Pirates 3: Black Caesar

government official for the Roman Empire. Once back in Ireland, the pirates sold Sukat. The chieftain who bought him put him to work as a shepherd on the slopes of Mount Slemish and County Antrim in the north. Few people lived in the area, and all Sukat had for company was his flock and his God. Six years into his captivity, he claimed an angel visited him. There is a ship that will soon leave Ireland. It told him, you will

return to your country. After his vision, Suka set down his shepherd's hook and started the two mile trek, crossing Pete bogs and forests to finally reach the port. It was a rough journey and he nearly died before reaching his destination, although the legend doesn't exactly say how. At the port, he had to trust that the angel was right and that somehow he'd be allowed to board the ship and without money to pay his fare. At first,

the captain refused, but then changed his mind. Suka believed that God had intervened and provided him with safe passage, but his journey wasn't over just yet. The captain miscalculated their course, and when they landed, everyone on board found themselves in the wilderness without supplies. Days into their travel on foot, the group had grown hungry, so Suka prayed, and suddenly a herd of wild pigs crossed their path.

It's not clear how they killed the pigs, but the feast sustained the group until they reached their ended destination. Succott happily returned home to his family, and all seemed well until that is. The angel returned a short time later and encouraged him to return to Ireland, where he

was to preach the word of God. Scat underwent extensive religious training before becoming a deacon in four eighteen a d By four thirty two, he had become a consecrated bishop and was given a new Latinized name, so, while awaiting his first assignment, he requested to be sent back to Ireland to work with the people there, But upon his arrival, the Irish were less than receptive to converting

to Christianity. He persisted, though, using his knowledge of the Irish language and customs to eventually convert people by the thousands. Then he led ordained priests through communities, encouraging women to leave their disapproving families and become nuns. On the day he died in the year four sixty one, the Irish Catholics declared it a feast day, and if you guessed that day was March seventeen, you'd be right, because of course,

Sucat's Latin name was Patrick st. Patrick to all of us today, and his story shows us one of the subjects most intertwined with piracy over the centuries. While it's a dark topic and certainly one riddled with tragic tales, not everything was as cut and dried as you might imagine, because oftentimes wherever you found pirates, you could also find enslavement. I'm Aaron Manky and welcome two pirates plantation owners in the Caribbean relied on slavery to meet the demands for sugar.

In sixteen fifty, slaves, often from Africa, could be purchased for seven pounds, the equivalent of just over two thousand dollars today, and as the demand for cheap labor skyrocketed, that price increased with it, making the trafficking of humans for slavery even more profitable. Once taken from their family and homeland, people sold into slavery were stripped bare and presented to the ship's surgeon or captain for an examination.

Those deemed healthy were sent to the cargo hold. It's hard to believe one human can treat another so abysmally, and I can't imagine all the emotions the captured people felt. What I can do is tell you the conditions in which they were kept, because it's an important context for the rest of our journey today. The more humans a ship could pack into the hold, the higher the profits. Often there was no standing room, and to prevent mutiny or escape, they were secured in place with leg irons

or even chained together. Adding the many diseases that were prevalent on long journeys, plus the general seasickness and a complete lack of sanitation, and well, you get the picture. The guards aboard the slave ships were all armed. After all, chains and shackles didn't stop people from rebelling against captivity. Men and women looked for anything they could use as a weapon, and the guards distrusted the children too, because if not watched carefully, they were likely to bring weapons

to the adults. Abuse, as you might imagine, was widespread, both mental and physical. Women were at additional risk of assault, and thanks to the frequent stops each of these ships made these painful, horrific journeys tended to last for months. Needless to say, suicide was common. Crewmen tossed the bodies overboard,

which attracted sharks. In fact, some historians today are fairly certain that some species of sharks change their migration patterns just to follow the slave ships, all because this happened with such frequency. And of course, as we've already learned, slave vessels were also targeted by pirates. Remember, these ships carried more than human cargo, and pirates were the quintessential opportunists. Although the crew aboard slave ships carried weapons, they sailed

