Democratic Outlaws

A detailed Summary of Democratic Outlaws

 DEMOCRATIC OUTLAWS ?

Pirates, the outlaws of the sea. If like me, the first idea that comes to mind regarding pirates is a group of raiding and plundering individuals. This is due to today's society glamorizing the pirates as fascinating characters. Historically, not much written information has been left behind. The pirates did not leave ship logs or accounts of plunders, because it could be used to

incriminate them. Society today has invented the pirates to fit a romantic mold. Therefore, we grew up thinking of treasure hunts, sea battles, sword fights and plank walkers, when in actuality the pirates of old were loathed by society. During the Golden Age of Piracy, during the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates were regarded as common criminals of the seas without thought to

democracy/justice or civility. In short, the pirates had no decency. However, is there some truth to the glamorized legends? Could the legendary characters have upheld the same ideals? In the course of the semester, we have learned some of the truths behind the glamorized pirate facade. Throughout life I have seen that good is more often than not overshadowed by bad. I decided to

Buccaneers of America, gives an account of pirate democracy. Each ship had a code they lived by. The crew aboard a pirate vessel selected their captains by casting votes. Although the captain is an elected position, the captain of the vessel was in complete control and was to be obeyed and respected. However, if a captain loses the favor of his crew, mutiny occurs and he is voted out.

actual occurrences. While Conrad's crew is toasting spirts and carousing about, he remains composed. "Ne'er for his lip the purplng cup they fill, That goblet passes him untasted still . . . But while he shuns the grosser joys of sense, His mind seems nourished by that abstinence" (Byron 152). Conrad does not overindulge and does not become unruly. Conrad does not kill unnecessarily and when forced to kill, it is in defense. Conrad does not ravage women. He is

Civility is one trait rarely associated with pirates. Why should civility be associated as a trait of pirates? After all, pirates raid, plunder, steal, rape, drink and swear. Civilized people do not participate in lowly, unlawful behavior. Pirates were know to be excessive drunks, ruthless killers, indulgers of women and unruly individuals. In defense of pirate civility, I must point out a few examples. Lord Byron's "The Corsair" is an excellent example of pirate decency. Conrad, Byron's hero and captain of a pirate crew, shows remarkable civility for a pirate. While "The Corsair" is a fictional work, many of the pirate tales, as in other fictional works, derive from

web site). The best noted code of conduct is that of Bartholomew Roberts'. At that time, all of the world's nations were mainly monarchies. Men often deserted their military to join pirate crews looking for better treatment. Democracy aboard a pirate vessel provided the crew with freedom many did not have.

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Approximate Word count = 1245
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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