"He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people."

In this episode, we explore Grievance #24 in the Declaration of Independence, which condemns the British practice of privateering amongst other things.

Topics include the following:

-the destruction of Norfolk and Falmouth--the towns alluded to in Grievance #24

-the legal differences between official action by navies and semi-official actions by privateers

-the massacre of enslaved people on the Zong (aka the Zorg)

-the diversity of seafarers in the 18th century

-the Continental Association of 1774, signed by all of the original 13 Colonies except for Georgia, which boycotted goods from Britain and British colonies that did not join

-the politics and practicalities of boycotts on products and shipping, including the repackaging of goods to falsify their origins

-the origins of the first American privateers and the Continental Navy as well as the individual State navies

-privateering, slavery, and the slave trade

Prof. Fichter's book can be found here: Tea: Consumption, Politics, and Revolution, 1773-1776

The cover image is a depiction of John Paul Jones, the American Pirate, or Privateer, or Naval Captain, depending on your perspective.