with smaller numbers, and smaller numbers could easily overtaken. Pirates also knew that the crew on board slave ships weren't treated much better than the humans and chains below deck. It's estimated that about of the crew on each ship died from malnourishment and disease, while others died from injuries sustained from disciplinary actions. So when the pirates boarded, the crew didn't often fight back. Many even chose to join

the pirates, where conditions and pay were better now. Sometimes, when taking over a slave vessel, the pirates would hold the human cargo for ransom. Each stolen life was valuable to the owner of the ship after all. Other times, though, they simply freed the slaves or offered them a place among their crew. It's probably stating the obvious, but life as a pirate was far better than life as a slave, and it didn't take long for pirate captains to discover

that these newly freed men were also formidable warriors. Despite their criminal reputations, many pirates were also antislavery, going so far as to attack slave trade forts and strongholds on land. In fact, it's reputed that a pirate's ship captain, a guy named Peter Scudamore once even incited a slave rebellion, But what about those who chose not to join, while they were allowed to leave when the stolen ship arrived

at the next port. The British Royal Navy even hired black sailors, although usually for less money than their white shipmates, and private merchant ships were also known to take on black sailors, but those who chose to stay found a better sense of equality among the pirates than the navy

or private sector. Pirate crews were often diverse. It's where we get the term motley crew, most notably from Captain Morgan's crew, which consisted of black, white mixed descent, French ex military, and a host of other nationalities, all seeking shelter from prosecution. Black pirates voted on important issues right alongside their non black shipmates. Plus the treasure was always divided equally. All told, most pirate captains cared more about

fierce loyalty than skin color. Of course, pirates targeted slave ships for another reason, the ship itself. Those vessels were large, providing ample space for crew and provisions. Captains outfitted them to meet their needs, making them a great choice for a flagship. In fact, one of the most legendary pirate ships in all of history started out life as a

slave ship. After refitting it with cannons and equipping it for everything else, the practice of piracy demanded, it became an object of fear across the seas, and the ship Blackbeard's own the Queen Ann's revenge. During the Golden Age of piracy, approximately one third of all pirate ship crews had once been enslaved, and I can only imagine what might have happened to slavers onboard those ships when confronted by men they once tried to sell into slavery. Overall,

the effect of piracy on slavery was profound. Transporting slaves had already been an expensive and risky endeavor between rampant disease and mutiny, but pirates made the risks even worse. When the age of piracy ended, the slave trade once again flourished, becoming more lucrative than ever. Of course, pirates

only slowed down the slave trade. Plantation owners in the Caribbean never stopped clamoring for cheap forced labor thanks to an explosive demand for sugar, and the slavers the people who hunted and captured humans to sell into slavery saw this and raised their prices. But it wasn't easy for them either. Capturing people had started to become more difficult, and many African villages were becoming a depth at avoiding the slavers altogether. So to keep up with demand, those

in the slave trade had to get creative. One such example of trickery revolves around the legend of history's most famous black pirate, a man named Black Caesar. Reportedly, before he turned to piracy, he had been a prominent African chief, some say of considerable intellect and physical strength. He and the rest of his tribe had managed to evade capture numerous times. That is, until he faced the ultimate betrayal. It said that a trusted friend told him of a

trade ship containing valuables. Caesar and twenty of his men agreed to meet the trader and examine the treasure. The trader first showed him a pocket watch and then used it to lure all of them on board with the promise of more treasures, things that were either far too heavy to carry or too numerous to bring ashore. Caesar had trusted this man, and therefore he let his guard down, which was easy considering the warm welcome they received Hackett

almost sounds romantic. While they looked over the treasure, musicians played in the background. The traders even served wine and food while Caesar and his men considered an array of silks and jewels. Sources vary on what exactly happened next. Some say that while the traders distracted Caesar, the captain raised anchor and just sailed off. Once Caesar realized what happened, he and his men put up a fight, but were outnumbered by the ship's well armed crew and were eventually subdued.

