Pirates, Privateers and Sea Raiders

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Provides an in-depth survey of the history and archaeology of piracy, privateering and sea raiding from ancient times in the eastern Mediterranean through the Viking Era in the Northern Atlantic and the rise of piracy in the New World and Caribbean during the 16th–18th centuries. Examines archaeological evidence of pirate ventures, the social organization of pirate and privateering communities and the economic, political and cultural effects of piracy on empires, trade networks and maritime law. Explores the sensationalism of pirate legend in literature, film and music, and introduces contemporary piracy in Africa, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Through lectures, readings, presentations and research assignments, students develop critical skills to evaluate primary and secondary sources, analyze cause-and-effect relationships and assess the broader impact of piracy across time and regions. TOPICS. May include: origins, causes and major periods of piracy, privateering and sea raiding; archaeological evidence of pirate activity in the Mediterranean, Northern Atlantic, Caribbean and Americas; Viking, European and New World piracy; raids, privateering and colonial interactions; social structure, codes of conduct and daily life of pirate communities; economic and political effects of piracy on trade, colonialism, slavery and national sovereignty; sensationalism of pirate legend in literature, film and music; cultural responses to piracy; female pirates and gender dynamics in seafaring communities; contemporary piracy in Africa, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia; case studies of shipwrecks, pirate lairs and maritime settlements; research methods and critical evaluation of primary and secondary sources. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.