History Connections: Treasure Island Teacher Tidbits vicious of pirates, because it was simply pointless. Nobody The history of piracy dates back more than 3,000 years, but ever really walked the plank. its accurate account depends on the actual meaning of the word ‘pirate.” It appears that the word pirate (peirato) was In U.S. history, the economic benefit of pirates to the first used in about 140 BC by the Roman historian Polybius. colonial outposts was substantial. The colonial government Piracy was described for the first time, among others, in of North Carolina enjoyed a string of beneficial Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey. For a great many years arrangements with pirates. One of the earliest pirates to there remained no unambiguous definition of piracy and enjoy such an amicably profitable arrangement was famed words/phrases like "Danes," "Vikings," "sea thieves" and Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. He was known to have “outlaws” indicate a similar concept with loosely connected special considerations with the governor of North Carolina meaning. The first application of international law actually allowing him safe passage into Carolinian harbors provided involved anti-pirate legislation. This is due to the fact that he left English shipping alone. most pirate acts were committed outside the borders of any country, but rather at sea. During the American Revolutionary War, the role of pirates could not be underestimated and one of the first acts of The mention of the word “pirate” conjures up images of American defiance was an act of piracy: the Boston Tea daring swashbucklers, bloodthirsty Party. During the Revolutionary War scoundrels and wicked rogues of the (1776 to 1782), the total number of sea. We have been reared on the pirating ships outnumbered the ships portrayal of pirates as either of the Continental Navy by a factor improbably romantic and dashing of eleven to one. heroes or incorrigible villains. Those who explore the history of piracy are During the War of 1812, one of the exposed to a much more complex most significant battles of that world. While it is true there were conflict was decided by the deeds of several pirates that more than lived Jean Lafitte active in the Gulf of up to a reputation for evil, it is also Mexico near New Orleans. When the true that we owe a great deal of our British became intent on capturing history to those very same pirates. the city of New Orleans in 1812, they During the so-called “Golden Age” of tried to bribe Lafitte to aid their piracy from the mid 18th century - cause. Instead, Lafitte went straight early 19th century, the deeds of many to the governor of Louisiana to pirates would prove to be invaluable inform him of the British plan. to the development of the United Lafitte assisted the governor with States as an emerging world power. enough ammunition and supplies that the American artillery was able to Other terms that are often confused maintain a constant bombardment of and misused with regard to piracy are English forces and prevent them common in the English language. from building any type of Pirates, corsairs and buccaneers are fortification or barricade. Lafitte commonly lumped together as one and even fought personally, leading the same, although they mean different things. Corsairs were groups of scouts and raiding parties through the swamps and pirates who operated exclusively in the waters of the eastern bayous against the British. Mediterranean Sea, while buccaneers were actually runaway sailors and deserters who made their way to the waters of the In light of all the influence and benefit provided to the Caribbean Sea. fledgling United States during the 18th and 19th centuries on the part of pirates, it is hard to condemn all pirates so The vast majority of pirates, although not kind, were fair in thoroughly. It should not be overlooked that many pirates their treatment of their crew and their captives. In fact, most were vicious killers and torturers; men like that should be pirate crews operated under a code of rules and laws referred heroes to no one. But as you see, there were pirates like Jean to as “articles” that were remarkably democratic. Most pirate Lafitte and even to an extent the notorious Blackbeard captains achieved their command by vote. Even though deserve whose actions earned a little of history’s honor. punishments were gruesome and nearly always fatal, they were meted out with a very strict eye for fairness and Source: www.piratesinfo.com discipline. Torture was rarely used by any but the most Created by: Supported by: History Connections: Treasure Island Activity: Treasure Map! The influence of Treasure Island on popular perceptions of pirates is enormous, including treasure maps marked with an "X," schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen carrying parrots on their shoulders. A treasure map marks the location of buried treasure, a lost mine, a valuable secret or a hidden locale. More common in fiction than in reality, "pirate treasure maps" are often depicted in works of fiction as hand drawn and containing arcane clues for the characters to follow. Although buried pirate treasure is a favorite literary theme, there are very few documented cases of pirates actually burying treasure, and no documented cases of a historical pirate treasure map. One documented case of buried treasure involved Francis Duke who buried Spanish gold and silver after raiding the train at Nombre de Dios -- after Drake went to find his ships, he returned six hours later and retrieved the loot and sailed for England. Drake did not create a map. Another case in 1720 involved British Captain Stratton of the Prince Eugene who, after supposedly trading rum with pirates in the Caribbean, buried his gold near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. One of his crew turned him in to the authorities, and it is assumed the loot was recovered. In any case, Captain Stratton was not a pirate, and made no map. The pirate most responsible for the legends of buried pirate treasure was Captain Kidd (image right). Kidd buried treasure from a plundered ship near Long Island, New York, before being arrested and returned to England where he was put through a very public trial and executed. Although much of Kidd's treasure was recovered from various people who had taken possession of it before Kidd's arrest, such as his wife and various others who were given it for safe keeping. There was so much public interest and fascination with the case at the time, speculation grew that a vast fortune remained and that Kidd had secretly buried it. Captain Kidd did bury a small cache of treasure on Gardiner's Island in a spot known as Cherry Tree Field; however, it was removed by a governor and sent to England to be used as evidence against him. Over the years many people have tried to find the supposed remnants of Kidd's treasure on Gardiner's Island and elsewhere, but none has ever been found. Materials: • Treasure Island • Paper • Color pencils • Crayons • Coffee or tea The students will go on a treasure hunt. Provide the students with a map of the school with key features on the map. The map will lead the students to a treasure chest. Inside the treasure chest the children will discover the book Treasure Island. Read the story Treasure Island aloud to students. Introduce new concepts like directions on a map: North, East, South and West, compass rose, legends and keys. 1. Take a piece of nice white paper and rip off all the edges. Don't cut them with scissors, rip and singe them! 2. Crumble the paper up tightly as you can into a ball. 3. Flatten the paper out again. 4. Draw a X on the map. 5. Once the X is drawn label some obstacles on the map ( i.e. mountain ranges, oceans, palm trees, mermaids). 6. Make sure to have a compass rose on the map. 7. Provide a key to the map. 8. Take a paint brush and brush coffee or tea over the map. 9. Lay the map flat to dry. For older students: Have students create their own treasure map. When students are finished with their treasure maps, have them write directions to their buried treasure. Source: www.teachers.net History Connections: Treasure Island Reflect, Connect, Respond 21st Century Learning questions provided by the framework of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) are meant to deepen this theater experience. The questions below are modified from the CDE examples. Touch Points for Kindergarten History: What happened yesterday and today, and what might happen tomorrow? Geography: What would it be like to live on a island? On a boat? Economics: What is the difference between a want and a need? Civics: What would it look like to have no rules? Or live like a pirate? Touch Points for 1st Grade History: What are family and cultural traditions during a time when Jim and Long John Silver might have lived and how have they changed over time? Geography: How do people celebrate traditions? Economics: What kinds of jobs are on a ship? Why do they need different jobs? Civics: Why do we have national, community, and local celebrations and holidays? What kinds of holidays and celebrations might have happened aboard a pirate ship? Touch Points for 2nd Grade History: How would the lives of pirates or sailers from the past be similar and different from our lives today? Why is it important to ask questions about the past? Geography: What would it be like to live on a island? On a boat? Economics: How do people balance between wants and needs? How can money help people to meet their wants and needs? Civics: What would it look like