The Peace of Utrecht turned many privateers into pirates, ships which
had been habitually preying upon Spanish commerce since Blake's victory
at Santa Cruz in 1657, and these gentlemen of fortune were at first
welcome in the Carolinas. Nearly all the coin in circulation then was at
first brought by such doubtful adventurers, and they were regarded as
the natural protectors of the Carolinas against their powerful enemy,
the Spaniard, to the south.
Gradually, however, this cordial attitude changed. It was a small step
from attacking Spanish to plundering English commerce, and with the
cultivation and export of rice and indigo, the demand for a safe sea
passage grew overwhelming, while the coasts continued to be ravaged. The
royal government was slow to act. In 1684 we learn that "the governor
will not in all probability always reside in Charles Town, which is so
near the sea as to be in danger of sudden attack by pirates;" nor was
this an idle thought, for the town was blockaded by pirate ships at the
harbor's mouth, and medicines and supplies demanded while citizens were
held as hostages.
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