Lesson plan

Pirate code

. Pirate articles, or articles of agreement, were a code of conduct for governing ships of pirates, notably between the 17th and 18th centuries, during the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy". The typical pirate crew was an unorthodox mixture of former sailors, escaped convicts, disillusioned men, and possibly former or escaped slaves, among others, looking for wealth at any cost; once aboard a seafaring vessel, the group would draw-up their own ship- and crew-specific code (or articles), which listed and described the crew's policies governing pirate behaviour (such as drunkenness, fighting, and interaction with women) and the associated disciplinary action, should a code be violated. Failing to honour the Articles could get a pirate marooned, whipped, beaten, or even executed (such as one article described, for merely allowing a woman aboard their ship). Primarily, these articles were designed to keep order aboard the ship, avoid dissension or mutinies, and ensure the crews' loyalty, all of which was crucial to the group's mutual survival.

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Article summary

. Pirate articles, or articles of agreement, were a code of conduct for governing ships of pirates, notably between the 17th and 18th centuries, during the so-called "Golden Age of Piracy". The typical pirate crew was an unorthodox mixture of former sailors, escaped convicts, disillusioned men, and possibly former or escaped slaves, among others, looking for wealth at any cost; once aboard a seafaring vessel, the group would draw-up their own ship- and crew-specific code (or articles), which listed and described the crew's policies governing pirate behaviour (such as drunkenness, fighting, and interaction with women) and the associated disciplinary action, should a code be violated. Failing to honour the Articles could get a pirate marooned, whipped, beaten, or even executed (such as one article described, for merely allowing a woman aboard their ship). Primarily, these articles were designed to keep order aboard the ship, avoid dissension or mutinies, and ensure the crews' loyalty, all of which was crucial to the group's mutual survival.

Key claims

  1. publication date: 1723-08-01 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. publication date: 1724 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the publication date is "1723-08-01". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the publication date is "1724". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377829808

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.