During specific periods, piracy flourished, and an extended number of persons wished to become pirates because of those experiences and values it would provide them with, including money, independence from the government, and fair treatment.
To begin with, money is the first value that makes pirates appreciate their lives and experiences, and many other people want to join the piracy precisely the robbery and profit. Because most of them were extremely poor before becoming a pirate, money was one of the key values attracting them. According to Rediker, it was typical for people to turn to piracy because of greed, and since the past experiences of such persons were negative, they knew they needed money to simply survive and live a relatively quality life (56).
Another reason for individuals of those times to become pirates was their will for freedom and equality. For example, one man “spoke of the transition from privateer to pirate as going from plundering for others, to do it for themselves” (Rediker 44). Additionally, pirate ships were welcoming and safe for “slaves and free blacks” (Rediker 56), which was their principal value, especially considering those terrible circumstances they lived in before.
Finally, many pirates valued fair treatment, equality, and democracy. Rediker notices that, before joining the pirate ships, numerous people were not treated honestly by their employers, had low wages, and their huge debts often made them indenture themselves (45). They also suffered cramped quarters, devastating diseases, and brutal discipline (Rediker 9). These circumstances were not a problem for the government. However, piracy offered these people fair distribution of resources, democracy and elections of captains, care for the injured, and justice (Rediker 9). Overall, these are the main values and experiences that pirates appreciated and did not want to lose.
Work Cited
Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Verso, 2004.