Page 76 - The British Big Four
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y the seventeenth century piracy and of Spain at the age of four. While Spanish was slowly transformed, along with Saint
B privateering became less of an accept- America in the late 17th century had little Kitts, into the heart of the English presence
able behaviour, especially because many military protection as Spain entered a phase in the Caribbean.
privateers turned into full blown pirates be-
cause they did not have to give part of the of decline as a Great Power, it also suffered
profit they made back to their country of Iless from the Spanish Crown’s mercantilist
employment. Corruptness led to the remove n the 1690s English privateers (England
of many officials over the years including policies with its economy. This lack of inter- was then at war with France) made a base
the individuals: Governor Nicholas Trott and
Governor Benjamin Fletcher. One way that ference, combined with a surge in output in the Bahamas. In 1696 Henry Every, us-
government found and discarded of active
pirates and corrupt privateers was through from the silver mines due to increased avail- ing the assumed name Henry Bridgeman,
the use of “pirate hunters” whom were
bribed with all or at least most of the wealth ability of slave labor (the demand for sugar brought his ship Fancy, loaded with pirates’
that they would find aboard pirate vessels,
along with a set bounty. The most renowned increased the number of slaves brought to loot, into Nassau harbor. Every bribed the
pirate hunter was Captain William Kidd who
hit the peak of his legal career in 1695 but the Caribbean) began a resurgence in the governor, Nicholas Trott, with gold and sil-
later saw the benefits of illegally piracy and
made that his new intent. fortunes of Spanish America. By the late ver. Following peace with France in 1697,
T he military power of the Spanish Em- 17th century, the great Spanish towns of the many of the privateers became pirates. From
pire in the New World started to de-
cline when King Philip IV of Spain was suc- Caribbean had begun to prosper and Spain this time the pirates increasingly made Nas-
ceeded by King Charles II (r. 1665–1700),
who in 1665 became the last Habsburg king also began to make a slow, fitful recovery, sau, the Bahamian capital founded in 1694,
but remained poorly defended militarily their base. The governors appointed by the
because of Spain’s problems and so were Proprietors usually made a show of sup-
sometimes easy prey for pirates and priva- pressing the pirates, but most were accused
teers. The English presence continued to ex- of dealing with them. By 1701 England was
pand in the Caribbean as England itself was at war with France and Spain. In 1703 and
rising toward great power status in Europe. in 1706 combined French-Spanish fleets at-
Captured from Spain in 1655, the island of tacked and sacked Nassau, after which some
Jamaica had been taken over by England settlers left, and the Proprietors gave up on
and its chief settlement of Port Royal had trying to govern the islands.
become a new English buccaneer haven in
the midst of the Spanish Empire. Jamaica
