To end the golden age of piracy, Britain offered criminals a royal pardon
In short: Facing a surge in piracy after the War of the Spanish Succession, the British government issued a royal proclamation in 1717. It promised amnesty to any pirate who surrendered by September 1718, while simultaneously offering significant cash bounties to those who betrayed their captains or hunted down their former comrades.
Following the 1713 Peace of Utrecht, the Royal Navy discharged over 36,000 sailors, leaving many without employment. Combined with Spanish guarda costa aggression against merchant ships, this economic instability pushed many sailors into piracy. By 1717, an estimated 20 to 30 pirate vessels operated at sea, causing merchants in Bristol to petition King George I for urgent intervention. The Council of Trade and Plantations warned that British trade was in imminent danger of collapse, prompting the issuance of the Act of Grace on 5 September 1717.
The proclamation was a calculated strategy to reduce pirate numbers through both clemency and coercion. It promised a pardon for acts committed before 5 January 1718, provided pirates surrendered to authorities by 5 September 1718. To ensure compliance, the government established a bounty system: capturing a pirate captain earned 100 pounds, while a crew member who delivered their own captain to justice could receive 200 pounds. Legal opinions from the Attorney General and Solicitor General clarified that these pardons could cover even murder, though they did not protect property taken unlawfully.
The results were mixed. In Nassau, the arrival of the proclamation caused deep divisions among pirate factions. While hundreds surrendered to figures like Captain Vincent Pearse and Governor Woodes Rogers, many returned to piracy shortly after. Rogers eventually employed former pirates as hunters to combat those who refused to reform or who had defected to Spanish service during the War of the Quadruple Alliance. By December 1718, the policy had transitioned from simple amnesty to the execution of those who violated their pardons, marking a shift in the state's approach to maritime lawlessness.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 1717–1718 Acts of Grace
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