1. © 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Gallery 1: Introductory Theater Gallery 2: The Bell Gallery Gallery 3: The Caribbean Gallery 4: The Slave Ship Whydah Whydah An informative video introduces The Whydah ’s bell was a We enter a tavern and meet the The is the themes of the exhibit: pirates significant find, definitive pirates, hear their music, and shown loading captives and and their ships, the Caribbean proof that Barry Clifford read their Articles of conduct. then traveling the Middle as an economic center, slave had located the shipwreck. A map shows the trade routes Passage from Africa to the trade, and life on-board ships centered in the Caribbean. Caribbean. A video describes and on plantations. the slave trade.

THE WHYDAH From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship The Whydah was launched in London in 1715 . She was designed as a slave ship , and represented the latest technology of the day. Equipped with the most up-to-date weapons , she was fast and easy to maneuver , essential qualities if she were to cross the Middle Passage as quickly as possible to minimize the loss of human cargo. She had a three-masted sailing rig , but was also fitted out for rowing. The lower decks could hold hundreds of captives and had large galleys with provisions to feed them. All of these BACKGROUND features— size , speed , weaponry —made THE CARIBBEAN IN THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY slave ships very attractive to pirates . The Caribbean was once the economic powerhouse of the Atlantic world. Ships laden In time, pirates would turn their with rich cargo traveled the high seas on trade routes that linked Europe , Africa , and attention to the lucrative slave trade , attack - North and South America in the complex webs of an economy fundamentally driven ing slaving ships off the West African coast . by slavery . It was this that eventually led to the pirates’ Let’s trace one common trade route. A ship on the first leg of its journey, from downfall. The navies of the European powers Europe to Africa, would be loaded with manufactured goods such as firearms , cloth , sought to exterminate them. But we are get - liquor , iron , beads , and tools . It would work its way down the west coast of Africa, ting ahead of our story. trading manufactured goods for human captives and also for gold and ivory . After leaving London, the Whydah sailed When fully loaded with human cargo, the ship would set out on the next leg of its to the west coast of Africa , trading goods for journey, the infamous Middle Passage, sailing across the Atlantic from Africa to the a total of 367 captives . Of these, 312 Caribbean slave markets. Crammed into the stinking hold for two to three months, the survived the Middle Passage and were sold captives endured heat, malnutrition, disease, and emotional trauma. at the slave market in . Weighted Those that survived were sold as slaves, and the ship took on new cargo, products down now with valuable cargo, the ship from the plantations in the Caribbean and South America destined for European made sail for England. But she was never to markets. With the use of unpaid slave labor , these vast plantations were able to reach her home port. produce huge quantities of sugar , tobacco , and coffee for export at enormous profits. CAPTURED BY PIRATES There was other trade too. Gold and mined by Indians under slave conditions Sam Bellamy was shipped from South America to Spain . Rum from the North American colonies In February of 1717, , captain Sultana Whydah was smuggled illegally into the Caribbean. of the pirate ship , spied the while she was still in Bahamian waters. With all this on the open seas, is it any wonder that pirates took advantage? Hoisting the , he gave chase for 2. © 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Gallery 5: Capturing the Whydah Gallery 6: Entering the Whydah Gallery 7: The Captain’s Cabin Gallery 8: Below Decks Weaponry fills the gallery— Climb onboard this large scale Here is a close-up look at In this glimpse of pirate life, we cannon, swords, pistols, replica of the Whydah ’s hull. Captain Bellamy’s quarters. see a surgeon sawing off a leg; grenades. Four banners show She is at dock in the Caribbean After a series of spectacular a sailor asleep in his hammock; the featured pirates, and two on a moonlit night. raids, he is shown examining the quartermaster recording murals depict pirate attacks. his charts to set his course the booty; and the carpenter for Cape Cod and home. dismantling the slave quarters. three days nonstop. When Captain Lawrence Bellamy’s Voyage Prince realized capture was inevitable, he On a spectacular looting voyage through the lowered his colors and his sails, and Caribbean, Bellamy captured more than 50 surrendered the Whydah without a fight. prizes . Laden with booty—perhaps as much The pirates lost no time in transferring as 4.5 tons of treasure —the Whydah set their loot from the Sultana onto their new course for New England , where legend says prize . They quickly repositioned more Bellamy intended to pick up his lady-love, weaponry, placing cannons both on the Maria Hallett. But on April 26, 1717 , a upper deck and below. To make the ship less violent nor’easter off the coast of Cape Cod top heavy, the pirates probably leveled the sent the pirate ship to a watery grave where were ruthless opportunists with nothing upper deck by clearing off cabins and other its remained undiscovered for to lose—except their lives. The penalty for structures. Thus was a slave ship trans - nearly 300 years . was hanging . formed into a pirate ship . As was their custom, the pirates invited LIFE AT SEA Onboard Democracy the crew of the Whydah to join them. A few Sailors, Seamen, and Pirates Yet these outlaws evolved a kind of did, but those who declined were freed with This was the so-called “ Golden Age of seagoing democracy at a time when it was Captain Prince to sail away, unharmed, on Piracy ,” from about 1660 to 1730 , a unknown in Europe and the colonies. Upon the Sultana . This may seem surprising, but brief but action-packed period of history. joining a pirate crew, new recruits signed the there is much about the pirate way of life Pirates were outlaws who pledged Ship’s Articles . They swore an oath of loyalty that runs counter to the modern stereotype, allegiance to no country and ravaged and agreed to a code of conduct. In return, as we will soon see. ships of all nations indiscriminately . They they were given an equal vote in electing 3. © 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Gallery 9: The Treasure Gallery Gallery 10: The Storm Gallery Gallery 11 : The Loss of the Gallery 12: The Pirates’ Fate A large, dramatic case holds The visitor is surrounded by Whydah The ship has broken When captured, pirates faced a chest overflowing with coins, the violent storm that took apart. Walking over a glass trial and death by hanging. just some of the loot recovered down the Whydah , all but panel, visitors see contents A full-size replica of a gibbet from the Whydah . Around two of her crew, and her vast of the Whydah strewn across where their bodies were left the gallery, more cases display treasure. the sandy ocean bottom off to rot as a warning to others, featured coins. of Cape Cod. hangs menacingly in the room.

