E103: Pirates, part 1

Working Class History

Society & Culture, Education, History

5 • 747 Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

First in a double podcast about the Golden Age of Piracy, with historian Marcus Rediker. The legendary pirates of this era weren’t just thieves—they were daring rebels challenging the very systems of power and authority of their time. Fighting every colonial empire, and creating their own ways of living free from authority, pirates became symbols of liberty and resistance to working-class and poor people everywhere.
Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistory
Part 1 covers the historical and economic background, the different eras of piracy in the golden age, about life at sea, how people became pirates.
Our patreon supporters can listen to part 2 now early, covering the extent of piracy, how pirates organise themselves, how colonial powers fought them, the decline of pirates, and their legacy today: available here for early listening for our patreon supporters.
More information, and eventually a transcript on the webpage for this episode here: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e103-pirates/
Get Marcus's Books:

Acknowledgements

Thanks to our Patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands, Jamison D. Saltsman, Fernando López Ojeda, Nick Williams and Old Norm.
Written by Audrey Kemp and Tyler Hill
Produced by Tyler Hill
Episode graphic: Painting depicting the capture of Blackbeard, by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, 1920. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Our theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The year is 1725.
0:12.0	You're a sailor trapped on a merchant ship and during backbreaking work and brutal conditions.
0:18.0	Your quarters, cramped and crawling with disease, are shared with enslaved people.
0:22.5	Your wages? Paltry. If they ever come. And the whip is never far from reach.
0:29.0	Then, over the horizon, a ship emerges. It's black flag billowing in the wind. As it closes in,
0:35.4	you see them. A crew of outlaws. Men and women of every race, clad in stolen finery and ragged silks.
0:42.3	They shout, laugh, and rifle through cargo. There's no fear in their faces, only defiance, only freedom.
0:49.3	One of them calls to you, why break your back for a captain who sees you as nothing?
0:55.3	Take your share. Take your life.
0:58.1	You have a choice.
0:59.4	Stay and die defending the profits of your employers, or leap into a life of rebellion on the high seas.
1:05.7	This is working-class history.
1:07.8	At the morning, upen al-alzata is working class history. Before we get started, you may have noticed there's a new voice with me today who also
1:33.0	doesn't have a British accent. My friend and colleague Audrey is here, and I want to let her
1:37.5	introduce herself. Hi, I'm Audrey Kemp. I'm a journalist and community organizer. I've spent
1:43.2	years covering labor and power,
1:45.0	and I'm excited to dive into this story with you all. And as always, our podcast is brought to you
1:49.7	by our Patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access
1:55.1	to podcast episodes without ads, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise, and other
1:59.8	content. For example, our Patreon supporters can listen to both parts of this double episode without ads
2:05.4	now.
2:06.5	Join us or find out more at patreon.com slash working class history.
	...

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