked the powder keg of the Golden Age. First was the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714) or Queen Anne’s War as it was referred to in the Americas and Caribbean. Fought between Britain and her allies against the French and Spanish, this was truly a “world war” stretching from the Americas to India. The navies of both sides were too small to wage a war of this scale, so they turned to “privateering” - basically legalized piracy.
A government would grant a private ship owner permission to attack enemy vessels on the government’s behalf in return for prize money. Thousands of sailors signed up to serve on privateers since a sailor’s share from just one captured enemy prize could be greater than a year’s salary serving in the navy. However, as the war began to wind down, these former privateers found themselves unemployed, anxious and short on prospects in ports throughout America and the Caribbean.
In 1715, the Spanish, who had been scared to ship gold and silver from Mexico and the Caribbean back to Spain because of the threat of privateers, outfitted one of the largest convoys of treasure ships in history. In July of that year, eleven heavily-laden Spanish galleons sailed from Havana bound for Cadiz. Only a few days into the voyage, the convoy was hit by a hurricane off the southeast coast of Florida and all but one of the galleons were wrecked in the clear, shallow waters near the beach. Over a thousand Spanish sailors drowned and thousands of Spanish coins were strewn along forty miles of the Florida coastline. Like sharks frenzied by the scent of blood in the water, droves of former British privateers swarmed the Spanish wrecks. A base of operations was established in the nearest English speaking port – Nassau, Bahamas. When the wrecks had been picked clean, the “wreckers”, as they had come to be called, turned to outright piracy against their old enemies the Spanish and French.
Then, in short order, the pirate republic at Nassau declared open season on merchant ships of all nationalities…even British. The “Golden Age” had begun in earnest.
First, pirates live their lives on their own terms. They have the ultimate “bad boy” persona – non-conformist who are unbound by the rules and regulations that dictate life in the civilized world.
Second, there is the lure of treasure and the chance for wealth beyond our wildest imaginations. And last, and perhaps most importantly, this imaginary life of boundless freedom and riches is set against the backdrop of tropical beaches, clear blue waters and rum drinks. It sounds pretty good, right?
Of course, the reality of life as a pirate is much different. There are very few “…and they lived happily ever after” stories in the history of piracy. For the majority of pirates, life was short and violent and most often ended with their neck in a noose.
How would you describe the Golden Age of Piracy?
The “Golden Age of Piracy” encompasses roughly the first quarter of the 18th century. Two related events sparked the powder keg of the Golden Age. First was the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714) or Queen Anne’s War as it was referred to in the Americas and Caribbean. Fought between Britain and her allies against the French and Spanish, this was truly a “world war” stretching from the Americas to India. The navies of both sides were too small to wage a war of this scale, so they turned to “privateering” - basically legalized piracy.
A government would grant a private ship owner permission to attack enemy vessels on the government’s behalf in return for prize money. Thousands of sailors signed up to serve on privateers since a sailor’s share from just one captured enemy prize could be greater than a year’s salary serving in the navy. However, as the war began to wind down, these former privateers found themselves unemployed, anxious and short on prospects in ports throughout America and the Caribbean.
In 1715, the Spanish, who had been scared to ship gold and silver from Mexico and the Caribbean back to Spain because of the threat of privateers, outfitted one of the largest convoys of treasure ships in history. In July of that year, eleven heavily-laden Spanish galleons sailed from Havana bound for Cadiz. Only a few days into the voyage, the convoy was hit by a hurricane off the southeast coast of Florida and all but one of the galleons were wrecked in the clear, shallow waters near the beach. Over a thousand Spanish sailors drowned and thousands of Spanish coins were strewn along forty miles of the Florida coastline. Like sharks frenzied by the scent of blood in the water, droves of former British privateers swarmed the Spanish wrecks. A base of operations was established in the nearest English speaking port – Nassau, Bahamas. When the wrecks had been picked clean, the “wreckers”, as they had come to be called, turned to outright piracy against their old enemies the Spanish and French.
Then, in short order, the pirate republic at Nassau declared open season on merchant ships of all nationalities…even British. The “Golden Age” had begun in earnest.
