The Real Pirate Code of the Caribbean
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Pirate Democracy reveals how the Articles of Agreement transformed pirate ships into surprisingly democratic societies. Discover how pirates voted out captains, split treasure equally, and paid compensation for injuries—creating a fairer system than most navies of their time. Chapters: 00:00 Pirates Had a Constitution 00:12 Pirate Injury Compensation 00:24 Pirate shares vs navy pay 00:36 Pirates Had a Constitution 00:48 Pirate Democracy in Action 01:00 Crew power 01:12 Captain vs Quartermaster 01:24 The Pirate Welfare State 01:36 Pirate Injury Compensation 01:48 Captain's share 02:00 Pirate vs Navy Pay 02:12 Pirates: Democratic Pioneers 02:24 Pirate democracy vs. the world 02:36 Pirates: democratic pioneers 02:48 Signing the Articles 03:00 Quartermaster's Role 03:12 Attracting Crew 03:24 Discipline Under Articles 03:36 Social Contract for Survival 03:48 Variations of the Code 04:00 Pirates vs. Navy Governance 04:12 Pirate Articles: A Contract 04:24 Pirate Code: A Model 04:36 A pirate-style workplace? Sources & further reading: • A General History of the Pyrates — A 1724 book by Captain Charles Johnson (possibly a pseudonym for Daniel Defoe) that includes detailed accounts of pirate articles and compensation schedules. • The Invisible Hook: The Hidden Economics of Pirates — A 2009 book by Peter Leeson that analyzes pirate governance and economics, including the democratic nature of pirate articles. • The Pirate Code: From Pirates to the Modern World — A 2010 book by Peter Leeson that explores the rules and regulations of pirate ships. • Pirates: The Complete History from 1300 BC to the Present Day — A comprehensive history by Angus Konstam that includes primary source excerpts of pirate articles. • The Republic of Pirates — A 2007 book by Colin Woodard that details the pirate haven of Nassau and the democratic practices of pirate crews. • Pirate Articles of Bartholomew Roberts — A primary source document from 1720 that lists the articles agreed upon by Bartholomew Roberts' crew, including compensation for injuries.
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