Essential Information
| Type | Talks and tours |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Date and Times | Thursday 10 July 2025 | 6.30pm |
| Prices | Free for Members |
| Member exclusive. Not a member? Join now |
Pirate Commonwealths: Empires, Politics and Piracy in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
In popular imagination - in films, books, and video games - pirates are outsiders, living beyond the law. They have their own language, their own codes, and their own dress sense.
Contemporary observers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and some historians since, have even described them as forming their own republic or 'commonwealth', congregating in notorious havens from the Caribbean to Madagascar. Yet that idea of a 'pirate commonwealth' has its own fascinating history, one which reveals much about the very close relationship between piracy and imperial politics.
In this talk Dr Richard Blakemore, author of Enemies of All: The Rise and Fall of the Pirates, returns to the National Maritime Museum to explore why this idea came into being in the so-called 'golden age' of piracy, how it has changed over time, and what it can tell us about pirates and their impact on the world.
Not already a Member?
Join today for a host of exclusive benefits and events, including unlimited free entry to Cutty Sark, the Royal Observatory, shows at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, and special exhibitions at the National Maritime Museum.
With Membership starting from as little as £50, what are you waiting for? Membership is your time to explore!
What’s On
More Member events at Royal Museums Greenwich.
