For hundreds of years, colorful characters and criminals used the myriad coves and inlets along the Treasure Coast for illicit commerce. From the early days of privateer Henry Jennings to the notorious Prohibition exploits of the Ashley Gang, these sandy shores have been a refuge for those looking to trade on the dark side of the law. Legendary tales of Don Pedro Gibert, Spanish Marie and Al Capone all contribute to the lore of a region that is home to buried treasure and family crime empires. Join historians Patrick and Patricia Mesmer on a journey through the Sunshine State's shadowy past.
In der Geschichte des Seehandels unterscheidet man traditionell zwischen erlaubtem Handel und illegalen Praktiken. Doch was wir heute als "unerlaubt" ansehen, wurde bis zur Durchsetzung des souveränen Staates oft als legitim wahrgenommen, weil es innerhalb der Spielregeln des Wirtschaftslebens erfolgte. Je nachdem, wie gut ein Akteur seine Vorstellung durchsetzen konnte, wurde er als Pirat, Schmuggler, Kaufmann oder Admiral wahrgenommen.
Piracy and smuggling are as great a problem today as they were several hundreds of years ago. The studies in Elusive Pirates, Pervasive Smugglers, for the first time, carefully describe and critically analyze piracy and smuggling in the Greater China Seas region from the sixteenth century to the present. Because piracy and smuggling involve complex historical processes that are still evolving, to fully understand contemporary problems it is important to place them in larger historical and comparative perspectives. The essays in this book add significantly to the scholarship on East and Southeast Asian history, and in particular to the maritime history of the region we call the Greater China Seas. This is the first book to analyze the whole region from Japan to Southeast Asia as a single, integrated historical and geographical area. This book takes a radical departure from the standard terracentered histories to place the seas at the center rather than at the margins of our inquiries. By focusing on the water we are better able to stitch together the diverse histories of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. The contributors to this anthology show that, although often dismissed as historically unimportant, pirates and smugglers have in fact played significant roles in the development of the modern world. Elusive Pirates, Pervasive Smugglers should appeal to undergraduate and graduate students in history and Asian studies, as well as to general readers interested in pirates and maritime history.
This title in the 'Kingfisher Knowledge' series allows readers to meet some of the most cunning, ruthless and feared criminals in history, from the frenzied Viking berserkers to the highly organised smuggling rings of today.
This is a swashbuckling introduction to the highwaymen--and women--of the seas from the Cilician pirates who terrorized the Mediterranean more than two thousand years ago to today's well-organized and ruthless buccaneers who target supertankers on the China Sea. The book examines the terror tactics of pirates throughout the ages and uncovers the secretive schemes of modern-day smugglers.
In this lively book, Alan L. Karras traces the history of smuggling around the world and explores all aspects of this pervasive and enduring crime. Through a compelling set of cases drawn from a rich array of historical and contemporary sources, Karras shows how smuggling of every conceivable good has flourished in every place, at every time. Significantly, Karras draws a clear distinction between smugglers and their more popular criminal cousins, pirates, who operated in the open with a type of violence that was nearly always shunned by smugglers. Explaining the divergence between the two groups, the book illustrates both crossovers and differences. At the same time, states and empires tolerated smuggling since eliminating smuggling was a sure route to a disgruntled and disorderly citizenry, and governments required order to remain in power. As a result, smuggling allowed individuals to negotiate an unstated social contract that minimized the role of government in their lives. Thus, Karras provocatively argues that smuggling was, and is, tightly woven into an uneasy relationship among governments, taxation, citizenship, and corruption. Bringing smugglers and smuggling to life, this book provides a fascinating exploration for all readers interested in crime and corruption throughout modern history.
The Smugglers' World examines a critical part of Atlantic trade for a neglected corner of the Spanish Empire. Testimonies of smugglers, buyers, and royal officials found in Venezuelan prize court records reveal a colony enmeshed in covert commerce. Forsaken by the Spanish fleet system, Venezuelan colonists struggled to obtain European foods and goods. They found a solution in exchanging cacao, a coveted luxury, for the necessities of life provided by contrabandists from the Dutch, English, and French Caribbean. Jesse Cromwell paints a vivid picture of the lives of littoral peoples who normalized their subversions of imperial law. Yet laws and borders began to matter when the Spanish state cracked down on illicit commerce in the 1720s as part of early Bourbon reforms. Now successful merchants could become convict laborers just as easily as enslaved Africans could become free traders along the unruly coastlines of the Spanish Main. Smuggling became more than an economic transaction or imperial worry; persistent local need elevated the practice to a communal ethos, and Venezuelans defended their commercial autonomy through passive measures and even violent political protests. Negotiations between the Spanish state and its subjects over smuggling formed a key part of empire making and maintenance in the eighteenth century.
