England | |
Continent | Europe |
Location | Northwest Europe |
Notable inhabitants | King George I |
Population | English citizens |
Affiliation | British Empire |
England is a country located on the island of Great Britain in northwest Europe. It is the heart of the British Empire. The capital city of England and by extension, the Empire, is London.
Geography[]
It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic.
People[]
The people of England are primarily descended from the prehistoric settlers who crossed over from the Iberian Peninsula. England, as the heart of the British Empire, is a center of trade, with numerous merchants, manufacturers, shippers and financiers. However, wealth inequality is a problem both in England and her colonies.
History[]
Background[]
The British Isles have been inhabited for thousands of years. England was conquered by the Romans, but after the end of their rule, it was inhabited by the Anglo-Saxons. In 1066, a Norman expedition invaded and conquered England. They ruled for half a century before a succession crisis. The next dynasty was the House of Plantagenet. During their reign, the Magna Carta was signed. The Magna Carta was a charter of rights agreed to by King John. After the Hundred Years’ War with France, England became embroiled in yet another civil war between two branches of the House of Plantagenet, the House of York and the House of Lancaster. The Lancastrian Henry Tudor ended the War of the Roses and established the Tudor dynasty.
Under the rule of the Tudors and later the Stuart dynasty, England became a colonial power. During their rule, the English Civil War took place between the Parliamentarians and the Royalists, which resulted in the execution of Charles I. Afterwards, a Parliamentary republic called the Commonwealth of England was established, and lasted from 1649-1653. A military dictatorship under Oliver Cromwell took its place for the next six years. The Stuarts were restored to the throne in 1660. However, questions over religion and power resulted in the deposition of another Stuart king, James II, in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
Recent History[]
Season One[]
Flint warns Billy Bones that when he says there’s a war coming, he doesn’t mean with King George or England, but with civilization, who is coming to exterminate the pirates. He later reveals to Eleanor Guthrie that he plans on using the prize gold from the Urca de Lima (the Spanish treasure galleon he plans on hunting) to make Nassau into a strong, self sustainable nation, that way if England or Spain arrive on their shores, they will be in for a most unwelcome surprise.
Benjamin Hornigold’s prized chair once sat in the Plymouth office of Sir Francis Drake.
Richard Guthrie, Eleanor’s father, warns Mr. Scott that if Eleanor proceeds with trying to chase the Urca, she’ll either be killed by an English noose or a Spanish sword. After sabotaging the fence business by telling the pirates that the Crown has called for his arrest. When Eleanor confronts him, Richard responds that she let Flint delude her into joining his mad scheme to resist English rule. Richard reveals that he is forging new alliances with the farmers in the interior, who will drive commerce on the island once the pirates were gone.
Pastor Lambrick informs Miranda Barlow that Richard had been bribing the Lords Proprietor in London for years, and had planned on using this to extort them for preferential treatment once England decided to reassert her rule in Nassau.
Captain Flint refuses the pardon offered by Miranda and to retire and live in Boston with her because it requires apologizing to England, which took everything from them and called him a monster.
After Fort Nassau is taken over and the cannons turned on the harbor, Captain Naft asks if it’s a first move by England to reclaim the island. Frasier replies that there are no ships involved, and that this does not seem like a state move.
Season Two[]
Before the Assault on Fort Nassau, Mr. Scott warns Flint that to attack the fort would divide the island in an extremely dangerous way, and by the time Spain or England arrives they will find that the pirates have destroyed themselves.
During a parley between himself, Charles Vane, Miranda Barlow and the Guthries, Flint explains that once England is committed to reclaiming Nassau, the resources the empire can put towards that end are inexhaustible. Soon, the pirates will be forced inland and have to fight as rebels and inflict enough damage to force the new governor to negotiate with what remains of them. Flint advocates that they attempt reconciliation with England so they can keep their lives and their assets, and are able to name a governor of their choosing.
Eleanor later tries to convince Vane to help Flint, saying they control something so valuable the whole of England wants it, and they can offer them legitimacy. Vane argues that England has no more appetite to retake Nassau now than they did before, and if they do they will fight to keep what is theirs.
Billy Bones warns Dufresne that Flint is right, and England is coming for them. Billy says that he has seen the Royal Navy garrison on Harbour Island, which consists of the Royal Navy man o’ war the Scarborough and a full company of Royal Marines.
After learning that Jack Rackham is planing on capturing the Urca de Lima gold, Frasier warns Eleanor Guthrie that she has to kill this plan in its cradle, for pirates rich with Spanish gold will never agree to reconciliation with England.
When Max goes to offer her condolences to Eleanor after her father’s death, Eleanor says that she is now at war with Charles, for he is against reconciliation with England.
