History of Pirates (First-Year Experience Seminar)

Pirates aren’t just the stuff of Hollywood films. From raiders in the Roman empire to modern-day hijackers in Somalia, piracy has shaped world history for over two millennia — and it remains a pressing international issue today. This course moves beyond popular myths to examine the complex reality of piracy across cultures and centuries. We’ll explore what drives people to turn to piracy, how different societies have responded to it, and why this ancient practice continues to challenge the modern world.

Through evaluating historical evidence, constructing arguments using both primary and secondary sources, and connecting historical patterns to contemporary global challenges, you will learn crucial critical thinking and analysis skills. As a First-Year Experience (FYE) seminar, this course will also teach you more than just the history of pirates: it will help you develop the skills, knowledge, and habits to succeed as a new college student. This will be done through a combination of faculty mentoring, peer advocate leadership, activities and workshops, and campus engagement to help familiarize yourself with the university and transition to life as a student as CU Denver.

In this course we will be tackling several big themes:

  • Defining Piracy: What makes a pirate a pirate? What distinguishes piracy from naval warfare or “legal” privateering? How has this definition been used and weaponized?
  • Creating Piracy: Why do people turn to piracy in different times and places? What common social, economic, and political conditions facilitate the rise of piracy?
  • Expanding Piracy: What has piracy looked like across cultures and centuries? What can we learn by studying piracy from the ancient world to the present day, and spanning the globe from northern Europe to the South China Sea?
  • Romanticizing Piracy: How and why do pirates have such a strong hold on the popular imagination? How have they been romanticized through literature, film, and folklore and how does this align with reality?