However, on numerous accounts a government has supported these rebels in destroying another countries property. People like “Francis Drake (later to be knighted) was England's most famous privateer. In the 16th century, he attacked Spanish treasure ships returning from the New World, sharing his profits with Queen Elizabeth I, who honoured him for his services.” ("Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum! ... A brief history of piracy”, Para. 5) Drake rewrote history in its definition of a pirate. His work promoted England as a major competitor in the world market because any enemy of England could potentially be hit and face bane. Thievery-- a profitable occupation-- requires risk-taking, and without pirates, England hypothetically would lack the wealth and force to become a world power. Another famous contributor to England’s success is “John Hawkins (1532-95) [who] was the first English privateer to realise that the slave trade was very profitable. In 1562 he made the first of three voyages as a slaver, sailing from England to West Africa to load up 3,000 slaves and took them to the Caribbean to be sold on the island of Hispaniola.” ("Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum! ... A brief history of piracy”, Para. 18) Hawkins exploited the evil institution of slavery in the name of …show more content…
He brought glory in the form of money to his home country. Thus, the positive outcomes cancel out the negative actions. Political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli--writer of The Prince-- would earlier align this philosophy along with his own through defining the goal of a leader is not to be loved and make ethical decisions, but to choose the best option for his or her country. Early 16th to 19th century pirates illustrated this ideology along with