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Marcus Rediker's Article Analysis

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Both articles were well written and provide an overview of piracy as well as an argument for people’s motive for becoming pirates. In my opinion, Rediker’s argument was stronger than Bialuschewski’s as he went more in depth into the issue or piracy as well as their way of life. Redikers’ use of primary sources and quotations also helped to validate his argument.
Marcus Rediker’s Article Analysis:
Marcus Rediker’s main argument throughout the article was that piracy was an attractive life for many people during the 1700’s. He argues that there were several motivations to becoming a pirate, including the hope of attaining wealth, escaping poor living conditions, the freedom of choice, and escaping previous lives.1 He also argues that piracy was …show more content…

His evidence was that a Spanish treasure fleet carrying an estimated £12,000,000 crashed there.2 Word of pirates getting rich from Spanish treasure quickly spread, and soon many pirates were coming to the Atlantic Ocean in order to attain riches; another “gold rush” ensued. New Providence served as a port for the pirates and allowed for pirates to trade their treasure. Port Royal was also greatly affected; and soon piracy started to move northward.2 The problem of piracy was widespread, and amnesty was offered to pirates in an effort to reduce it. However, it was very unsuccessful, as Bialuschewski explained through the use of a primary source; pirates were “not willing to give up their plunder for an ordinary life under dismal and impoverished conditions.”2 The British government then started a bloody war against pirates, with Edward Teach being one of the many casualties. Bialuschewski stated that the decline of piracy was ultimately decided in this war, as pirates no longer had access to a safe base, and their way of life was becoming riskier. A secondary source shows that some pirates tried to return to the Indian Ocean but they were unsuccessful; sources also show that pirates began to become fragmented.2 A primary source of a trial from 1722 was used by Bialuschewski to show the weakness of piracy in those days.2 He argues that the trial showed that people were forced into piracy.2 Through this argument, he concludes, the end of piracy had arrived, and the perceived risk had been greater than the motivation of

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