WELCOME TO THE first column on westcountry radical history. Radical history for us involves reclaiming our story, uncovering hidden narratives, challenging established narratives, and encouraging new historians from the working class, to read, write and give talks on our story.
We are not particularly interested in John Cabot. But we are interested in seafarers, press gangs, slavery and pirates. For example, were all pirates murderous villains, led by vicious psychopaths only interested in plunder and rape? Not necessarily: most pirate ships were very multicultural affairs, who elected the captains and had democratic structures on board. Discipline was easier than the Royal Navy, and unpopular captains could be deselected if they were unfair and did not secure enough booty. Some pirate ships directly attacked slave ships. On capture most of the crew were thrown overboard, whilst the slaves were freed. They were given the choice of taking the ship back to Africa with them, or joining the pirates. Many pirates had been known as privateers, when Britain was at war with Spain and France, it was accepted by the British government, when ships were attacked. At times these ships carried massive amounts of gold the Spanish had stolen from the Incas an Aztecs. When friendly diplomatic relations were restored, these attacks were now declared the actions of pirates.
You don’t read this in the mainstream history books. But this our story. As it would have been the likes of us who, whilst walking home from the pub late at night, would have been attacked by a press gang. Ripped from family and friends, we would wake at sea, and be forced to live under a brutal regime of discipline, where life was cheap. One means of escape would have been jumping ship at some foreign port, and entering the service of a pirate ship. Years later, whilst attacking an English clipper carrying sugar back to England from the slave plantations, we are captured. Eventually we are taken back home, to be hung by the neck, or further slavery by being transported to the colonies under the penal code.
There are millions of stories like this, and in this column in future editions we are going to tell them. In the next issue: collective bargaining by riot, in a Kingswood style.
If you have any stories or suggestions send them into the West Country Mutineer.
Love and Rage
Bristol Radical Group 