HS3T101: Pirates of the Caribbean: Empire, Slavery, and Society, 1550-1750

Module code: HS3T101

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Richard Blakemore, email: r.blakemore@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Part 3 Options involve the study of specific periods, subjects or types of History. In this course we will examine the question of piracy in terms of its popular connotations, legal definition, social dimensions, and its importance for the growth of early modern empires, with specific reference to the Caribbean from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century.

This module will:

• Survey the development of piracy and maritime raiding as a historical phenomenon, and its consequences for early modern empires;
• Reflect on the ways in which attitudes regarding piracy developed and were understood within differing historical contexts; and
• Consider how historians have interpreted piracy and its significance for topics such as politics, economics, and gender.

The purpose of the module is to develop a sophisticated understanding of the history of piracy and to reflect on how that history continues to shape our own assumptions and ideas.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Have a detailed knowledge of the events through extensive reading in specialised literature
2. Appraise critically the primary sources and historical interpretations of the subject
3. Organise material and articulate arguments effectively in writing
4. Have developed their oral communication skills

Module content

Pirates are some of the most familiar stereotypical figures, appearing regularly in popular culture of all kinds. They have proved equally fascinating to historians, who have variously characterised them as violent scoundrels, as aggressive imperialists, or as radical anarchists and sexual revolutionaries; scholars continue to debate the exact historical meanings of piracy. In this course, we will examine the question of piracy in terms of its popular connotations, legal definition, social dimensions, and its importance for the growth of early modern empires, with specific reference to the Caribbean from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century. This era was not only the heyday of Atlantic piracy, it was also a period when the Caribbean was transformed and new societies emerged based upon continuous warfare, trade, and slavery, and which integrated African, American, and European cultures. Piracy held a central and yet paradoxical position in this transformation, simultaneously allowing empires to exert power over their colonies and to compete with rivals, while also challenging central authority and societal norms. We will explore the structure of the Spanish empire in the Caribbean at the beginning of the sixteenth century; the development of French, English, and Dutch piracy against Spanish colonies and shipping; the resulting political, economic, and social dynamics in the Caribbean (including the impact of the transatlantic slave trade); and the changing cultural and legal definitions of piracy, as imperial governments sought to control and suppress the violence on which they had once relied.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning will be by a variety of methods, which may include:

• Lectures
• Seminars, which rely on structured group discussion and may also include seminar papers by students, discussion of evidence, team-based exercises, and debates
• Online exercises, including quizzes and worksheets
• Discussion boards
• Independent study

Study hours

At least 33 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor's discretion, an essay plan, bibliography, book review or other preparatory work towards each of the summative essays.

Reassessment

Additional costs