Historic Replicas

 Did you know that pirates were one of the first equal-opportunity employers?  In a time of slavery and unquestioned racism, a pirate ship was one of the few places were black people could expect something like equal treatment.  Most were runaway slaves, and made up a significant portion of the pirate population. Most ships had at least a few black crew members, and Blackbeard’s crew was over 60 percent black.  Black Bart had 88 black crew members out of 368.  These men weren’t slaves, but fully entitled shipmates who received an equal share of treasure and a vote in ship-wide decisions. Each man had to bring their own pirate sword and proper clothing (or pirate costumes). Some held prestigious positions:  Francis Sprigg’s cook was given the sacred responsibility of dividing captured treasure into equal shares.  In general, ships were governed according to a contract between captain and crew called the Articles of Agreement.   Black Bart’s read as follows: 

“Every Man has a Vote in Affairs of Moment; has equal Title to the fresh Provisions, or strong Liquors, at any Time seized, and may use them at Pleasure, unless a Scarcity make it necessary, for the Good of all, to vote a Retrenchment.”

Like many other pirates, his Articles made no mention of race, and his words were more than lofty rhetoric.  They applied equally to every crewman, regardless of color.  It is no secret that pirates were often cold-blooded and murderous.  Yet they could also be astonishingly progressive in a time when prejudice was the natural order.