Our Flag Means Death & “The Hamilton effect”

While it’s true the past and the likes of historical figures whether it be Alexander Hamilton or Blackbeard have been romanticized, I believe this misses a crucial point about humans: Not only that we are morally complex and often in the wrong, but that society’s morality and views are always subject to change over time and growth, whether it be personal or societal, isn’t linear. Oscar Wilde once said the goal of life is self improvement. I ask what is there to improve from if we have no flaws or do no wrong? Now I’m certainly not arguing Thomas Jefferson or Stede Bonnet were good people but they were certainly people, with complexity, motivations, albeit not always good ones, and lives. It is now that I get into the “Hamilton effect”. Named after the Tony-winning 2016 musical about Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton is a highly fictionalized and streamlined retelling of Hamilton. Yes, I certainly went through a Hamilton phase and I certainly still enjoy the music, casting design and character development. But to not separate any historical figure from their streamlined fictional counterparts misses a key point about human complexity and changing morality. Stede Bonnet was a wealthy, sheltered slave owner and Edward Teach/Thatch or Blackbeard was a former Privateer and Pyrate who regularly benefited from the slave trade. Yes, he killed relatively fewer people than some of his counteparies but that’s a low bar amongst pirates. It’s true the British Empire is an oppressive institution and the British had colonized quite a bit in the Golden Age of Piracy but that still doesn’t make Stede and Blackbeard/Ed good people. I implore you all to use your common sense and do more research before romanticizing any historical figure because dandy and lgbtq+ or not, Stede Bonnet owned slaves and Blackbeard/Ed was a murderer. And while they both have a valid place as their fictionalized selves in Our Flag Means Death, condoning real violence or slavery is hardly suitable behaviour for anyone in this age.

Part 2: Pirate resources for the Our Flag Means Death, Black Sails, Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirate and history fandom compiled by Me

• A General History of The Pyrates by Daniel Defoe.
• The Golden Age of Piracy: A Captivating Guide to the Role of Pirates in Maritime History during the Early Modern Period, Including Stories of Anne Bonny, Sir Francis Drake, and William Kidd by Captivating History.
• Pirates, The Golden Age of Piracy by Hourly History.
• Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates by David Cordingly.
• If There’s a Man Among Ye: The Tale of Pirate Queens Anne Bonny and Mary Read by the Smithsonian.