A Pirate's Life No More - (Early American Places) by Steven C Hahn

About the Book

"In 1718, the British crown in the Bahamas pardoned 209 mariners accused of piracy. In A Pirate's Life No More, Steven C. Hahn explores the lives of these mariners. In addition to the standard sources employed by maritime historians, he utilizes local administrative records from Britain and its American colonies, such as property, court, and church records. As such, he sheds new light on the ordinary activities in which they were engaged when not involved in piracy, and explores how they coped in the Bahamas and elsewhere after being pardoned. By focusing holistically on pirates, the book reclaims their humanity, connects the story of piracy at sea with the land-based communities that sometimes supported it, and illuminates the entangled histories of far-flung places in the Atlantic world. This study reveals that, for most individuals, forays into piracy were fleeting and opportunistic. Moreover, class, age, and regional divisions beset the pirate community, thereby precluding adherence to any single ideology justifying their actions. The pardon was most attractive to mariners possessing greater social and economic capital, which explains why so many of them were able to return to their homes and quickly return to honest maritime work"--

Book Synopsis

In 1718 the British crown in the Bahamas pardoned 209 mariners accused of piracy. In A Pirate's Life No More, Steven C. Hahn explores the lives of these "retired" pirates. While there are a number of "famous" names on that list--Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and Palsgrave Williams, for example--the vast majority of the pardoned are "mostly nobodies." By focusing holistically on pirates--and on the pirates who aren't famous--the book reclaims their humanity, connects the story of piracy at sea with the land-based communities that sometimes supported it, and illuminates the entangled histories of far-flung places in the Atlantic world. This study reveals that, for most individuals, forays into piracy were fleeting and opportunistic. Moreover, class, age, and regional divisions beset the pirate community, thereby precluding adherence to any single ideology justifying their actions. The pardon was most attractive to mariners possessing greater social and economic capital, which explains why so many of them were able to return to their homes and quickly return to honest maritime work.

In addition to the standard sources employed by maritime historians, Hahn utilizes local administrative records from Britain and its American colonies, such as property, court, and church records. In so doing, he sheds new light on the ordinary activities in which the sailors were engaged when not involved in piracy and explores how they coped in the Bahamas and elsewhere after being pardoned. What emerges in this collective biography, then, are pirates who were mariners--of course--but also husbands, fathers, parishioners, and property owners.

Review Quotes

A Pirate's Life No More has a clear, significant purpose that will advance our understanding of Caribbean piracy and its place in the early modern Atlantic world.--David Head "coeditor of A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers, and Adventurers who Created a New American Nation"

It's not easy to tell a new story about the golden age of piracy, but Hahn has done it with dogged detective work in the archives and a deep understanding of what makes these ordinary pirates so extraordinary for readers today.--David Head "coeditor of A Republic of Scoundrels: The Schemers, Intriguers, and Adventurers who Created a New American Nation"

Piracy enthusiasts will love these stories, and will enjoy getting a 'slice of life' glimpse of real-life piracy.--Guy Chet "author of The Ocean is a Wilderness: Atlantic Piracy and the Limits of State Authority"

About the Author

STEVEN C. HAHN is a professor of history at St. Olaf College. His previous work has focused on the Muskogee (Creek) Nation and the southern British colonies. He is the author of two books, The Invention of the Creek Nation, 1670-1763 and The Life and Times of Mary Musgrove. He lives in Northfield, Minnesota.