The Takeover of Nassau was an event during the War of the Spanish Succession that resulted in the British Empire losing even nominal hold over the port of Nassau, and the birth of the Pirate Republic.
History[]
Background[]
Before the war, the port of Nassau on New Providence Island became a haven for pirates and privateers. The war brought even more to the island. Under Governor Robert Thompson, the pirates flourished. In exchange for bribes, he would ignore their crimes and cater to their every whim.
In late 1705, Lieutenant James McGraw went on a fact finding mission to Nassau to assess the situation while he and Lord Thomas Hamilton planned to offer the pirates Royal Pardons through an act of Parliament.
The Takeover[]
Thompson demanded more bribe money from Edward Teach, the most feared of the pirate captains on the island. Teach gathered men, and demanded that Governor Thompson depart the island at once. Thompson refused, and Israel Hands, Teach's second, led a dozen armed men in breaking into the Governor's Mansion and dragging Mrs. Thompson and Robert Thompson's son out into the street. Hands then proceeded to slit their throats. The pirates then began to occupy Fort Nassau. Thompson was allowed to leave, to spread the tale so that all would know who was in control of Nassau.
Aftermath[]
This event was the true birth of the Pirate Republic, in which Captains Sam Bellamy, Henry Jennings and Benjamin Hornigold were instrumental in founding. Richard Guthrie continued to use Guthrie Trading Company ships to sell the pirates' plunder posed as legitimate cargo.
Most of the farmers in the interior remained legitimate, and struggled to sell their goods with no port to do so. The merchants in town were able to ply their trades fairly easily however.
Trivia[]
- The Takeover of Nassau is loosely based on historical events. Nassau had become a haven for pirates and privateers, and as the legitimate settlers of Nassau slowly moved out, smugglers and arms dealers began to move in. Nassau had been without an official governor since the Franco-Spanish raid in 1706.