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Piracy has existed for as long as man has moved goods on the water. In 75 BC, a young Julius Caesar was captured by pirates in the Aegean Sea. Held for ransom for eighty-four days, Caesar integrated himself into the pirates's community, even writing and performing plays with his captors. However, throughout his detainment, Caesar obstinately promised the pirates that upon his release he would have them all captured and crucified. Unaware of his high station and influence, the pirates did not take seriously Caesar's threats and posturing. When Caesar was released to Rome, true to his word, he immediately commissioned a naval expedition to capture the pirates. But as a gesture of mercy, Caesar had their throats cut rather than make them suffer the slow death of crucifixion.
* * *
Based on historical facts you know better than anyone, how do you characterize the Holy City’s relationship with legendary pirates?
In Charleston’s earliest days, the populace was very welcoming to pirates. Unlike colonies to the north like Virginia, South Carolina was not a royal colony under the direct protection of the King. South Carolina was a Proprietary colony. It basically belonged to a group of wealthy Lords in England who ran the colony as a real estate investment. Where royal colonies paid their way through goods and commerce with England, the tenants of Charleston had to pay rent in cash to their Lord Proprietors. Life was very difficult in Charleston in the early days. There were hostile Native-American tribes living nearby, threats from the Spanish to the south in Florida and mosquito-borne disease. Expanding the colony into the surrounding countryside and growing crops proved difficult in the early years and hard currency was hard to come by. Subsequently, the people of Charleston were more than happy to trade with visiting pirates selling cheap goods. After all, pirates were really just high-seas thieves and whatever goods they were selling were stolen, so they could offer rock-bottom prices since for them it was all profit. And everybody loves a good sale, right?
But by the time of the end of the War of Spanish Succession and the rise of the pirates of Nassau, Charleston had discovered that rice would be the colony’s cash crop. With the rice farming knowledge of West-African slaves in the colony, Charleston discovered that the swampy, tidal lowlands were perfect for cultivating rice. The demand for rice, particularly in southern Europe, made Charleston incredibly wealthy and the port city became the second busiest in the Americas (second only to Boston). Of course this attracted more and more pirates to Charleston but the people’s new found wealth had changed their attitudes towards the pirates and the city went on the offensive both militarily and judicially to rid South Carolina of the scourge of piracy.
What are must-see experiences that Charleston offers to all who are interested in pirate stories?
My favorite pirate site in Charleston is the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. This beautiful structure built in 1771 was the last government building constructed in America by the British prior to the American Revolution. It is the building in which South Carolina ratified the Constitution and where the Declaration of Independence was first read in South Carolina. (It is also where I was married a couple of months ago.) Although it was built after the “Golden Age of Piracy”, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is erected on the site of a building that was very important during the pirate era, called the Court of Guard.
In the 1700’s, the Court of Guard building stood on the waterfront on the Half-Moon battery and served as the military center for the city. There was no public jail in Charleston in the early 18th century, so pirates awaiting trial were held under armed guard in the Court of Guard building. It was here that many pirates spent their last hours on earth before being taken by horse-drawn cart to White Point Gardens (today known as the Battery) to be hanged and buried. Because of its unique location, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon dedicates a large portion of the museum, particularly the dungeon, to telling the history of piracy in Charleston.
The pirate monument at the Battery is also a must-see and reminds tourists that under their feet, in what is arguably the most beautiful location in all of Charleston, there are at least 48 dead pirates that were tried and hanged in the autumn of 1718.
In Charleston’s earliest days, the populace was very welcoming to pirates. Unlike colonies to the north like Virginia, South Carolina was not a royal colony under the direct protection of the King. South Carolina was a Proprietary colony. It basically belonged to a group of wealthy Lords in England who ran the colony as a real estate investment. Where royal colonies paid their way through goods and commerce with England, the tenants of Charleston had to pay rent in cash to their Lord Proprietors. Life was very difficult in Charleston in the early days. There were hostile Native-American tribes living nearby, threats from the Spanish to the south in Florida and mosquito-borne disease. Expanding the colony into the surrounding countryside and growing crops proved difficult in the early years and hard currency was hard to come by. Subsequently, the people of Charleston were more than happy to trade with visiting pirates selling cheap goods. After all, pirates were really just high-seas thieves and whatever goods they were selling were stolen, so they could offer rock-bottom prices since for them it was all profit. And everybody loves a good sale, right?
