CHRIS’s Reviews > THE PIRATES > Status Update

Rogers's primary goal was to clear out the pirates in and around Nassu, where there were previous attempts to colonize it, but remained were an old fort and a lot of tents. This attempt had few successes by establishing a council, but failed again due to the climate and disease with the constant threats of pirate retaliation and Spanish warships. One of the pirates that left before Roger's arrival was Blackbeard.

Even through the public outcry, the British Royal Navy didn't really do anything to track down the pirates because they themselves were collecting a fortune by shipping companies to provide protection from the pirates. It was until a syndicate of English merchants petitioned the King to do clear out the Bahamas, he sent a captain named Woodes Rogers, an expert with lots of experience. I think that Rogers could do it.

The War of Spanish Succession began in 1701 by the death of Charles II, and most pirates worked with protection by nations to attack other merchant ships until 1714. By July 1716, most pirates had established themselves in the Bahamas and had created another place similar to Madagascar 20 years ago. They saw the Bahamas as valuable because they were easier to lurk and wait for ships to pass from the Gulf of Florida.

Kidd stayed in a place called Newgate for about a year until he was put through trial without the French Passes to be found for evidence. Although the piracy was a complicated issue, his murder was used to justify his hanging in Wapping, London. His body was chained outside a port in Tilbury Point to deter any future pirates.

Kidd looked to James Emmott for help, and thought that the french passes were enough evidence to prove his uncountability of piracy. Emmot handed handed the French Passes to Bellomount, who had orders to arrest Kidd under any circumstances. Kidd reached his family and gave away most of the treasures to friends as gifts and sailed to Boston to see Bellomount. But on July 2nd, the council placed an immediate arrest.

The English Authorities had decided to offer free pardons to any pirate except Kidd and Henry Every, this action made most of Kidd's crew willing to turn their captain in. Kidd still had the belief that his connections and his French passes were enough proof that he wasn't a pirate. He decided to complete the trip on a smaller sloop and 12 men who opted to join him back to New York.

Kidd and his crew found and captured a Moorish ship called the "Maiden" that was headed for Surat and had a French Pass. He took the ship and renamed it "November', and with the two ships they aimed at smaller ships for things like coffee, rice, and gunpowder. On January 30, 1698, he took a large merchant ship called "The Quedah Merchant", that was commanded by an English Captain, at this point he broke the contract.

It was common for ships to carry and fly different flags when the problem called for it, and that's what happened with Kidd. He followed a fleet with his attention to a Moorish ship, but its escort the "Sceptre", an English East-Indian ship managed to chase Kidd away. From this point I'm still surprised how Kidd is still hopeful that they can still find a ship, and how the crew still hasn't overthrown their Captain.

Realizing that the whole venture had a vague goal, Kidd left the Thames River on December 1695 in the "Adventure Galley". One of the first problems that arose was an incident disrespecting the Navy, which later replaced Kidd's hand-picked crew for Navy rejects. A year passes, and the whole ship realized that they haven't been that successful and only were always having a low supply, most began to advocate for piracy.

William Kidd was born around 1645, and was a Captain of a merchant ship, until he got himself into a venture where he was to seize French ships and pirates in the Eastern Seas if possible. After being forced to agree in order to prove loyalty to the King, he signed the Articles of agreement in 1695. Kidd himself knew that this whole plan was too hopeful that he would capture infamous pirates like Captain Tew.