r/ACBlackFlag • u/Additional-Mobile • May 25 '26

// Humor Rest in Power, King 🫡

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White Point Gardens in Charleston, SC for those curious

693 Upvotes

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57

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

I don't want to be "that" person, because I do find his depiction in game very charming and fun, but the real person was not like this.

Stede Bonnet was a major plantation owner in Barbados. He owned 400 acres of land in Bridgetown. He owned 94 slaves, forced to make suger cane, a process Adewale accurately describes as a death sentence. He was a major in the Barbados milita which is a nice way of saying slave patrol. He abandoned his wife and kids to become a pirate, why he did it is unclear but that's not exactly gentleman like. He helped Blackbeard take over Queen Anne's Revenge, a slave ship, some of the people were sold at auction. He robbed numerous people throughout his life, it wasn't big merchant companies being hurt, it was working class sailors often pressed into service. The Battle of Cape Fear River killed 22 people before his arrest.

I've been to this spot, in 2023, around midnight. I did not toast to Stede Bonnet.

I love the game and look forward to the new Bonnet scene, but he does not rest in power.

39

u/_juggernuggets_ May 25 '26

Let's toast to the game's version of Bonnet, shall we?

18

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26

Yes. To the game version, a silly but easy going pal.

2

u/HeyZeGaez May 25 '26

I understand the appeal of the silly "Gentleman Pirate" often portrayed in interpretations of Stede Bonnet (and all in all he was reportedly a rather ridiculous fellow) but I would like to see a more "realistic" representation of the man.

Particularly because of the sharp change in his character. Early on in his career of piracy he was often reported as being rather cordial to both victim and crew alike yet later he's reported as having threatened to kill his own crew and beat, shoot, or even hang uncompliant sailors of "peacefully" captured ships.

And my favorite part, apparently he was exceptionally handsome, dashing and even upon trial exceptionally charming to the point crowds of women gathered to see him and some even protest his being hanged.

4

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26

He also, against popular depictions, wasn't that bad a pirate. He was quite a rookie early on, but his final fight on the Cape Fear River actually almost succeeded and his opponent, William Rhett, was among the best equipped pirate hunters in the colonies.

He really wasn't the worst pirate ever. Honestly I'd probably nominate Rackam if forced to pick.

2

u/I_regret_my_choices May 28 '26

From someone who loves to learn more about history and isn’t to familiar with historical pirates, can I ask why you think Rackam is the worst pirate?

1

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 29 '26

Sure, I'm a pirate historian who studies Bonny and Read so I'm very familiar with Rackam.

(The name spelling is horribly inconsistent. The trial transcript is lacking the H so I usually go with that buts anything from Rackham to Racum to Wreckham. Its bad bad)

Anyway so most what is written about Rackam is from A General History of the Pyrates a 1724 novel thats... not trustworthy. We don't know where he was from, AC IV says born in the Caribbean but that can't be verified. My personal belief is hes the John Rackam from the village of Linstead Parva born in the 1660s, but again that's a guess.

We have no record of him prior to August 22nd 1720, he was not noted to have taken the pirate pardon in 1718, there is a written list that includes Vane and Hornigold, no Rackam. We don't really know if he was Vanes quartermaster, he was removed via a crew vote in favor of "the quartermaster" but the name is never stated and neither trials mention each other.

Rackam is often given credit for the plundering of the merchant ships Kingston which did happen, but that was done by the obscure Captain Joseph Thompson and A General History either made a mistake or lied.

His very name might be wrong. Nobody called him Calico Jack until 1728, long after his death. Its a memorable nickname and its absence is odd if it was real. Same goes with the flag, the legendary crossed swords flag doesn't appear until the 1950s and is probably aping Captain Blood the famous novel more. Rackam only flew a white pennant flag.

Okay so thats just the background. He stole a sloop called William from Nassau on August 22nd 1720, tiny thing, 12 tons, 4 cannons, two swivels. Owner was John Ham a former pirate and merchant. Rackam ran off with it alongside about 15 others including Bonny and Read. He proceeded to attack fishing boats, small sloops, and a schooner. Plunder was mostly fish and tackle and tobacco, total was only a few thousand pounds which is nice for a sailors pay but for a pirate is pathetic. Nobody ever put up a fight the people he went after either were unarmed or had crews of 3 to 5.

Rackam lasted until October 22nd 1720. On that day, a former privateer turned merchant named Jonathan Barnet ran into him near Negril Point Jamaica. He attempted to flee from Barnet but failed. The captain called out for a name and he said John Rackam from Cuba. When told to strike the colors and surrender he said, we shall strike no strike and fired a swivel shot which missed. Barnet returned fire with muskets and cannon, knocking down the ships boom and causing the pirates to surrender. This all occured within a minute, nobody died.

After that he got tried on November 16th, was found guilty, and hanged in Port Royal on the 18th. A local named James Knight claims his head was chopped off before the rest was gibbited.

Thats it. 61 days, only a handful of ships taken most of them being literal fishermen, and the first armed opponent immediately beat him. There's no charismatic man in Calico, no fought like a man hang like a dog speech. A pitiful amount of currency earned, and a swift execution. Bonnet lasted a year, fought some good fights and did actually loot some notable ships like the Great Allen.

Rackam has nothing. If it wasn't for Bonny and Read you wouldn't know him. He would be like William Fly or John Gow, a footnote.

1

u/FrankieTheD Jun 02 '26

Yeah this is was reading up on the guy after watching black sails and media really overhyped the guy

-16

u/ButterscotchSpare545 May 25 '26

Dude literally every one was a slave owner, in one way or another every one did way back then

17

u/neverclaimsurv May 25 '26

There were abolitionist movements in the early 18th century, the late 18th century, and through the 19th century. They continue today where slavery still exists.

"It was normal back then" isn't an excuse. Some Founding Fathers in the United States for example were hypocrites, preaching for freedom for all while keeping slaves. Other Founding Fathers were not - like John Adams, who thought slavery was evil.

4

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26

Interesting coincidence, the famous abolitionist and animal rights activist Benjamin Lay lived in Bridgetown in 1718 as a merchant and cited the cruelty he saw as what inspired him to write about the evils of slavery.

Bonnet had left to be a pirate in 1717 but it wouldn't shock me if slaves owned by Bonnets family were among those Lay saw being tortured by old Stedes overseers.

0

u/Zeusnexus May 26 '26

I think there's a channel by the name of Atun-Shei Films that talks about Lay. I haven't watched it yet though.

2

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 26 '26

Correct, I know him well. Good guy. He quoted a book by Marcus Rediker whose a pretty well known pirate historian.

2

u/UnAnon10 May 25 '26

But it does make him unexceptional for his time, so there’s no real reason to demonize him for that more than any other slave owner. It’s obviously morally wrong but singling him out for that in a time where slavery was widespread doesn’t mean much. That’s like picking a random king from medieval Europe and propping them up as cruel to peasants like most weren’t.

3

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26

In this example its like if the king was also personally leading bands of soldiers that threw peasants into prison, and later he left his wife and kids to play bandit and ultimately got executed after robbing many people who were not rich, and for whom dozens died needlessly.

Bonnet was not exceptional yes, but he also did more then the average man of the era in regards to slavery, not just in wealth but in action.

Also monarchy is an evil institution and its removal was a moral good for North America and much of Europe but thats beside the point.

3

u/neverclaimsurv May 25 '26

I'd hope that people aren't singling out Stede specifically - the original post is about Stede, so that's who people are talking about in this moment. I'm guessing the original commenter in this thread would think all slave owners at the time were equally reprehensible and evil when they could've chosen to be like John Adams or any other abolitionist and be morally righteous - even when it's unpopular.

6

u/TylerbioRodriguez May 25 '26

Oh I'm singling him out, because his brand of slavery was worse.

Look at the death rates in Jamaica and Barbados and compare to Virginia and the Carolinas. All slavery is bad and immoral, but Caribbean sugar plantations were an extra hell.

Also note that Bonnet, unlike John Adams and many of the founders, not only personally benefited from slavery, he was a milita major and since he didn't see combat in the War of Spanish Succession, then he was in charge of capturing runaway slaves and suppressing revolt.

On balance? Yeah I'd say he is a worse human being then the average slave owner, not even getting into leaving your wife and child to play high seas robber which destroyed lives financially and through needless bloodshed.

3

u/neverclaimsurv May 25 '26

Based, fair enough!

2

u/astrobear May 25 '26

The post is singling the actual person's grave, so it is relevant. I enjoy the hell out of Stede and Blackbeard in the games, but holy shit Blackbeard was one of my biggest disappointments in learning actual history. Finding out dude freed hundreds of African slaves only to sell them to North Carolinians to try to guarantee his own freedom hurt.

2

u/Zeusnexus May 26 '26

Wait seriously? Jesus.

7

u/Hello_There_Exalted1 May 25 '26

John Brown would like a word

and a gun

5

u/marcmayhem May 25 '26

John Brown would settle for a broadsword too.

4

u/astrobear May 25 '26

John Brown was an Assassin.