The Golden Age of Piracy was a radical, self-governing alternative to the exploitative and life-threatening conditions of the British Royal Navy and merchant fleets. Life aboard a naval ship was brutal, with harsh discipline, low wages, and a high risk of death or injury with no compensation.
I do not feel English. I feel like a Northerner. This is a region with a distinct identity, and its ancient kingdom of Northumbria still seems to pull the overwhelming majority of the weight in the UK’s economy. Yet, everywhere you look, it gets shafted by the central government. Most of all, I feel distinctly like a Yorkshireman.