He might also have been forced into restraints under gunpoint. Another account, though, claims that he was tricked into going below deck and was ambushed there. However, it happened. With their prize secured, the captain set sail over the journey. One of the sailors tasked with feeding Caesar began to make friends with him. Before long, Caesar refused to take food or water from anyone else, and Caesar learned his

captor's language quickly. Though records don't indicate which language it was, it's believed that it may have been Spanish, since the ship was headed towards Florida. As they neared the Florida Keys, the ship encountered a hurricane. The storm quickly worsened, and the crew on board realized their inevitable fate. They were headed for the Florida Reef, facing the thrashing hurricane winds and the brutal coral beneath them. The ship didn't stand

a chance. While his crewmates scrambled for their lives, the kind hearted sailor freed Caesar. They both emerged from below deck, determined not to go down with the ship. Instead, they armed themselves and forced the captain and the rest of the crew to stay clear while they loaded a longboat with supplies. Amidst the rough waves and howling winds, the two men managed to row away from the ship before it crashed upon the reef. According to the legend, Caesar

and the sailor were the only survivors. Eventually they made it to safety on a small nearby island, possibly Elliott Key. Effectively stranded, all they could do was wait for another ship to come along and rescue them. But while they waited, the two men conspired and their rescue plan suddenly began to change. When we think of pirates, the image of large ships, deadly can and sword wielding crews often comes to mind, but that wasn't always the case, and some

pirates actually became successful with much smaller numbers. Caesar and his friend had perfected their craft when they saw another ship on the horizon. They rode out in their longboat and attracted the ship's attention by pretending to need rescued. Once on board, they told a half truth that their ship had been wrecked and they were the only survivors. But Caesar and his friend were hardly looking to be rescued. Instead, using his strength and the weapons they had snuck on board,

the two men held up the crew. They then looted the ship, taking supplies and ammunition. They even recruited men willing to join them, and they did it more than once too. In fact, it remained a successful scheme for several years, and that small island of Theirs quickly became their unofficial headquarters. Life was good, well right until Caesar and his friend had a falling out. As the story goes, they had raided a ship and captured a woman who

had been on board. Both men wanted to claim her for their own, and like any good Hollywood film, the tensions rose to end the argument, Caesar shot and killed his friend. Afterward, he spent his time growing his crew and eventually took a ship to find more vessels to raid. But through it all, his main territory remained near the floor to keys, and it turns out getting men to join him proved to be rather easy. Escaped enslaved men flocked to him looking for employment. Black Caesar and his

crew stayed close to the keys. They knew the area well and avoided capture by using the many inlets and spaces between the islands. Then, over time, Caesar captured more women from the ships he raided. It's estimated that he had a harem of approximately one ladies and treated them no better than any other prisoner he took hostage. In fact, he had a prison camp set up on the island where he kept all of the men, women, and children

that he hoped could earn him some ransom money. In the early seventeen Dreds, Caesar killed the woman that he had fought over with his friend and then left the island behind. He eventually ended up in Nassau, where his reputation was already well known, and it was there that he met another famous pirate Edward Teach. Teach had a fleet of five ships, and after meeting Caesar, he offered him a place among his crew, either as a lieutenant or possibly even as a captain of one of the ships.

Caesar was on board when Teach blockaded Charleston, and he was also there when he accompanied him, along with Quartermaster William Howard, to North Carolina, where they accepted the governor's pardon, And in all likelihood, Caesar was at the various parties on Ocracoke Island where Teach entertained fellow pirate Charles Vane, and according to the stories, Caesar was there when Virginia's Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood illegally sent the Royal Navy to

track down and kill Blackbeard. I mentioned all of that because capture poses a different sort of risk for black pirates compared to their white counterparts. You see, while white men were hanged, black men were often sold back into slavery. Either way, Caesar and the others had no intention of

being captured. It seems that he had been ordered to blow up the ship's magazine if the British managed to board them, but Caesar never got the chance He was captured before lighting the gunpowder and dragged off the ship along with several other crewmen. Later, after Blackbeard was dead, the Royal Navy arrested all the survivors, including Caesar. From there, they were taken to Virginia and tried for piracy. Black Caesar was hanged alongside his crewmates in November of seventeen eighteen.

