Piratical Barbarityor the

Female Captive:Gender Construct in 1825

Presented by:Eva de Lourdes Edwards, PhD

11th Islands in Between Conference CuraçaoNovember 5-8, 2008

Inside Cover Page

Linda Grasso

Grasso, Linda M. The Artistry of Anger: Black and White Women’s Literature in America, 1820-1860. The University of North Carolina Press, 2002.

Writing Letters in the 19th Century

Patterson, Katharine. “Designing an Epistolary Corpus of Victorian Women Writers’ Letters: Challenges and Opportunities.” Online posting. Apr. 1997. Canada: Computing in the Humanities and Social Science, University of Toronto.

Moore, Tonia. “Women’s Literacy: An American Historical Perspective.” Online posting. 19 Apr. 1994. Virginia: Thomas Nelson Community College.

David Cordingly

Under the Black Flag:The Romance and

the Reality of Life Among the Pirates

St. Johns, April 3, 1825Dear Brother,

You have undoubtedly heard of my adverse fortune, and the shocking incident that has attended me since I had the pleasure of seeing you in November last—anticipating your impatience to be made acquainted with a more circumstantial detail of my extraordinary adventures, I shall not on account of the interest which I know you must feel in my welfare, hesitate to oblige you; yet I must declare to you that it is that consideration alone that prompts me to do it, as even the recollection of the scenes which I have witnessed, you must be sensible must ever be attended with pain: and that I cannot reflect on that I have endured, and the scenes of horror that I have been witness to, without the severest shock. (10)

A Schooner and a Sloop

We set sail with a favourable wind, and with every appearance of a short and pleasant voyage, and met with no incident to destroy or diminish those flattering prospects, until about noon of the 11th day from that of our departure, when a small schooner was discovered standing toward us with her deck full of men, and as she approached us from her suspicious appearance there was not a doubt in the minds of any on board, but that she was a Pirate; ... (11)

Lucretia Parker

Inside cover page illustration

“I fell on my knees, and from one who appeared to have the command, I begged for mercy, and for permission to retire to the cabin, that I might not be either the subject or a witness of the murderous scene that I had but little doubt was about to ensue!—the priviledge was not refused me— …” (pp. 11-12)

“the monster in human shape”

—the priviledge was not refused me—the monster in human shape (for such was then his appearance) conducted me by the hand himself to the companion way, and pointing to the cabin said to me “descend and remain there and you will be perfectly safe, for although Pirates, we are not barbarians to destroy the lives of innocent females!” (p. 12)

British Sloop of War

“ ... the more distant vessel which proved to be a British sloop of war disguised had approached them within fair gunshot, and probably knowing or suspecting their characters, opened their ports and commenced a destructive fire upon them ...” (19)

Matanzas

Keys

Matanzas to Jamaica to St. Johns

Newfoundland & Labrador,Canada

Oregon

Texas

Missouri

Michigan

Arizona

Dakota

MatanzastoSt. Johns

MatanzastoSt. JohnsviaJamaica

18 day sail from Jamaica to St. Johns