In the popular
modern imagination, pirates of the classical period were
rebellious, clever teams who operated outside the restricting
bureaucracy of modern life. In reality, many pirates ate
poorly, did not become fabulously wealthy, and died young.
Unlike
traditional Western societies of the time, many pirate clans
operated as limited democracies, demanding the right to elect
and replace their leaders. The captain of a pirate ship was
often a fierce fighter in whom the men could place their
trust, rather than a more traditional authority figure
sanctioned by an elite. However, when not in battle, the
ship's quartermaster usually had the real authority.
Many groups of
pirates shared in whatever booty they seized, according to a
complicated scheme where each man received his alloted share
of the prize. Pirates injured in battle might be afforded
special compensation. Often all of these terms were agreed
upon and written down by the pirates. These articles could
also be used as incriminating proof that they were outlaws.
Pirates readily
accepted outcasts from traditional societies, perhaps easily
recognizing kindred spirits, and they were known to free
slaves from slave ships and welcome them into the pirate fold.
Such
egalitarian practices within a pirate clan were tenuous,
however, and did little to mitigate the brutality of the
pirate's way of life.
The classical
age of piracy coexisted with imperialism. Imperialism required
merchant vessels to transport goods and warships to protect
the trade ships from pirates and privateers. Living conditions
on the warships were horrible even by 17th-century standards;
sailors were often fed rotten, maggot-infested food,
frequently suffered from scurvy or other nutritional
disorders, and could be counted lucky to escape their service
without a debilitating injury. Two life-threatening and
omnipresent forces in the sailors' lives were the sea and the
ship's captain. English captains were known to have been
extremely brutal; the captain held a sort of sovereign power
aboard his ship and many were unafraid to abuse that power. It
is thought that the service of an English sailor during
England's imperial reign is the most inhumane of all wartime
duties to date. To fill the warships, officers would sometimes
forcibly conscript or "press-gang" boys and young men to replace lost crew.
The horrid
living conditions, constant threat to life, and brutality of
the captain and his officers pushed many men over the edge.
Possessing seafaring skill, a learned intolerance for absolute
authority, and a disdain for the motherland they might have
believed abandoned them, many crews would simply mutiny during
an attack and offer themselves and their ship as a new pirate
vessel and crew.
