Libertalia - Utopia of the Piraten

In the second volume its general History OF the Pyrates tells captain Charles Johnson 1728 the history to certain captain of a Misson and its friends. Johnsons according to narration had established it on Madagascar a utopian republic, which carried the proud name Libertalia. This small state was linked with the past, because one connected the conception of finding the Paradies was at the east coast of Africa. It interpreted at the same time into the future and was for a society, which should be based in the consequence on the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity, a pointing saying in itself. The Piraten of Libertalia should be watchful guardians of the rights and liberties of the peoples and a Schutzmauer against realms and powerful ones of their time. By pulling around the suppressed one sake into the war against the eliminators, they wanted to ensure that equal justice one distributed.

Misson and its comrades pursued extensive goals. In puncto autonomy Missons Piraten oriented themselves at a democratic form, with which the people author and judges of its own laws was, as the most appropriate ones of all. Thus they tried to institutionalize the life in liberty. They rejected and preferred the monarchy, at that time the prevailing system of government, it to intend their leaders by elections and for limited period: Power should be not lifelong lent, been not hereditary, but be ended at expiration of three years. They limited the command authority of their leaders, than its comrades to consider itself better never should and their power, which should be used exclusively for the public well-being. The advice, the highest authority, consisted of the ablest ones, alike to the nationality or skin color. Missons Piraten were anti-capitalists and opponents of the poverty, which accompanied the rise of Lohnarbeit and capitalism. It existed on the fact that each humans are freely born and a right to food has as on the air, which it breathes. The Frevel, with which criminals and compassionless creditors accumulated unbelievable wealth, while others fell into the misfortune, despised it and spoke of a nature right to a part of the earth, which is large enough, in order to provide for the own maintenance. The Piraterie was for it a fight for self-preservation. Humans, who were robbed of their birth right and the liberty, should recover their lost liberty and its right to a bearable life in Libertalia. In order to reach, they redefined the relationship of wealth and poverty.

, Where all everything it belongs and hedges and fences did not define the possession of the particular, money was redundant. They decided that the wealth and the cattle that they possessed, should be divided in equal parts among them. This Piraten, former sailors and hired hand, could call finally a place it own where air were healthy, the soil fruitfully, the sea richly at fish and they found all necessities for the life. If age or injuries made it impossible for them, the to place itself, they would harvest the fruits of their work in Libertalia and in peace in the grave sink could. Striving for a birth right, the Wohltat of the liberty and the fruits of the work was sincerely enough, in order to demand also the abolishment of the slavery. Because no humans have power over the liberty of another. Therefore Misson accepted and its men the slaves on the slave ships gekaperten by them as free humans to their society. Misson and its men created a radically democratic utopia, in which one condemned expropriation, capitalism, slavery and nationalism and occurred for justice and liberty. The historians hold the point of view, the author the general History OF the Pyrates are in reality Daniel Defoe, which wrote under the alias captain Charles Johnson. But in a historical and political sense Misson and Libertalia were not only an invention of an author, because Piraten established themselves as can be prove on Madagascar and to have ihrerer settlement the name "‚Ranter Bay gave, following the most radical Protestant sparkling wines, the Methodists.

The origins Libertalias

Developing the maritime utopia of Libertalia represents a procedure unusual in the history of the Piraterie, while in the workers' movement liberal Gegenmodelle is to be found more frequently. It lasted for a long time, until the sailors received decision power over itself. For a long time the Piraten had served above all its needs of the state and the commercial companies. In the run that centuries shifted control of the piracy gradually from the upper to the lower social classes, from the highest functionaries of the State of (end of 16.Jh.), to important buyers (at the beginning 17 Jh.), then smaller buyers (in late 17. Jh.) and finally the common man from the people (at the beginning 18. Jh.) at the end of this development, when the Piraten used its own society off the dictation of merkantiler and imperial authority organized and in addition, the properties of the buyers to acquire itself (about in order 1690 Jh.) seized the state to substantial military and criminal force, in order to exterminate the piracy. Libertalia symbolizes the process, by which the maritime working class attained control of the Piraterie. The sources Libertalias were various and had a long tradition. They hand country of the OF Cockaygne to the old rural coined/shaped from utopia, in which the work is restored abolished, which property distributes again, social differences gradened as well as the health of all and food is made available in abundance for all. As the Oberschichten of England, France and the Netherlands the Piraterie as instrument in its fight against the common enemy Spain served, created the simple sailors own traditions. One of it was called "‚Jamaica Discipline or law of the Freibeuter, a Kodex of behavior rules, which decreases/goes back to the Bukanier, which made the Karibik uncertain from approximately 1630 to 1680. This Kodex praises itself its own justice term and a kind class consciousness, which is directed against the large ones, against captain, shipowner. Beyond that it prescribed democratic control of power and the supply of the hurt ones and mutilated ones.

Libertalia on a pirate ship

The pirates distributed justice selected their officers, divided the booty in equal parts under itself and used another penitentiary system than on naval or trading vessels. They limited the authority of the captain, contained of the practices of the capitalistic oriented trading vessel travel and established a multi-cultural, multirassische and multinational social order. With all clarity they infiltrated the dominant standards and proved that ships did not have to be led according to the brutal and suppressing rules of the trading vessel travel and navy. On lake the Piraten selected its leaders according to democratic rules. With the pursuit of a prize and in the fight the captain had absolute authority, but otherwise he was governed by the majority. "You permit to be it captain", noticed a contemporary "on the condition that they are also captain over him". It hardly enjoyed privileges: no better meal, no officers' mess, no special accommodation. More still, which gave the majority, they could also take and therefore captains set off, e.g. because of cowardice, cruelty, to the refusal English ships too kapern and too or even if them Gentleman too much were. Captains, who dared it to exceed their authority were executed. A further restriction of the power of the captain guaranteed the leading seaman, who was selected, in order to represent and protect the interests of the crew. The advice, a democratic meeting, at which all men of a ship had say, always represented the highest authority. If they had gekapert a prize, the Piraten distributed "‚justice, by asking the crew over it how the captain had treated its men. That one against the complaint was raised, got the whip to feel or was executed.

The war against Libertalia

The utopian courses of the Piratenlebens were for recruiting of new crew members and the expansion of the Piraterie of central importance. In addition, they led to their destruction, because not only the Piraten, but also the dominant classes recognized power Libertalias and the alternative social order. Some worried itself, the Piraten could, where no Staatsmacht would be able to control it a kind community to establish. Buyers and representatives of the state believed, first signs of the separatism of Libertalia in Madagascar, Sierra Leone, to be able to recognize the Bermudas and the bay of Campeche. If Libertalia for the working class were a dream, then it was a nightmare for the dominant ones. The English ruling powers, Whigs such as Tories reacted to it. Buyers called after ever worse punishments. Prime minister Robert whale poles at the same time developed a personal interest in the destruction of the Piraterie and with him dozens of officials, press correspondents and clergyman. They wrote reports, articles and preached about the monsters, which acquired themselves on lake the property of others. The Rhetorik coined/shaped by force demanded and legitimized the employment of the Galgens and the dream Libertalia was destroyed.

Related links

http://www.atlasgeo.ch/fotw/flags/pir-lib.html

http://www.hsm.mg/de/piraten.htm

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