Black Sails Wiki
Advertisement

Articles, or Articles of Agreement were a code of conduct for governing pirates. Pirate crews would draw up their own articles, which provided rules for discipline, division of stolen goods and compensation for injured pirates. 


History[]

Background[]

Pirates operated under very different rules then merchant or Royal Navy ships. Captains were elected by popular vote, as was the quartermaster. Quartermasters were the second in command, and were the crew’s representative to the captain. Their responsibilities included discipline, and they could veto the captain’s decisions most of the time. However, it was not uncommon for the captain to have complete authority when chasing a prize or in battle. Other important matters besides elections were also voted on by the crew. 

Each member of the crew would be asked to sign or make some mark on the articles, and then swear an oath of allegiance or honor. 

The division of money was much fairer on pirate ships than their merchant counterparts. It was common for the captain and sometimes the quartermaster to receive two shares, and other important officers to receive between one and a quarter to one and a half. Every other ordinary seaman would be entitled to one share. Men who were severely injured would be entitled to larger shares as compensation. Ships would also have a maintenance account, drawn from the money they generated from the prizes and used for repairs and the purchasing of stores. 

Season One[]

After John Silver is taken onto the crew of the Walrus as a cook, boatswain Billy Bones explains the rules to him. He tells him that everyone on the ship is equal, no one is to be given any extra rations or preferences in cuts of meat. 

Singleton calls for a vote over the captaincy of the Walrus against Flint, after the crew had grown resentful of him due to a string of bad prizes. However, Flint says that those were in service of chasing a prize so massive that it would upset the nature of their world. After capturing the last prize, they were close, but a page was torn from the log that was necessary to capturing the prize. Flint then accuses Singleton of being the thief and trying to cover his tracks by turning the crew against Flint and making himself captain. 

Gates says that thievery is punishable by death, as is a false accusal of the same. As per the articles, the accused can either submit to a trial with the quartermaster as judge, or challenge the accuser to a trial by combat. Singleton chooses the latter, and after a lengthy duel, Flint wins, and reveals that they are chasing the Urca de Lima, the largest Spanish treasure galleon in the New World. The crew then votes to reinstate Flint as captain. 

Gates approachesBenjamin Hornigold with a deal for Gates to captain Hornigold’s ship and crew in the hunt for the Urca. The offer is two shares for Hornigold and a share for the rest of the men. Hornigold accepts the deal. 

After some persuading, Gates decides to sit with Jack Rackham, quartermaster of the crew of the Ranger, to negotiate a partnership for the Urca hunt. This is difficult as Flint has a rivalry with Captain Charles Vane. After a rocky start, Jack proposes a share per man, two for the captain, two for the additional use of the ship, and five set aside as a fund for injury payments. Gates counters that the captain gets one and a half, one for use of the ship and injuries come out of their end, but the Ranger crew gets priority on unique items. Rackham agrees to the deal. He tries to insist that Richard Guthrie act as a third party guarantor of the terms, but is told by Vane to leave it as is. 

After discovering the Ranger crew's mistreatment of Max, Eleanor threatens to ban them from buying or selling anything on the island unless they agree to elect Flint as their captain and grant him use of their ship. Almost everyone in the crew abandons Vane, except for Jack, Anne Bonny and roughly eight other men. 

The Walrus crew holds a vote over where to careen the ship after unanimously electing Billy Bones quartermaster after Gates steps down to captain the Ranger. De Groot argues that the place Flint has chosen is too dangerous, while Flint counters that they don’t have time to search for a proper spot if they want to catch the Urca. All vote in favor of Flint’s place except for De Groot and Morley. 

When Eleanor Guthrie offers to take on Captain Geoffrey Lawrence and the crew of the Black Hind as merchant sailors for the new Consortium she is building. Lawrence fears that they will vote him out if he tries, and Guthrie replies that she is surprised that they haven’t voted him out already, given that he is the lowest profits of any captain on the island. 

During the battle with the Andromache, Logan objects to a dangerous plan after Flint orders him to be part of the team that performs it. Gates punches Logan, and reminds the crew that in battle, the captain’s orders are the law, as per their articles. 

After Billy Bones is presumed dead after the battle with the Andromache and the Scarborough ​​​​​, Dufresne is elected the new quartermaster of the crew of the Walrus.  