the ship’s officers , an almost equal share of during World War II, adding even more the loot (the captain and quartermaster got debris to the seabed. a larger share), and compensation for injuries Barry Clifford is not put off by or loss of limbs. By contrast, on merchant challenges. He had been fascinated by the and naval vessels, there was a strict tale of the Whydah since childhood, and hierarchical order and pitifully low wages. in 1983 began searching for the wreck. To an international crew consisting of It was not until 1985 that he brought up blacks, whites, and Indians, these were the incontrovertible evidence that the wreck rights and privileges unheard of at sea or was indeed the Whyda h—her bell . on land. It is no wonder that many willingly signed on. Technology and Conservation The pirates also created onboard living The recovery process has required the use conditions far superior to those on merchant of some high-tech equipment, such as or naval ships. Because they had crews of as lasers , CT scans , x-rays , a proton precision many as a couple of hundred , the workload magnetometer , and diving gear . The work is was lighter than on merchant ships which painstaking, and like an archaeological dig , typically were worked by only 1 2–15 men. the area is divided into grids. Clifford and his On a merchant ship, food and clean water crew investigate one square at a time and were in short supply and diseases caused by carefully record their findings. malnutrition were rampant. The officers fared They have also been careful to conserve much better than the crew, however. On a what they recover. Metal objects such as pirate ship, everyone ate and drank equally. cannons and coins, for example, are With frequent raids to restock supplies and encrusted in concretions , formations that with more leisure time to catch fresh food, occur over time when metal disintegrates and the pirates ate (and drank) well. combines with sea salts to make a concrete- like mass . Concretions preserve the artifacts as THE RECOVERY OF THE long as they are kept wet. Further WRECK OF THE WHYDAH conservation requires a long process called Pounded by 40-foot waves , the Whydah ran electrolytic reduction to break down the salts aground, and was battered to bits. This kind without damaging the artifacts. Gallery 13: Recover y/Discovery of “exploded” wreck is very difficult to The Whydah is the first authenticated recover. In addition, the sea floor off of Cape pirate shipwreck ever found. Barry Clifford We learn how Barry Clifford Cod has a shifting sandy bottom , so the ship and his team continue making new spearheaded the discovery of Whydah and its contents were not only scattered but discoveries. Their dedication has provided us the , and how his team also buried under 10 to 30 feet of sand. The with a window into the past , a glimpse of is ensuring that artifacts are area is treacherous and over 3,000 ships the little known life aboard ship in the conserved. High-tech equipment have gone down there in a 400-year period. “.” As Clifford said, “It’s essential to the process is shown. The site was also used as a firing range not what you find, it’s what you find out.” 4. © 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