Lord Peter Ashe tells Flint that to make reconciliation a real possibility, he has to confess his entire story, including his affair with Thomas. The fearsome persona of Captain Flint would be stripped away and in his place would stand a flawed man with whom England could relate.
Season Three[]
Woodes Rogers frees Eleanor Guthrie from her cell and takes her on as an advisor in his expedition to reform Nassau and take control as its governor. He escorts her to his fleet, which departs London shortly after.
Max approaches Jack Rackham with a pearl and a sack of gold. She explains that both are worth 350 pieces, and asks which Jack would rather possess the day Spain or England arrives and tries to conquer Nassau. She proposes that they convert some of the gold into more easily transferable commodities, such as pearls and jewels. After Jack agrees, Max talks about it with Anne as she begins dividing the gold. Max tells her that Anne knows what will happen when England returns to Nassau, and how they have to part ways now.
Edward Teach offers to take Flint’s place in leading the pirate armada in mounting a defense against the incoming British fleet, but only if Vane joins him in leaving Nassau when it is done. Teach tells Vane that he is offering him the best of all possible worlds, he gets to beat the English, keep his word to Jack and be free of the burden of Nassau.
While imprisoned by the Maroons, Madi has John Silver temporarily released to talk with him. She asks him why every man on his crew refused to accept a Royal Pardon. Silver says that they all have their own reasons, among them hating England too much to ever call themselves English again. Madi says he isn't telling the truth, pointing out that there are over 1,000 men, women and children in the Maroon Camp, with no shortage of hatred for England, and if they were offered pardons, the idea would not be so unanimously rejected. Silver explains that both his and her men hate England, but while Flint wants England to see that anger and fear it, the Maroon Queen, Madi's mother, would prefer they fear England. Madi then ends the conversation.
Flint is called before the Maroon Queen to discuss the proposed partnership. With Silver’s help, Flint polishes up his sliver tongue, and speaks honestly. He tells her about his past, and how England has taken much from both of them. He tells her that they can take things back together, starting with Nassau. Together, with Nassau as a launching point, they can begin a slave rebellion that will spread across the West Indies. The Queen has her doubts, reminding Flint that Woodes Rogers holds the street with his pardons, and has a full company of British Regulars and a small navy to defend the town. Flint responds that Rogers is responsible for an administrative nightmare, an inoperative fort and a town full of hunters who may be placated for the moment, but Flint can rally them to his cause. Flint says he will reclaim the Pirate Fleet, and when united with the Maroons, they will have the strength to retake Nassau. A partnership is agreed, and the pirates freed. However, the Maroons Queen has a good sense of Flint, and insists that her word and his word must govern as equals, or not at all.
En route to Ocracoke Island, Billy Bones voices his concerns about the upcoming war to Flint. He says he understood a war meant to antagonize England and prevent them from moving against Nassau, but thinks that fighting a war meant to be won is far more risky.
To prevent Flint picking up the new recruits, Governor Rogers himself waits for him on the beach. Flint goes ashore and the two men feel each other out. Woodes tried to appeal to Flint's past, saying he is finishing what Thomas Hamilton started. However, Flint argues that he went to Charles Town to make peace with England, and Miranda Barlow was killed for it, so now he won’t stop fighting to remove England from Nassau. In the end, Rogers decides to stop the pardons, from now on the pirates will be hunted and hanged.
Jack Rackham describes his childhood in Leeds to Woodes Rogers. He says that when he was a child, his father made the finest clothes in Northern England. However, they were forced into poverty because his father's competitors convinced the lawmakers to place an embargo on the import of cotton.
After Woodes Rogers hangs Charles Vane, the word is spread, for Rogers wishes it to be known that he is the steward of law and order in the West Indies, and he is resolved to be the Englishman that ends piracy in the Bahamas.
After the pirates steal the cache of gems, Silver, Flint and Rackham bury it on the Maroon Island in a secret location in the forest. They later defeat Rogers' forces in battle. Meanwhile, Billy Bones begins organizing the Pirate Resistance against Rogers on New Providence Island, and he creates the mascot of Long John Silver as a face to rally behind their efforts to expel the English from the island.
Season Four[]
War breaks out between England and Spain, meaning Rogers is unable to ask for help from England or English colonies to aid him in expelling the pirates from New Providence. Rogers' fleet and soldiers are called back to London, but Captain Berringer leads a mutiny of several hundred men, despite the repercussions they will face if they ever return to England. They remain to avenge their defeat at the Maroon Island and swear fealty to Rogers personally.
Because of the war, there is no money from England for Rogers to fight his war against the pirates. Rogers assumes substantial private debts in order to fund his efforts.