1717–1718 Acts of Grace facts for kids

The Proclamation for Suppressing of Pirates, also known as the Act of Grace, was a special announcement made by George I of Great Britain on 5 September 1717. It offered a royal pardon to pirates. This pardon was for any acts of piracy they had committed before 5 January of the next year. To get the pardon, pirates had to surrender themselves to the right authorities. The original deadline to surrender was 5 September 1718. Later, a second announcement extended this deadline to 1 July 1719.

This proclamation also offered rewards for catching pirates who did not surrender. Plus, it gave money to pirate crew members who helped capture their own captains.

Why Pirates Got Pardons

Piracy Before the Proclamation

For a long time, kings had offered pardons to pirates. This happened even before the famous 1717 proclamation.

Early Pardons by King James I

When the war between England and Spain ended in 1604, many English sailors lost their jobs. They used to work as "privateers," which meant they were allowed to attack enemy ships during wartime. But with peace, they couldn't do that anymore. So, some of them became pirates.

In 1611, Captain Richard Bishop was one of the first well-known pirates to get a pardon. He gave up because he felt bad about attacking English ships. He even got to keep the treasure he had stolen!

The English government sometimes offered general pardons to pirates. This meant many pirates could be forgiven at once. In 1612, a general pardon was offered without pirates having to give up their ships or goods. Many pirate crews surrendered. The government wanted to keep these skilled sailors available in case another war started.

Pardons in the Late 1600s

In 1687, King James II also offered a pardon to pirates. He sent Sir Robert Holmes to the West Indies to stop piracy. Holmes's efforts helped reduce piracy for a while.

Later, in 1698, King William III offered pardons to pirates in the eastern seas. However, some very famous pirates, like Henry Every and William Kidd, were specifically not allowed to get this pardon. Many pirates became doubtful about these pardons because some who surrendered were still put on trial.

The End of a Big War

A major war called the War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1713 with the Peace of Utrecht. This peace treaty had a huge impact on sailors. The Royal Navy, which is like the country's navy, let go of over 36,000 sailors. That was almost three-quarters of its entire crew!

Finding work became very hard for sailors. Privateering was no longer allowed. Also, Spanish ships, called guardas costas, kept attacking English merchant ships. They would hurt and imprison English sailors. This made it even harder for sailors to find honest jobs. Because of this, many sailors turned to piracy.

Trying to Stop Piracy

The Royal Navy started a big campaign against pirates in 1715. But it was very hard to catch them. The oceans were huge, and pirates knew the seas better. Also, the government wanted to save money, so there weren't enough ships or sailors to fight the pirates effectively.

Because catching pirates by force was so difficult, the British government decided to try a different approach: offering pardons. This led to the famous proclamation of 1717.

The 1717 Proclamation

Why a Pardon Was Needed

Merchants and ship captains from Bristol, a big port city, were very worried about pirates in the West Indies. They asked the king for help. In May 1717, a government official named Joseph Addison asked the Council of Trade and Plantations for advice. This council talked to merchants and others who were affected by piracy.

They all agreed that piracy was a huge problem. They said that "the whole trade from Great Britain to those parts" was "in imminent danger of being lost." The council suggested two main things:

• Send more warships to fight the pirates.
• Offer a royal pardon to pirates who surrendered. They hoped this would turn pirates into law-abiding citizens.

Meanwhile, in Virginia, Lieutenant-Governor Alexander Spotswood also thought about offering pardons. He believed it might reduce the number of pirates. The pirates themselves even threatened to attack Bermuda if they weren't offered a pardon.

What the Proclamation Said

The proclamation explained why it was being issued. Then, it clearly stated who pirates could surrender to and by what date.

It also listed rewards for catching pirates who did not surrender by the deadline. It even offered money to pirate crew members who helped capture their own captains.

The 1718 Proclamation

Later, in December 1718, the Council of Trade and Plantations suggested extending the pardon deadline again. They hoped this would stop pirates from joining the Spanish navy during another war. This new proclamation extended the deadline for pirates to surrender.

See also

• Amnesty
• Indemnity Act 1717
• Piracy Act 1717
• Piracy Act 1721
• Category:Pardoned pirates