But by the time of the end of the War of Spanish Succession and the rise of the pirates of Nassau, Charleston had discovered that rice would be the colony’s cash crop. With the rice farming knowledge of West-African slaves in the colony, Charleston discovered that the swampy, tidal lowlands were perfect for cultivating rice. The demand for rice, particularly in southern Europe, made Charleston incredibly wealthy and the port city became the second busiest in the Americas (second only to Boston). Of course this attracted more and more pirates to Charleston but the people’s new found wealth had changed their attitudes towards the pirates and the city went on the offensive both militarily and judicially to rid South Carolina of the scourge of piracy.
What are must-see experiences that Charleston offers to all who are interested in pirate stories?
My favorite pirate site in Charleston is the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. This beautiful structure built in 1771 was the last government building constructed in America by the British prior to the American Revolution. It is the building in which South Carolina ratified the Constitution and where the Declaration of Independence was first read in South Carolina. (It is also where I was married a couple of months ago.) Although it was built after the “Golden Age of Piracy”, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is erected on the site of a building that was very important during the pirate era, called the Court of Guard.
In the 1700’s, the Court of Guard building stood on the waterfront on the Half-Moon battery and served as the military center for the city. There was no public jail in Charleston in the early 18th century, so pirates awaiting trial were held under armed guard in the Court of Guard building. It was here that many pirates spent their last hours on earth before being taken by horse-drawn cart to White Point Gardens (today known as the Battery) to be hanged and buried. Because of its unique location, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon dedicates a large portion of the museum, particularly the dungeon, to telling the history of piracy in Charleston.
The pirate monument at the Battery is also a must-see and reminds tourists that under their feet, in what is arguably the most beautiful location in all of Charleston, there are at least 48 dead pirates that were tried and hanged in the autumn of 1718.
Just a couple of pirates of Charleston - Anne Bonny and Stede Bonnet
Who are Charleston’s two “Unluckiest Pirates?”
The first is a little known pirate named Richard Worley. Worley’s misfortune was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Worley had only been a pirate for about six weeks when he showed up in Charleston Harbor. Unfortunately for Worley, there was another pirate named Christopher Moody who had been preying on merchant ships coming and going from Charleston for the week prior to Worley’s arrival. The governor in Charleston, Robert Johnson, had ordered four merchant ships to be outfitted with cannons to engage and capture Moody. When the news was announced that Governor Johnson would personally be leading the attack, more than 300 men in Charleston volunteered their services for the offensive against the pirates. While the consort was being organized in Charleston, Moody was tipped off as to the governor’s plan and he quickly weighed anchor and sailed to the Bahamas. Poor Richard Worley unwittingly arrived at Charleston just after Moody sailed away and just as the governor’s ships sailed out of the Harbor. Mistaking Worley for Moody, the governor’s ships engaged the newly arrived pirates. Worley and his crew were decimated. Most, including Worley, were killed in the battle. Those that survived were tried and hanged at White Point Gardens (the Battery) in November 1718.
The second is Stede Bonnet. Stede was a wealthy sugar cane plantation owner in Barbados. For reasons that are still unclear, he left behind his family and lucrative plantation to become a pirate. Contemporary accounts point to an overly nagging wife, mental illness or perhaps a mid-life crisis for Stede’s decision to turn pirate. Whatever the reason, Stede followed a very untraditional route to becoming a pirate – he paid to have his own pirate ship built rather than stealing a ship and he hired his own crew, paying them a salary rather than the traditional division of treasure among the crew. Stede turned out to be a poor pirate captain and ended up losing command of his ship to none other than Blackbeard. After Blackbeard’s blockade of Charleston in June 1718, the people of Charleston took revenge on Stede, capturing him in the Cape Fear River and hanging him and his crew. Stede’s missteps and mishaps throughout his short pirate career are like something from a Hollywood script - making him Charleston’s unlikeliest and unluckiest pirate.
What are some of the most fascinating stories about “the Gentleman Pirate”?
Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate, is one of the great pirate stories of the “Golden Age”. He is my favorite pirate. I have done so much research and vested so much time in Stede Bonnet that he has become to me more like a crazy Uncle that I hope shows up for Thanksgiving dinner, rather than a pirate who has been dead for three hundred years. My dream is to bring Stede Bonnet’s story to a broader audience through a definitive, in-depth biography (I just need to find the right publisher).
One of my favorite stories of Stede is when he has been captured after a Monty Python-esque battle in the Cape Fear River in September 1718. In this engagement, all the ships involved run awkwardly and unevenly aground on the river bottom and are unable to fire upon each other because they cannot level the cannons on their grounded ships. After several hours of verbal insults being exchanged between the crews of the grounded vessels, the pirates are eventually forced to surrender after the tide rises and the ships float free. Stede and his crew are brought to Charleston for trial. The crew are held in the Court of Guard building but Stede is confined in the home of Nathaniel Partridge, the sheriff of Charleston (again, there was no public jail in Charleston). After a few nights of detainment, Stede slips into Mrs. Partridge’s wardrobe and steals some of her clothes. He escapes through a window and sneaks through the streets of Charleston dressed as a woman. He steals a canoe and makes his escape across Charleston Harbor to Sullivan’s Island. Stede stays on the island for nearly a week, lighting a signal fire in the hopes that another pirate offshore will rescue him. Unfortunately for Stede, the only people that see the signal fire are the people of Charleston who send a force and recapture the Gentleman Pirate.
The first is a little known pirate named Richard Worley. Worley’s misfortune was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Worley had only been a pirate for about six weeks when he showed up in Charleston Harbor. Unfortunately for Worley, there was another pirate named Christopher Moody who had been preying on merchant ships coming and going from Charleston for the week prior to Worley’s arrival. The governor in Charleston, Robert Johnson, had ordered four merchant ships to be outfitted with cannons to engage and capture Moody. When the news was announced that Governor Johnson would personally be leading the attack, more than 300 men in Charleston volunteered their services for the offensive against the pirates. While the consort was being organized in Charleston, Moody was tipped off as to the governor’s plan and he quickly weighed anchor and sailed to the Bahamas. Poor Richard Worley unwittingly arrived at Charleston just after Moody sailed away and just as the governor’s ships sailed out of the Harbor. Mistaking Worley for Moody, the governor’s ships engaged the newly arrived pirates. Worley and his crew were decimated. Most, including Worley, were killed in the battle. Those that survived were tried and hanged at White Point Gardens (the Battery) in November 1718.
The second is Stede Bonnet. Stede was a wealthy sugar cane plantation owner in Barbados. For reasons that are still unclear, he left behind his family and lucrative plantation to become a pirate. Contemporary accounts point to an overly nagging wife, mental illness or perhaps a mid-life crisis for Stede’s decision to turn pirate. Whatever the reason, Stede followed a very untraditional route to becoming a pirate – he paid to have his own pirate ship built rather than stealing a ship and he hired his own crew, paying them a salary rather than the traditional division of treasure among the crew. Stede turned out to be a poor pirate captain and ended up losing command of his ship to none other than Blackbeard. After Blackbeard’s blockade of Charleston in June 1718, the people of Charleston took revenge on Stede, capturing him in the Cape Fear River and hanging him and his crew. Stede’s missteps and mishaps throughout his short pirate career are like something from a Hollywood script - making him Charleston’s unlikeliest and unluckiest pirate.
What are some of the most fascinating stories about “the Gentleman Pirate”?
Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate, is one of the great pirate stories of the “Golden Age”. He is my favorite pirate. I have done so much research and vested so much time in Stede Bonnet that he has become to me more like a crazy Uncle that I hope shows up for Thanksgiving dinner, rather than a pirate who has been dead for three hundred years. My dream is to bring Stede Bonnet’s story to a broader audience through a definitive, in-depth biography (I just need to find the right publisher).
