Pirates & slave Liberators

When Piracy Becomes a Path to Freedom

The history of piracy, often seen as a rebellion against European powers, is inextricably linked to the tragic phenomenon of slavery. At the heart of the golden age of piracy (1650-1730), thousands of enslaved Africans found in piracy an escape route and a hope of freedom. The sea became a space of resistance, where the egalitarianism of pirates contrasted sharply with the oppressive hierarchies of colonial societies.

An alternative to slavery and unexpected alliances

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Although pirates were not fundamentally abolitionist, they sometimes played a role in freeing slaves. In 1715, the Council of the Colony of Virginia expressed concern about a “negro insurrection” linked to the “ravages of pirates”, revealing the interactions between slaves and pirates. In West Africa, alliances were formed with groups such as the Kru in Liberia and Sierra Leone, who shared resistance objectives against the colonial powers. When capturing slave ships, pirates often offered slaves the chance to join them to escape their condition. Unlike European societies, pirate crews were distinguished by their principles of equality and fraternity, enabling many Afrodescendants to live outside the slave system. For many Afrodescendants, joining a pirate crew represented a radical alternative to life on the plantations or aboard slave ships, as pirates, apart from the racial distinctions of colonial societies, valued above all seafaring skills and, in some cases, entrusted positions of responsibility to crew members, which was unthinkable in slave-owning societies.

Afrodescendant women in piracy

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Afrodescendant women have also played a crucial role in piracy, although their participation is often under-represented. Some found piracy an opportunity to escape slavery. Although historical documents on these women are scarce, sources suggest that they sometimes took part in battles and adventures at sea. The example of Jeanne, an Afrodescendant female pirate active in the Caribbean in the 17th century, illustrates these contributions. Their presence enriched pirate culture and reinforced the spirit of equality aboard ship.

Legendary figures of the rebellion

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Bartholomew Roberts, Black Bart

Afrodescendant figures have left their mark on the history of piracy. Bartholomew Roberts, for example, captured aboard a slave ship in 1719, became captain in a matter of weeks and led a particularly successful pirate career, capturing hundreds of vessels, including slave ships. Diego le Flibustier, born in Havana, scoured the Caribbean for almost 40 years, becoming a legendary figure thanks to his exploits against the Spanish. Abraham Samuel, alias “Tolinar Rex”, is another outstanding example: born a slave, he became a pirate in the Indian Ocean and briefly ruled a kingdom in Madagascar at the end of the 17th century, while continuing to support the pirates and their pillaging.

Little-known resistance

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Far from being a marginal phenomenon, piracy provided many Afrodescendants with a form of active resistance against slave systems. In the midst of the transatlantic slave trade, these fugitive men and women helped defy the established order, opposing colonial exploitation. Their heroic actions and struggle for freedom continue to inspire and remind us that piracy was also a tool of survival and resistance for oppressed peoples.

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