Page 78 - The British Big Four

he decline of piracy in the Caribbean a thirty-year asiento, or contract, to furnish reached Nassau ahead of Rogers and his

T paralleled the decline of the use of African slaves to the Spanish colonies, pro- forces. Some of the pirates were willing to
mercenaries and the rise of national armies viding British merchants and smugglers po- accept a pardon and retire from piracy. Hen-

in Europe. Following the end of the Thirty tential inroads into the traditionally closed ry Jennings and Christopher Winter, sailed

Years’ War the direct power of the state in Spanish markets in America and leading to off to find British authorities to confirm their

Europe expanded. Armies were systematized an economic revival for the whole region. acceptance of the amnesty.

and brought under direct state control; the This revived Caribbean trade provided rich O thers were not ready to give up. Many
of those were Jacobites, supporters
Western European states’ navies were ex- new pickings for a wave of piracy.
panded and their mission was extended to
Scover combating piracy. The elimination of
tarting in 1713, Woodes Rogers had con- of the House of Stuart, who identified as
piracy from European waters expanded to ceived the idea of leading an expedition enemies of the Hanoverian King George.

the Caribbean in the 18th century, West Af- to Madagascar to suppress the pirates there Still others simply identified as rebels, or

rica and North America by the 1710s and by and establish it as a British colony. Rogers’ thought they were better off as pirates than

the 1720s even the Indian Ocean was a dif- friends Richard Steele and Joseph Addison trying to earn an honest living. When a Royal

ficult location for pirates to operate. eventually convinced him to tackle the pi- Navy ship brought official word to Nassau

P iracy saw a brief resurgence between the rates nest in the Bahamas, instead. Rogers of the pardon offer, many pirates planned
end of the War of the Spanish Succes- and others formed a company to fund the to accept. Soon, however, the recalcitrant
venture. They persuaded the Proprietors of parties gained the upper hand, eventually

sion in 1713 and around 1720, as many un- Carolina to surrender the government of the forcing the Navy ship to leave. Blackbeard,

employed seafarers took to piracy as a way Bahamas to the king, while retaining title to Stede Bonnet, Nicholas Brown and Edmond

to make ends meet when a surplus of sailors the land. In 1717 King George II appointed Condent left the Bahamas for other territo-

after the war led to a decline in wages and Rogers governor of the Bahamas and issued ries.

working conditions. At the same time, one a proclamation granting a pardon to any pi-

of the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht that rate who surrendered to a British governor

ended the war gave to Great Britain’s Royal within one year. Word of the appointment of

African Company and other British slavers a new governor and of the offer of pardons