The golden age of piracy had begun to fade away, and without the pirates to raid the slave ships, that industry faced little resistance. It seems that all those ships filled with criminals, drunkards, and fools had been one of the few things capable of holding back the tide of human trafficking, and with them gone, those horrific waters rushed back in. For the people that chose to live life

at sea, rhythm was everything. A significant amount of the work, things like rowing, hauling cargo, and hoisting the sails, all had to be done in unison so to keep things running smoothly. Pirates and sailors alike found that singing not only past the hours, but it also kept them in sync. For as long as ships have sailed, sea shanties have been part of sailors lives traceable back to sometime around the mid fourteen hundreds, although that's not what they've always

been called. The word shanty only goes back to eighteen sixty nine, essentially arriving as a variation on the spelling of the word chant. But shanties could be broken into two categories. The first, known as capstin shanties, were used for jobs like raising the anchor. The old ballad Farewell and Adoe to you Ladies of Spain is just one example. The other kind, known as pulling or long drag shanties, were sung while performing irregular work, things like raising the

yard arm or hoisting the sails. They were tasks that required sailors to stay in rhythm and pull at the same time. It was clever, really. The call and response of the songs signaled when the men should pull the ropes or releasing grip the next section. Usually one person called the shanty man, saying the verse, while the others responded with the chorus. Now, I bring up all of this for an important reason. It seems that black sailors

were often chosen to serve as shanty men. Although shanty is of French origin, the current belief is that these songs combined Anglo Irish lyrics with strong African influence. It seems the shanties might have been a collaborative effort between all races and nationalities on board many ships. Historians point to similarities between the songs and a variety of different cultures, honestly, making it hard to say for sure who came up

with them. Oddly, though, while popular on pirate, merchant and slave ships, the Royal Navy forbid their men from singing shanties. The theory was that if the men were singing, they weren't listening for a senior officers commands and therefore disrupting operation. And although we call them sea shanties today, those sailors

did not. They were simply work songs. And while we associate the songs with pirates, even whalers sang work songs, while rowing and professional fishermen did the same while out at sea wherever and however they originated, shanties fell out of favor once steamships became more popular. There simply wasn't enough manual labor that needed the call and response rhythm of sailing ships, which, if I'm honest, is just a shame because so much of life is better with a

bit of song. The time of pirates and shanties maybe long gone, but they're hardly forgotten. After all, one scroll through TikTok or Instagram can make anyone feel like they're on board a ship flying the Black flag. Even without the vessels they were created for, the sea, shanties have remained, and maybe it's proof that there's still a bit of

pirate spirit inside all of us. MM. The overlap between the Transatlantic slave trade and the golden age of piracy was an intersection filled with drama, tragedy, and even a bit of adventure. And I don't know about you, but it's a corner of the pirate world that's helped me see beyond the characters to notice the humans in the

middle of it all. And with that in mind, we've pulled together one more tale of human trafficking and legendary pirates, and my teammates Alie Steed wants to share it with you. Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear all about it. Decades before the Civil War, the Founding Fathers wrestled with banning slavery. I think we can all agree they didn't wrestle with that question hard enough, but it was on their minds, and one of the first steps

happened on January first of eighteen o eight. That was the day the Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves took effect, shutting down the centuries long flood of ships filled with human cargo. Of course, it didn't end slavery. It simply prevented America from participating in the Transatlantic slave trade, meaning no new enslaved people could be brought in on ships, which, if you read between the lines, means that there were

still problems. First, domestic slave trading continued inside the country, and any child born to an enslaved woman also inherited their mother's lack of human rights. And second, the Transatlantic slave trade didn't stop altogether. There were still ships filled with stolen humans out on the water, and there were still buyers on land, So importing enslaved peoples became the realm of smugglers. Jean and Pierre Lafitte were two such men.