PRE-VISIT COME A1. DiscuCss the coTmmoditIies tVraded betIweeTn EuropeI, WEest AfricS a, the Caribbean, and North America in the early 1700s. Distribute copies of the insert map, Map of the World 1719 . Ask students PBe reaRdy for aErich aPnd exAciting exRperiencEe thatD engages to draw these trade routes on the map. visitors from their very first step into the exhibit. Young visitors are especially enthralled, drawn to the authentic 2. Examine the artifacts pictured on the insert. artifacts presented in a range of media. Try to build some • Speculate on what they are, how they were used, the stories flexibility into your planning to allow students to follow they might tell, and why there were important enough their own interests for at least part of the visit. to be included in the exhibit. The exhibit may be viewed from many different • Set up a Treasure Hunt Activity to take place during the visit. perspectives and thus lends itself naturally to Ask students to try to find all the artifacts and also to answer interdisciplinary studies. You may want to decide on some of the questions about their usage, historical importance, several focus points for your class, or you may prefer to and personal stories. let them range widely and absorb the concepts more broadly. Some of the content areas you will discover 3. (Optional ) Use the descriptions of the exhibition galleries to embedded in the exhibit include: geography, history, and preview highlights of what the class will see. Show the students social studies; science and technology; art and music; the website http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/real- language arts; math and measurement. pirates/ and encourage them to explore the "Pirate and Slave Students always get more out of a museum visit when Ship Features" section. they are prepared and know what to expect. You can generate enthusiasm by previewing some of the galleries 4. On the way into the exhibit, you will receive a copy of the using the map and illustrations provided, discussing major Ship’s Articles (a code of conduct for pirates). If time, read concepts, or examining some of the pictured artifacts with and discuss the Articles before entering the exhibit. the class. Please see Pre-Visit Activities for suggestions. DURING VISIT 1. Carry out the Treasure Hunt Activity . 2. Observe, critique, and appreciate the murals, photos, videos, music, and artifacts throughout the visit. 3. Focus on trade in the Caribbean . Trace the flow of goods, money, and human captives. Find out: • What kinds of raw materials were shipped, from where to where? What kinds of manufactured goods were shipped? • What were they traded for? Who were the slaves? • What were the conditions on board a slave ship? • What was the Middle Passage? 4. Four pirates are featured at different points throughout the exhibition. Who are they and what can you find out about each of them? 5. Who were the pirates? Find out more about: • Their ethnicity. Their code of conduct. Their life on board ship as compared with life on a merchant or naval vessel. Compare and contrast their food, drink, clothing, quarters, amusements, hours, and pay. • The roles, duties, and rights of different crew members such as the captain, quartermaster, surgeon, and carpenter • How the “Golden Age of Piracy” ended 6. How was the Whydah recovered? • The technology involved in recovering the wreck: the magnetometer, the mailbox, x-rays, and CT scans • The importance of concretions, and the science involved in their formation and removal 5. © 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