De Groot brings up the issue that Randall only has one leg but is still cooking for them in the galley, which presents a fire hazard. They then vote to expel him from the crew. However, Randall then accuses Silver of being a thief, who stole the Urca schedule. De Groot threatens to bring the issue to the crew, but it is eventually resolved when Silver offers to be Randall’s caretaker aboard the ship. 

During the final voyage to find the Urca, the pirates come across a Spanish Man O’ War, which Flint plans on attacking. Gates refuses to go along with the plan, and Flint accuses him of violating his duty and inciting mutiny. 

During the battle, Dufresne accuses Flint of tyrannical crimes against his crew, producing a letter that Gates wrote detailing Flint’s crimes. The ensuing battle ends in a Spanish victory, with the Ranger sinking with all hands and the Walrus barely being able to limp away. 

Season Two[]

After the disastrous battle with Spanish Man O’ War, Flint and Silver are expelled from the crew and sentenced to death. However, after they help the crew take over the Spanish warship, their sentences are commuted in a 17-15 vote, but they are still expelled from the crew. 

No election for the captaincy takes place and Dufresne continues as acting captain. After proving himself incompetent during the taking of a prize, during which Flint has to step in and command the crew to sink the merchant ship. The crew then votes to reelect Flint as captain. 

After Flint is reelected, he has the crew anchor the ship off the coast of Hog Island rather than in Nassau’s harbor. Dooley asks why there wasn’t a vote, wanting to go home and believing Flint to be skirting the rules. Silver explains that they’re sailing a Spanish warship, and need to give Fort Nassau warning of their arrival to prevent a reactionary attack. 

After Jack Rackham is elected captain of the Colonial Dawn, he and Augustus Featherstone, his quartermaster, work on the articles of the new crew. An issue arises over the inclusion of Max and Anne Bonny as entitled to share of the profits. Featherstone agrees that it is important to keep Max, for she is exclusively providing them leads on ships. However, the crew will not also accept Anne Bonny, due to her role as the architect in the death of the members of the Ranger crew, resulting in Anne being temporarily barred from the crew, much to her displeasure. 

Benjamin Hornigold calls for an election for the captaincy of the combined crew of 107 men against Flint, after Flint reneges on their deal to attack Fort Nassau and oust Charles Vane. Flint then props up Mr. Scott as quartermaster, as someone to bridge the two crews together. 

After the events of Charles Town, John Silver is elected quartermaster of the crew. 

Season Three[]

While the Walrus crew is starving in the Doldrums, Flint comes up with a plan to make two lists of men. One of men critical to the sailing  the ship and the other of those who are expendable. The first would be entitled to full food and water rations and the second to limited water rations.John Silver threatens to challenge Flint on this issue, but Flint pulls rank as captain in a life-threatening situation, he has complete authority. 

Later, two men are accused of stealing a full day’s rations. Both accuse each other, and Silver tries to get them to confess to the crime, but the two continue to maintain their innocence. Flint then shoots both of them. He tells Silver that if he can’t do what is necessary, he’ll do it for him. 

After the newly appointed Royal Governor, Woodes Rogers, manages to get the bulk of the pirates of Nassau to surrender and accept a Royal PardonJack Rackham and his crew hold out in Fort Nassau. With them is Charles Vane, upon whom a bounty is placed. Jack's crew votes to expel Vane in the hopes that it would convince Rogers to allow them to retain possession of the fort and the gold. 

After Rogers establishes himself in Nassau, Eleanor Guthrie goes to Max and asks her to bless the establishment of the Governor's Council. However, Max is furious that she was not granted a seat and asks why. Eleanor said that she singled Max out as a pirate ringleader. This only makes Max angrier, saying what she did pales in comparison to Eleanor's misdeeds. Eleanor retorts that not only did she paid for her crimes, but Max abetted the practice of piracy and signed articles.

When Flint arrives at Ocracoke Island, Edward Teach refuses to allow him to hold a vote over who should control the Pirate Fleet and risk depleting Teach's force.


Quotes[]

"While we are in battle, the captain's orders are the law. That is what we signed up to. That is what we agreed."Gates in VI.

External Links[]

WP favicon Pirate code on Wikipedia

Advertisement