They had become successful shortly after Congress passed the Embargo Act of eighteen seven. While the law was meant to curtail British ships from impressing American men into serving in their military. It also had a profound effect on goods and services available from European countries. Smugglers were more than happy to step in not only to fill the gap, but also fill their own pockets, and that included the Lafitte Brothers, who operated from the Grand Terra Islands and

Louisiana's barri Teria Bay. At first, they were just involved with goods and supplies. The community of New Orleans profited from much of the cargo brought in by the brothers, sparking huge new growth in the area and seeing as how the new inflow of goods helped local businesses earn more money, the residents loved the brothers. They were looked upon as gentlemen by a lot of people, despite the fact that their work more closely resembled the unsavory world

of piracy. They literally robbed ships then sold the goods in New Orleans. Sure Joan grew angry whenever anyone called him a pirate, But as they said, a fit walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. While you get the idea. In eighteen sixteen, Mexican rebel Jose Manuel de Herrera established a privateer government in Galveston, Texas. Herrera appointed Louis Michelle or Is the governor, and an interesting thing to know about or is that he had once

been a French naval captain. In other words, he knew what he was doing better than most. In fact, the area pretty much became like the Pirate Republican nasaw. Smuggled and stolen goods came and went through the port, and that included enslaved people's. At the time, Cuba acted as a depot for the illegal slave trade, which meant pirates frequently targeted Cuban ships or sold hundreds of slaves to landowners in Mississippi, and then left Galveston in April of

eighteen seventeen to seek out even more. He was fairly successful that summer and began his return before reaching port. However, slaves on board came down with a fever. Fearing it might spread to himself and the crew, he sent the ship adrift. When he reached Galveston, he found another surprise. The Lafitte brothers had moved from Louisiana and established their own slave trade business nearby. In a relatively short time, John and Pierre had set up a sizeable racket using

middlemen to sell slaves. Now the most creative middlemen were the Bowie brothers. The Lafitte sold the slaves to the brothers, John, Resin and James for about a hundred and forty dollars each. Then the Bowie brothers did something weird. They turned those slaves over to customs officials. Why well, it was a

scheme to get rich and it worked. You see, those customs officials received fifty of all reward money paid out for finding and confiscating enslaved people's being illegally transported into America. But rather than returning them back to Africa, the marshals simply put them up for auction. That's when the Bowie brothers were turned. They would buy the very same slaves they'd handed over to the customs officials right off the

auction block, and usually for half the price. It was a scheme that took advantage of a loophole allowing them to import and sell slaves despite the new law against it, and it earned the Bowie brothers the modern equivalent of one point five million dollars, which they proceeded to spend frivolously. One American officials discovered the scheme, they pressured the brothers to leave, which left control of the area in the hands of the other brothers, the Lafittes, who were now

the most infamous pirates in all of Texas. The end arrived in eighteen twenty one, when one of their fleet captains raided an American merchant ship. In response, the government sent the U. S. S. Enterprise to shut down pirate

activity on Galveston Island. John de Fitte left after that, but not before burning down the buildings they'd used for their operations, buildings that held the records of the exact number of enslaved people they had sold, And like every good pirate movie, Lafitte sailed off into the open ocean, the beautiful Caribbean sunset before him, and the dark shadow of his evil ways never far behind. Pirates was executive produced by Aaron Manky and narrated by Aaron Manky and

Alexandra Steid. Writing for this season was provided by Michelle Mudo, with research by Alexandra Steed and Sam Alberty. Production assistance was provided by Josh Thain, Jesse Funk, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. To learn more about this and other shows from Grimm and Mild and I Heart Radio, visit grim and Mild dot com.