Piracy in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean

Focusing on the connections between Atlantic and Mediterranean piracy helps establish a valuable comparative dimension to our understanding of English imperial expansion. Whereas the successful expansion of the English empire in the Atlantic can seem almost inevitable, the English found themselves chastened by their experiences in the Mediterranean. The "Atlantic World" encapsulates a geographic unit that stretches across an ocean and a mental construct that brings together Europe, the Americas, and western, sub-Saharan Africa. The school of historical writing it represents seeks to ask new questions about the flow and exchange of people, goods, and ideas. The ambitions and policies of the early modern British serve as but one case study for the interplay of Atlantic and Mediterranean experiences and the ongoing importance of the Mediterranean alongside Atlantic exploration. This chapter presents a case study that provides a rich example of the economic, social, and cultural consequences of the movement in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.