Piracy and the English Government 1616û1642: Policy-Making under the Early Stuarts

by Hebb,David D.

• ISBN13: 9780859679497
• ISBN10: 0859679497
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1994-01-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Piracy and the English Government, 1616-1642, explodes the myth that England was 'a nation of pirates', arguing that the English people were far more often victims of piracy. The costs to the economy and society resulting from piracy, which are critically examined here for the first time, reveal that not only were hundreds of English ships lost to pirates in the period, but an astonishing number of men, women and children (approximately 8,000) were carried away to Barbary by pirates and sold into slavery. The response of the government to these losses, which posed significant political problems for the early Stuart government, are explored and related to broader political concerns and influences.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Conventions

Maps and Drawings

Abbreviations

Introduction

James I and the suppression of piracy

Naval finance: the Algiers expedition

The Algiers expedition: diplomatic background

Anglo-Spanish negotiations

The Algiers expedition

The Algiers expedition: assessments, aims and accomplishments

Captivity and redemption

Diplomatic initiative: Sir Thomas Roe's embassy

Piracy, parliament and personal rule

Piracy and the origins of Caroline Ship money

The Sallee expedition of 1637

Epilogue and conclusion

Sources and bibliography

Index

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