18th Century Nassau and Pirates

[lwhitehead]

HI I need info a maps of Nassau during the republic of Pirate phase, which is from 1715 to 1718. 

Are AC IV video game and Black Sails a historical view on the famous pirates of that age?,

LW

[Swashbuckler 1700]

I would guess that no such maps exists. Anymore at least sadly. 

 

I would assume both make it seem too large a town. I think of the two AC is closer with its shanty town look. Nassau in Black sails is like more like a mix of colonial towns resembling even Havana and larger colonial capitals.

 

 

Fore more info: https://csphistorical.com/2015/07/26/the-strongest-man-carries-the-day-life-in-new-providence-1716-1717/

 

 

 

 

[lwhitehead]

Um Nassau was a Boom town in 1715 to 1718 most of the people living there weren't 1%, they made money off the Pirates like Deadwood in the 19th Century America. 

 

This is what I know of Nassau at the time it was full of common people who were sick class system or came to get rich quick, the first group worried the English at least back home mostly the Wigs

 

what about an honest historical showing for the Pirates which is better AC Black Flag or Black Sails?,

 

LW

[Mission]

I haven't seen either Assassin's Creed or Black Sails so I can't say one is better than the other, although the two things seem like different animals entirely. However, I've found nearly everything in the entertainment industry lives up to its label by being entertaining, with history merely providing a tableu for that entertainment. (As it should. Entertainment by definition exists to amuse.) I do know of BS, Ed Fox said something to the effect that while he found it enjoyable to watch, he did so by basically suspending his knowledge of pirate history.

Actually, if you really want to understand the history, you're best off learning about it yourself so you can recognize what is real and what isn't. (As well as recognizing that there are more than a few holes in our knowledge which the entertainment industry winds up filling in.)  While there are a variety of modern books available, I prefer the actual sources from the period. There are three essential ones that I know of: Joel Baer's four volume set Pirates of the British Isles (get that through inter-library loan, they're too expensive to buy), Ed Fox's Pirates in Their Own Words, and Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates. Johnson's book is the trickiest of the lot because it actually inserts a lot of things that either are not or at least may not be true. I've been told the best version to read is the Dover version annotated by Manuel Schornhorn. (And then you have to read the notes to see what parts are real and what are likely fabricated by the author.)

There are two others worth looking at if you really want to delve.  The first is John Franklin Jameson's Privateering and Piracy in the Colonial Period Illustrative Documents, which you can find at archive.org. Jameson's book covers a very broad period, however, and you have to pick and choose through his documents. The second is George Francis Dow and John Henry Edmonds' The Pirates of the New England Coast 1630-1730. A lot of the material in their books is covered by Johnson and Baer's books, although it is a nice, narrative presentation of the material.

[Mission]

If you want the POV of a historian whom I'd trust and who also happens to like the show from what I can tell, check out David Fictum's blog post on Black Sails. (He posts here as Brit Privateer.)

[lwhitehead]

This is a YA book series that I want to write blame Harry Potter Play, I know in the 18th Century that a 12 to 14 year old person is consider an Adult, In that timeframe if person was old enough to be hanged then that person old enough to drink. 

 

Treasure Island was original written for young boys, but today young boys swear and seen more acts of bloody murder then in the Golden Age of Piracy,

 

LW

[Brit.Privateer]

Thank you Swashbuckler and Mission for posting links to my stuff on here.  
Also, Mission's reply above is on point, very on point.

Now for the original questions:

"I need info a maps of Nassau during the republic of Pirate phase, which is from 1715 to 1718."

As others pointed out, you won't find a map of Nassau from 1715-1718.  There are maps from a number of years afterwards when authority is restored.  Besides, there isn't much to map since, besides the shape of the harbor and the fort, there weren't really much of a road/street network to speak of warranting a map.  See the "Strongest Man Carries the Day" article: https://csphistorical.com/2015/07/26/the-strongest-man-carries-the-day-life-in-new-providence-1716-1717/ .  I should also make a point about the use of the term "Republic of Pirates".  The term wasn't invented until Colin Woodard wrote his book of the same time a decade ago.  As for the word, "Republic" itself, I get the impression people are assuming a lot about Nassau in the 1710s because of that term, since they associate "Republic" with, "A state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; spec. a state without a monarchy. Also: a government, or system of government, of such a state; a period of government of this type." (OED) or even, "Any community of people...esp. one considered to have equality between its members." (OED) The evidence from that times suggests no government during the time the pirates were in control.  As the title of my article goes, things went by whoever had strength behind them.  No elections, no rules, no enforced standard of equality, no official leaders of anything beyond individual pirate crews.  (Again, see my article).  I've had to address this issue before over on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/4kwfcw/who_were_the_founders_of_the_republic_of_pirates/
If anything, the only way "Republic" is appropriate is if it's taken in the figurative sense of just meaning a community of some kind.

"Are AC IV video game and Black Sails a historical view on the famous pirates of that age?"

Again, Mission summed it up pretty well.  Both of them are entertainment first and foremost.  Historically accuracy is by far secondary.  The second paragraph of my article on Nassau sums up pretty well in regards to their portrayals of Nassau, "The romanticized image of the typical pirate base set at a remote Caribbean settlement features a group of wooden post-and-beam frame buildings, built near an elegant beach, and populated with pirates gallivanting with attractive women day and night.  This common media depiction, while appealing to general audiences, is two-dimensional.  This weak caricature does not delve deep into understanding what New Providence was like in 1716-1717, when Nassau’s pirate population was at its peak." 

Assassins Creed 4: Black Flag is interesting for its attempt to incorporate a lot of historical figures and events, but it still has the entertainment value and has plenty of accuracy issues with said figures and events - and especially with material culture.  Black Sails has even less accuracy in regards to historical figures and events.  I cover the accuracy of that show in much more detail in my editorial: https://csphistorical.com/2016/02/07/editorial-black-sails-historical-accuracy-and-the-pirate-genre-in-hollywood/  Neither Assassins Creed or Black Sails are that accurate.  They have pieces of history in there, but the story they try to tell with it overrides any attempt at getting an accurate and balanced portrayal of the past.  Think the film "Patriot" for an idea of what kind of accuracy we are talking about (though Patriot probably did a little better in comparison).  

[lwhitehead]

Here one thing they all seem to get wrong the Ship's pilot Wheel when it was first used, developed in 1715 by the English no clue when the French started using them,  By 1760 Flintlock Gunlocks were sued by both navies on there Cannons,

 

New tech is slow getting down to the common person in this case the Merchants Ships, it cost alot to refits boats with the new system, 

 

Black Flag gives a idea what type of buildings might be around in New Providence, 

 

Woode Rogers how he shown in both of these series I know it's not historical but how much on the Mark is it,

 

Governor Spottswood I think was spot on about the general feeling about Pirates and the 1718 Pardon among the colonies at least,

 

LW

[Brit.Privateer]

2 hours ago, lwhitehead said:

Black Flag gives a idea what type of buildings might be around in New Providence

Not really, there are way too many post-and-beam buildings depicted, too few small hovel-like dwellings, and the town in general is too built up.  This is not surprising since the game needs to have a built up Nassau so the main character can do the various amazing jumps and climbing over roofs that the Assassin's Creed franchise is known for.  Check out the 4th-7th paragraphs in my article in the "Shelter, Trade, Food, and Rum: Living in Nassau" section.  

[lwhitehead]

Well so Nassau was more less built up then shown given the Pirates were not known as great builders, 1% generally weren't know as builders and creators more like spenders and ripper downs.

 

Think Sturges when the bikers come for there party,

 

LW