# The Preface explained — A General History of the Pirates

> Chapter companion for A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

## What happens

The preface discusses the origins of piracy, linking it to the transition from privateering in wartime to piracy in peacetime, and criticizes the inefficacy of naval patrols in the Americas. It argues that pirates exploit predictable shipping routes and seasonal patterns, and suggests that a national fishery could provide employment for seamen and thus prevent piracy. The author also defends the truthfulness of the accounts, drawing on eyewitness testimony and the pirates' own confessions, and notes the inclusion of new material in this second edition.

## Themes in this chapter

### The Cycle of War and Peace as a Nursery for Pirates

The preface explicitly argues that privateers in wartime become a nursery for pirates in peacetime, as seamen accustomed to plunder turn to piracy when honest livelihoods are scarce.

### Economic Despair as a Driver of Piracy

The author emphasizes that unemployed seamen, cast off after war and unable to find work, are driven to piracy out of necessity, and suggests a national fishery as a remedy.

### Truth Versus Myth in Pirate Lore

The author asserts the truthfulness of the history, claiming facts were gathered from eyewitnesses and the pirates themselves, and defends the inclusion of extraordinary details about female pirates as true.

## Character check-ins

### Bartholomew Roberts

Mentioned as having taken 400 sail before his destruction, and his life is used as a central example due to his long career and notoriety.

## Key lines

> privateers in time of war are a nursery for pirates against a peace.

Privateers during wartime serve as a training ground for pirates when peace returns.

_This encapsulates the central argument of the preface regarding the origin of pirates._

> Roberts and his crew, alone, took 400 sail, before he was destroy’d.

Bartholomew Roberts and his crew captured 400 ships before he was killed.

_Used to illustrate the scale of pirate success despite naval presence._

> the pirates at sea, have the same sagacity with robbers at land; as the latter understand what roads are most frequented, and where it is most likely to meet with booty, so the former know what latitude to lie in, in order to intercept ships

Pirates at sea are as cunning as highway robbers on land, knowing which shipping lanes to target for maximum plunder.

_Explains the strategic advantage pirates have over merchant shipping._

> if the men-of-war take the same track, the pirates must unavoidably fall into their mouths, or be frighted away

If naval warships patrolled the same routes as pirates, they would either capture them or drive them off.

_Critique of naval strategy for failing to intercept pirates._

> the author may venture to assure the reader that they have one thing to recommend them, which is truth

The author guarantees that the accounts in this book are truthful.

_Emphasizes the reliability of the source material._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/the-preface
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters