Pirates and Empire in the Seventeeth Century Atlantic -World

This document collection introduces students to the complex realities of seventeenth century pirates in the Atlantic world. The primary sources explore the rise of piracy to the larger context of the competing claims to New World empires made by Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands and help students contextualize the activities of pirates within the larger geopolitics of European relations and analyze how official policy toward piracy changed over time. Students are guided through their analysis of the primary sources with an author-provided learning objective, central question, and historical context.