Immerse yourself in the thrilling world of colonial piracy and smuggling with "Sails, Swords, and Smugglers: A Swashbuckling Journey into Colonial America's Pirate Underworld," book 1 in a series of history books for 6th graders. A lot of the most exciting details, which get kids interested in and fascinated by their nation's formation are often left out of American history for 6th graders in their school text books. But, in this book they get to learn gripping stories of real life pirates and historical figures, as well as how their activities contributed to the spirit of revolution in the 13 colonies. In addition it's appropriate for students 11-14. Parents and teachers will surely learn something too! Navigate the high seas of the 17th and 18th centuries, a time rife with daring adventurers, illicit trade, and the relentless struggle for supremacy among European powers. Our first port of call is a vivid depiction of a pirate's life, revealing the intricate details of life aboard a pirate ship and the codes they followed. We then delve into the risky business of smuggling, shedding light on the goods that were covertly transported and the motivations behind these daring traders. Embarking on a journey through the original 13 colonies, we uncover why this new world became a veritable playground for pirates and smugglers. We chart a course across the Atlantic to the heart of European trade and conflict, exploring the role European powers played in shaping the era's piracy and smuggling. The Golden Age of Piracy Our voyage doesn't stop there. We explore the Caribbean, a veritable pirate's paradise, and Africa's reluctant participation in the era's triangular trade. Discover the unlikely catalysts of piracy and smuggling: the Spanish and British, and how their rivalry fuelled an era of lawlessness on the seas. Get acquainted with the notorious figures who defined the Golden Age of Piracy and uncover the incredible impact they had on the colonies and their economies. Immerse yourself in the Revolutionary War, where pirates played surprising roles, and witness the measures taken by authorities to curb these illicit activities. Could piracy and smuggling have sparked the spirit of independence? This intriguing question is explored as we draw parallels between pirates, smugglers, and revolutionaries. Concluding with the echoes from this age of sails, swords, and smugglers, we contemplate the lasting impact of this era on the modern world. This compelling narrative promises to engage young readers, spark their imaginations, and broaden their understanding of a significant era in American history. For 11-14-year-olds eager to embark on a historical adventure like no other, "Sails, Swords, and Smugglers" is a must-read. Dive into this treasure trove of tales and embark on a thrilling journey through time. Set sail with us now!
By combining stunning cartography with engaging and authoritative text, The World Atlas of Pirates presents the story of piracy in a completely new way. Eighty maps plot the routes that pirates followed—whether crossing the world's great oceans or pursuing their prey through creeks and bays. Colorful archive illustrations, including photographs and images from England's National Maritime Museum and other historic collections, bring the villains, their ships, and their victims to life. Lively, accessible text by pirate expert Angus Konstam explains how piracy grew and flourished from the early buccaneers to the rogues of popular legends, how it has been snuffed out, and how it has reared its head again with the machine-gun-toting pirates operating on today's high seas.
This edited work explores piracy and surreptitious activities such as privateering, war-making, slave-hunting and raiding, focussing on Southeast Asia in the early modern period. Readers will discover nine essays studying the different sub-regions of the Malay Archipelago and adjacent seas and exploring the nature and historiographical perception of piracy, maritime conflict and surreptitious activities. The authors probe the linkages between these occurrences with war and economy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in particular, and look at the transition into the nineteenth century. The introduction covers the study of piracy in this period and chapters explore themes of Siak and Malay activities, Dutch privateering, Chinese actions in the Melaka-Singapore region, activity in the Malukan Archipelago and the political background of the Maguindanao “piracy” in the early eighteenth century. Later chapters explore the Sulu Sultanate and the seafaring world, the deeds of Iberians in this region and especially the identities and activities of the Portuguese in these seas. The authors contribute to the literature by complementing studies that favour a closer discussion of the ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ sectors in history. This book opens up the subject area for delving into the various geographical locales and participating groups, as well as their possible linkages with one another and with other groups. This volume will be of interest to students and academicians of Southeast Asian studies and those with a general interest in maritime piracy.