One of my favorite stories of Stede is when he has been captured after a Monty Python-esque battle in the Cape Fear River in September 1718. In this engagement, all the ships involved run awkwardly and unevenly aground on the river bottom and are unable to fire upon each other because they cannot level the cannons on their grounded ships. After several hours of verbal insults being exchanged between the crews of the grounded vessels, the pirates are eventually forced to surrender after the tide rises and the ships float free. Stede and his crew are brought to Charleston for trial. The crew are held in the Court of Guard building but Stede is confined in the home of Nathaniel Partridge, the sheriff of Charleston (again, there was no public jail in Charleston). After a few nights of detainment, Stede slips into Mrs. Partridge’s wardrobe and steals some of her clothes. He escapes through a window and sneaks through the streets of Charleston dressed as a woman. He steals a canoe and makes his escape across Charleston Harbor to Sullivan’s Island. Stede stays on the island for nearly a week, lighting a signal fire in the hopes that another pirate offshore will rescue him. Unfortunately for Stede, the only people that see the signal fire are the people of Charleston who send a force and recapture the Gentleman Pirate.
Flags of the pirates of Charleston - Christopher Moody, Stede Bonnet, and Blackbeard
What does history tell us about dealing with modern piracy? How do modern pirates fare in comparison to old timers?
Modern-day pirates don’t have too much in common with the pirates of the “Golden Age”. The Somali pirates, which are the pirates that people most associate with modern-day piracy, are more “kidnappers” than traditional pirates. Their goal is to hijack a merchant vessel, but not to steal goods, valuables or the vessel itself, but to take crews hostage and demand ransom money from ship owners and family members in exchange for the crews’ safe return. Somalia has actually not had a successful pirate attack in nearly three years. An increased naval presence in the area and anti-piracy policies adopted by vessels transiting near Somalia have been effective in thwarting the Somali pirates. The hot-spot for piracy today is on the west coast of Africa in the waters near Nigeria. These pirates almost exclusively prey on tanker vessels carrying oil. Generally, the oil is stolen from these tankers and sold on the black-market.
The difficulty in prosecution of pirates today is similar to that of the “Golden Age”. Just like 300 years ago, there is great difficulty in successfully trying and convicting pirates. The nature of piracy – acts committed in international waters by men of various nationalities upon vessels of foreign flags - has always been a hurdle in the judicial process.
How is your ‘day job’ with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) - one of the world’s major shipping companies, affected by your in-depth knowledge of maritime history?
There have certainly been great leaps in technology and innovations in ships, but at its core, the maritime/shipping industry has not really changed in centuries. At its most basic, it is just the movement of goods on the water. And it is unlikely to change much in the future except for maybe the means of propulsion…maybe solar.
I remember when I first started in the industry, people would always tell me that I had chosen a relatively safe career because the world would always need ships for trade. Even the largest cargo planes in the world can only carry a few containers worth of goods, while there are ships today that can carry 19,000 twenty-foot containers. And although ships today are huge compared to those of the “Golden Age”, they face the same challenges and dangers like storms…and yes, even pirates.
My love and knowledge of maritime history reminds me that in my current position at MSC, I am carrying on the rich tradition and passion of so many that came before me.
What are some of the funniest impressions of people when they hear some of the best stories you share during your readings and speaking events?
I think Stede Bonnet’s story has the longest lasting and most humorous impression on people. The story of the “every man” taking up piracy is like a warning message. People will often joke that they had thought of running away to be a pirate but after hearing the Stede Bonnet story with the unfortunate ending for its protagonist, they have changed their minds.
What are the best lessons you’ve learned through all the research you have done for your work and your interests in maritime history and pirate legends?
My love for and research of history - not just maritime or pirate history - has given me a very important ingredient in my life - “perspective”.
For me, it is very easy to find inspiration, or a much needed life lesson, or even a reality check because I can always draw out a relative story from the millions of historical facts and stories that roll around in my brain.
Sometimes when life has got me down or I feel cheated or short-changed, I can always find perspective and a lesson from history. I believe the saying that “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it” is very true.
I think we could all learn a lot from history and we could all gain a little “perspective”. Thank you again!
Thanks for having me!
Christopher Byrd Downey (Captain Byrd) received his degree in history from Virginia Tech in 1995. He has worked in the maritime industry for over fifteen years. A resident of Charleston since 2001, he has also authored Sted Bonnet: Charleston's Gentleman Pirate (The History Press, 2012). A U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, Captain Byrd offers pirate boat tours of Charleston Harbor, as well as bicycle tours along the quiet, scenic backroads of Lowcountry. For more information on Christopher Byrd Downey, visit www.captainbyrds.com