POST-VISIT RWebsEites SOURCES 1. Summarize some of the National Geographic Society. Real Pirates: The Untold main themes of the exhibit Story of The Whydah from slave ship to pirate ship : http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/real-pirates/ by discussing or by writing and illustrating (perhaps NATIONAL STANDARDS New York Public Library, Schomberg Center for Research in The content of the exhibition Black Culture. Lest We Forget: The Triumph Over Slavery : with a mural in the style of covers many curriculum http://digital.nypl.org/lwf/flash.html the exhibit): subjects. Please visit the • What was the legacy of following websites for links to Books Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the the “Golden Age of Piracy”? topic-specific national standards. W. J EFFREY BOLSTER , Age of Sail . Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998. • What was the importance BARRY CLIFFORD and KENNETH J. K INKOR with SHARON SIMPSON , Real of the Caribbean in the Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to 18th century? Pirate Ship . Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2007. • What does the Whydah tell BARRY CLIFFORD with PAUL PERRY , Expedition Whydah: The Story us about life at that time? of the World's First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her . New York: Harper Collins, 1999. Write a profile 2. of: DAVID CORDINGLY , Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Amongst the Pirates • A pirate. Science . New York: Random House, 2006. • A naval or merchant National Science PETER EARLE , The Pirate Wars . London: Methuen, 2003. seaman. Education Standards OLAUDAH EQUIANO , The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings . • A human captive http://www.nap.edu/readingroom /books/nses/ New York: Penguin, 2003. ROBERT HARMS , The Diligent: A Voyage Through the Worlds of the Tell the story of your Mathematics 3. Slave Trade . New York: Basic Books, 2003. favorite artifact. Principles and Standards for School Mathematics COLIN A. P ALMER , Human Cargoes: The British Slave Trade to Colo nial • Why is it important? http://standards.nctm.org/ America, 1700 –1739. Chicago: University of Illinois, 1981. • What evidence does it give Social Studies MARCUS REDIKER , Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the of the history of the time? Expectations of Excellence Golden Age . New York: Beacon, 2005. www.socialstudies.org/standards/ 4. Do further research on the science and technology of the History recovery and conservation National Standards for CThis guideRwas proEducedDfor NationIal GTeograpS hic Society. of historical artifacts. History in the Schools http://nchs.ucla.edu/standards PRODUCER : Sharon Simpson, SJS Projects Find out about other under- Geography AUTHOR : Patricia McGlashan water archaeological sites. The National Council for DESIGNER : Karen Davidson, Davidson Design, Inc. Geographic Education: Standards ARTIFACT PHOTOGRAPHY : 5. Search the web for information www.ncge.org/standards/ Kenneth L. Garrett on Olaudah Equiano who ILLUSTRATIONS : Gregory Manchess The Arts wrote a first hand account of ARTSEDGE: Standards CENTER COVER ILLUSTRATION : Frederick Judd Waugh/Getty Images his experiences as a slave. artsedge.kennedy- MAPS : Cape Cod, permission of Harvard Map Collection; center.org/teach/standards.cfm World Map 1719, Library of Congress Measure out the dimensions 6. Language Arts EXHIBIT PHOTOGRAPHY : Matt Prefontaine of space typically allotted to The National Council of PHOTO OF BARRY CLIFFORD : Kenneth L. Garrett human captives on a slave Teachers of English: Standards ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY : ship. For men, 6 feet by 1 foot www.ncte.org/about/over/ Canon Medical Systems, Canon-USA, Christina Wright, and Tom Fricker 4 inches. For women, 5 feet standards SPECIAL THANKS : Dana Chivvis, National Geographic Books 10 inches by 1 foot 4 inches. and Christina Wright, Arts and Exhibitions International

Then lie down in the space. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MISSION PROGRAMS : Describe what it must have Terry Garcia, Executive Vice President Vice President felt like to be shackled in that Sarah Laskin, Kathryn Keane, Director, Traveling Exhibitions Development space for months while Frederik Hiebert, Archaeology Fellow crossing the ocean. Ford Cochran, Director, Missions Online This exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International in cooperation with Cincinnati Museum Center Draw the trade routes that carried goods and people between Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean, and North America in the early 1700s Y T E I C O S C I H P A R G O E G L A N O I T A N 7 0 0 2 © How many of these artifacts can you 2. carpenter’s 4. shackles grindstone find as you go through the exhibition? 1. gold water 3. dive suit snail When you find an object, think about these questions:

5. navigational dividers 7. grenades 8. ship’s model • What was it used for? 6. bar iron • How was it made?

• What materials were used?

9. gibbet 10. John King’s stocking and 12. “Royal • Where did they come from? shoe Strike” 11. syringes • Why was it made?

What other questions can you come up with? 13. bar shot 14. 15. Queen Anne teapot 16. Sun King pistol machine gun bullet with concreted coin

18. cannon 19. pile of coins 20. vent picks and gun worms

17. Whydah bell

© 2007 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY