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Great Lakes Pirates: Revealing Michigan’s Forgotten Outlaws

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I hail from the far reaches of the US in a land called Michigan, where the trees are plentiful–as well as the freshwater lakes. Indeed, with five Great Lakes surrounding our borders, native Michiganders are taught to recognize the waters as a crucial part of our history and economy (repeat with me, HOMES). In this post, I would like to discuss a different part of the aquatic lore surrounding Michigan: The Great Lakes pirates!

Background

A pirate’s life was difficult, so what might bring a pirate to the Great Lakes? Well, already being here and familiar with the trade along the shores is one thing. For instance, throughout Michigan history, there has been large amounts of trapping, trading, and lumber milling, which brought all manner of individual to prospect an economically beneficial future.

As Michigan Public states: “Up until the mid-1800s, there was a Wild West mentality on the Great Lakes. Pirates stole beaver pelts, timber and sometimes entire ships” (Williams).

We have to remember that not all pirates are like those from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. They don’t all have peg legs and talk with a brash, seafaring accent. Not quite the case at all. Pirates in this case could be people living right next door who had access to a ship with intent to “attacks other ships in order to steal from them” (Cambridge). Additionally, pirates can be those who steal lumber or smuggle stolen alcohol to major cities, while riding in a humdrum ship such as a schooner or a sloop (Williams).

Now, let’s explore some specific examples of notorious pirates who operated on the Great Lakes.

Examples of pirates on the Great Lakes

A legendary pirate in these parts, Dan Seavey, was actually a sailor in the US Navy before venturing into a life of piracy. As some sources state, after the military he was “a poor man with only his ship, Wanderer, to his name,” so “he took up a life of plundering” (Pure Michigan). Seavey was also the only man to ever be “formally” charged for piracy.

pirates of the great lakes, dan seavey
Pirate Captain Dan Seavey | 1920

Seavey would do a number of illicit activities in order to attain his ill-gotten gains, including putting up “fake lights that simulated a port,” to dash ships on the rocks, and even getting a round of sailors drunk enough to steal their ship and sell all its contents.

“A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates.”

A few other examples cited by other sources include the King of Beaver Island, James Jesse Strang (1855), who allegedly “saw it as his right to rule the entire island and therefore take goods and land from the Christians,” which caused newspapers to declare he and his followers as “pirates” (Berner).

Likewise, John Rackham (1700s) stole anything during his time, from cash boxes to ships. For the most part, these pirates, including Seavey, were after practical inventory, including lumber (timber pirates), alcohol, and venison.

Conclusion

While the pervasive image of the pirate is a tattooed man in eyeliner holding a bottle of rum, the reality is that pirates are more likely economically disadvantaged individuals with a need to make a buck. Case in point, selling easily stolen items and selling them quickly is beneficial to privateering. Now, as for the theft of entire ships and selling their contents–that’s just hubris.

As such, the Great Lakes have a rich and unique history of piracy that differs from the classic tales of parrots and plunder. These aforementioned pirates were driven by economic necessity, and their stories add a fascinating chapter to Michigan’s economic history.

Works Cited

“Michigan Pirates of the Great Lakes.” Pure Michigan. Michigan.org. Web. https://www.michigan.org/article/trip-idea/michigan-pirates-great-lakes

Berner, William. “The Mormon Pirate King, James Strang.” Military History of the Upper Great Lakes. Oct. 15, 2016. Web. https://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2016/10/15/the-mormon-pirate-king-james-strang/

Williams, Rebecca. “Sure, there were pirates in the Caribbean, but the Great Lakes had them too.” Michigan Public. Oct. 14, 2014. Web. https://www.michiganpublic.org/environment-science/2014-10-14/sure-there-were-pirates-in-the-caribbean-but-the-great-lakes-had-them-too

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Understanding Pirate Literature by through the Life of a Pirate

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In Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, we get a good idea as to what pirating looks like according to the author. Much of it is ne’er-do-well behavior and much of it is also unsavory behavior. Long John Silver, for instance, is a liar and a conman who is very much in league with a sordid sort, and is looking to murder those who get in his way. Such is the life of a pirate.

But is this what a pirate was really like? In the book, it seems much of their time has been spent plodding and planning, but there is much more to the life of a pirate than what has been presented to us already. In this post, we are going to look at the life of a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. We will analyze the era, the life of a pirate, and some misconceptions in today’s post.


The Golden Age of Piracy

The Golden Age of Piracy occurred between 1690 and 1730, and it was a time when pirating was at an all time high. As World History states, “Although not all historians agree on the precise time frame, it is generally applied to those pirates who operated in the Caribbean, the east coast of America, the eastern Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean” (Cartwright).

The major players of this era included Sir Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd and Blackbeard. Moreover, pirates came from all over the world and from “every maritime country of Europe,” and “a good number of sailors were African” (Jenkins). Later, real-life pirates even appeared in and around The Great Lakes in the US.


Life of a Pirate

When considering how a pirate starts their life, we have to consider that many of them were young sailors that figured out stealing was easier than working on a ship night and day. Sometimes, “pirates were made,” which means that upon capture during a “raids or battles,” individuals were forced to work on a pirate ship as a servant or slave (Fields).

Many pirates came from a variety of social classes. If you consider the amount of pirates that came from backgrounds as sailors, you can understand where this information is coming from. “…Major Stede Bonnet, who was a wealthy plantation owner in Barbados before he outfitted a ship and became a pirate in 1717….” (Minister).

When thinking about day-to-day activities, pirates were often working on their ship and searching the horizon for possible victims. When boats were captured by pirates, the pirates themselves would look for “grain, molasses, and kegs of rum” and top of gold and silver.

Much of the ill-gotten gains would be spent on “‘women and booze'” states National Geographic, but there were rules to follow. “Indeed pirates did follow codes. These varied from ship to ship, often laying out how plundered loot should be divided or what punishment should be meted out for bad behavior” (Lovgren). Esprit de corps seemed to be the name of the game with pirating.

Continuing, pirates were not pirates for very long. Many of the most famous pirates only lasted a little while at sea, such as Blackbeard, and many of your humdrum pirates aboard a vessel either called it quits, became injured, or died.


Misconceptions

There are many things about pirates that society may get wrong no doubt due to modern media’s portrayal of life at sea. For example, the Pirates of the Carribean film series has its heroes searching for buried treasure and walking the plank. Both of these things are conjurations of a more modern society.

Treasure Island is responsible for many pirate myths (even though William Kidd allegedly buried some treasure en route to New York to turn himself in to authorities). As some sources state, pirates would not “abandon their booty, no matter how well hidden it was,” and this was mostly so they could sell it as quickly as possible to spend their reward (Ward).

Additionally, walking the plank appears to be a fabrication as there is little evidence this has every occurred. As stated by Wired: “Pirates’ preferred means of punishment was keel-hauling, which meant tying their victims to a rope and dragging them under the ship” (Blum).


Conclusion

A pirate’s life was a complicated affair. It seems that many pirates either left a profession or did a lateral move from sailing in order to find better opportunities more quickly. In Treasure Island, the pirates aboard the Hispaniola have been at it for a long time, having been pirates under the volatile Captain Flint and Billy Bones. In letter sections of the novel, we will see some pirate folklore come to life and we will also see some of the realities of pirating come to fruition.


Works Cited

Cartwright, Mark. “Golden Age of Piracy.” World History Encyclopedia. Oct. 12, 2021. Web. https://www.worldhistory.org/Golden_Age_of_Piracy/

Jenkins, John Philip. “Piracy.” Britannica. Jan. 25, 2024. Web. https://www.britannica.com/topic/piracy-international-law

Fields, Kittey. “The Life of a Pirate: What They Ate, What They Did for Fun, and More!” Owlcation. Nov. 22, 2023. Web. https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Life-of-a-Pirate-What-They-Ate-What-They-Did-For-Fun-and-More

Lovgren, Stefan. “Grim Life Cursed Real Pirates of the Caribbean.” National Geographic. July 11, 2003. Web. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/grim-life-cursed-real-pirates-of-caribbean?loggedin=true&rnd=1706527561870

Minster, Christopher. “10 Facts About Pirates.” ThoughtCo. Feb. 28, 2021. Web. https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-pirates-2136238

Ward, Alvin. “10 Misconceptions About Pirates.” Mental Floss. Sept. 13, 2022. Web. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/71320/10-misconceptions-about-pirates

Blum, Matt. “Pirates: A Reality Check – 9 Pirate Myths Examined.” Wired. Sept. 17th, 2000. Web. https://www.wired.com/2008/09/pirates-a-reali/

Blog, Writing Craft

What Makes a Good Pirate Story in Fiction Writing?

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In this post, we are discussing the conventions of a very specific genre–the pirate story in fiction. and there are many different pirate books and stories out there as well. We are going to look at a variety of mediums, from literature to television to film. Some of the conventions we are going to consider include characters, treasure, adventure, setting, and history. Additionally, we will check out a few examples of good pirate stories across time.

Characterization

I think one of the main components of a good pirate story are the characters–especially the pirates. When it comes to now, we have to have pirates that go beyond the peg-legged, parrot-wearing antagonists who are only out for treasure. However, we can look at a character like Long John Silver from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and see how he is a multifaceted creation. He is both trustworthy and untrustworthy, crafty and ingenious, but greedy and shortsighted. Silver embodies a pirate in the best way, so all other characterizations should take something from him.

Reaching farther back in cinema, we have The Sea Hawk (1940) that features Errol Flynn as a privateer during the Elizabethan era. Flynn’s natural charisma and charm play into his characterization, and, frankly, it’s his likability that transforms a pirate character into something a bit more grounded and interesting.

Treasure

Treasure is a big thing to pirates, as it symbolically acts as a means of vice for pirates, and it also acts as a McGuffin for most adventures. In Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), Geoffrey Rush’s Barbosa seeks the treasure that cursed he and his crew and finds it in the end–but it’s also his undoing. This treasure gives him a clear drive in the story and it also creates conflict, which provides a narrative thrust for the adventure. When writing a pirate story in fiction, we have to consider what motivates these pirates in the long run. There is something to be said about short-term and long-term goals for characters in novels.

Adventure

In pirate stories, we need to focus on aspects of adventure. This may entail heading out on the seas in travel, or perhaps it’s spending time in a vibrant locale. Either way, something adventurous should happen, from sword fights to seeking buried treasure to reuniting with lost love on distant shores. In Peter Pan, for instance, our titular character encounters the dreaded Captain Hook, who wants to end the flying boy’s adventures in Neverland. The adventurous aspects of the story are really set around this protagonist, from the swordfights to the kidnappings to the rescues.

Setting

Of course, setting is an important component of pirates stories. Many stories are set on the open sea aboard a lofty boat. Moreover, strange and mysterious islands, shrouded in legends and harboring buried treasures, add an element of intrigue to the story as well. The creaking wooden decks of pirate ships, the salty breeze, and the vast horizon all contribute to the experience, transporting readers into a world of danger and excitement.

Furthermore, whether set against the historical backdrop of the Golden Age of Piracy (late 17th century to early 18th century) or infused with fantastical elements, a well-crafted pirate story enhances the overall plot with an interesting time and place. These settings provide a historical context that influences aspects of the narratives, as it incorporates social, political, and economic conditions.

Incorporating these elements into your writing

The main thing you can do to write a pirate story is explore a lot of pirate media. Read books, watch movies, and play games inspired by pirate lore. Understand the context of the time, too. If you are already a competent pirate expert, your next step is taking the most influential aspects and incorporating them into your own writing. A pirate story in fiction writing should have all of these elements and they should be done well!

For example–and as mentioned–you might try taking subtle characteristics of Long John Silver’s character and using them in your own pirate. A protagonist or antagonist who is cunning but lacks scruples is an interesting character on their own. Likewise, when considering setting, think about the settings that impacted you through your reading. Was a battle aboard a ship a particularly inspiring moment for you, or was a swordfight on an desolate beach something you gravitated toward? Either way, use settings–both time and place–to drive your story forward, or at least give you some interesting places for your characters to travel to while on their adventure.

Lastly, don’t forget your own writing voice and be original. If you understand the conventions of the pirate story then it’s that much easier to subvert expectations or do something different. A pirate with two eye patches instead of one? Who knows, that might be an interesting character trait.

Examples

Examples of pirate media to check out:

  • Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Video Game – 2013)
  • “Pirate Latitudes” by Michael Crichton (2009)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean film series (2003)
  • The Sea Hawk (Film – 1940)
  • “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)