1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Stay in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: a show that charts a course through history one day 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: at a time. I'm Gay Blusier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,320 Speaker 1: we're examining the competing narratives surrounding the life of Captain 6 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: William Kidd, a callous, vengeful pirate or a wrongfully accused privateer, 7 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: depending on who you ask. The day was July six, 8 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 1: six nine. Captain William Kidd was arrested and jailed in 9 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: Boston on charges of piracy. The arrest was made at 10 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: the home of an Irish nobleman named Richard Coote a 11 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: k a. The first Earl of Bellomont. Although he was 12 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: a longtime friend and financial benefactor of Captain Kidd, the 13 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: Earl seemingly betrayed him as part of a British plot 14 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: to make an example of a well known pirate as 15 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: a way to appease the Mogul Empire in India. After 16 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: two years in Boston's Great Stone Jail, Kidd was put 17 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: on a ship to London, where he would later be 18 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,480 Speaker 1: tried for his alleged crimes and ultimately put to death. 19 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,199 Speaker 1: Historians don't know much about the early life of William Kidd, 20 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: only that he was born in Dundee, Scotland, in sixteen 21 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: fifty four, and that his father, John Kidd, was a 22 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: sailor who died at sea. From there, William's trail in 23 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: history goes cold until the sixteen eighties, when he re 24 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: emerged as a sailor himself, then in his mid thirties. 25 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: By that point, Kidd had resettled in New York City, 26 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: which was under British control at the time. It's believed 27 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: that he began his career at sea there as a privateer, 28 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: someone who's been authorized by a government to attack the 29 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: trade ships and colonies of rival nations. A pirate essentially, 30 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: but a legal one. However, in sixteen eighty nine, the 31 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: captain who Kids served under was deposed and replaced by 32 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: Jean Fontin. Under his leadership, the mostly French crew began 33 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: attacking Dutch and English colonies alike, without a privateering commission 34 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 1: to do either. This was William Kidd's first taste of piracy, 35 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,679 Speaker 1: and it would seem that he didn't like the taste. 36 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: In the summer of sixteen eighty nine, Kid and the 37 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,840 Speaker 1: few other English crew members on board led a mutiny 38 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: while anchored off the coast of Saint Christopher Island. They 39 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: waited until Captain Fontin had taken most of the crew ashore. 40 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: Then the mutineers seized control of the ship, murdered their 41 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: remaining French crewmates, and sailed off to the nearby island 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: of Nevus. There, the stolen ship was renamed Blessed William 43 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 1: and Kid was elected as its new captain. He carried 44 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: on working as a privateer for the next two years, 45 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: but gradually his crew grew tired of the straight life 46 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: and longed for a return to outright piracy. When Captain 47 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: Kidd wouldn't budge on the issue, the crew mutinied against 48 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: him and stole his ship while he was ashore at 49 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: Antigua in the West Indies. At that point, he had 50 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: decided to cut his losses and returned to New York City. 51 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: There he married a wealthy widow named Sarah Bradley cox Urt, 52 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: and together they had two daughters. Kidds settled into a 53 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: comfortable life as a respected member of high society, but 54 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: within a few years the sea came calling for him 55 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 1: once again. In late sixteen ninety five, Kidd was called 56 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: upon by Richard coot to attack several prominent pirates who 57 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: threatened British interests, as well as any French ships that 58 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: had happened across his path. Since Coote was the acting 59 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: Governor of New York at the time, his request was 60 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: backed by the way of the British Crown. It would 61 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: have been politically dangerous to refuse such a job, so, 62 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: whether he liked it or not, Kid was now both 63 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: a privateer and a pirate hunter. The venture was mostly 64 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: funded by wealthy English lords, including coot who had a 65 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: vested interest in keeping British East India's ships afloat and 66 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: out of the hands of pirates. Kid was given a 67 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: letter of mark signed by King William the Third, which 68 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: authorized him as an English privateer. This wasn't a salaried 69 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: position per se, but Kidd was entitled to the lion's 70 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: share of any loot he confiscated from enemy ships, though 71 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: the British Crown did expect ten percent. In short order, 72 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: Captain Kidd was outfitted with a new crew and a 73 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: new ship, the Adventure Galley. Once again, Richard coot had 74 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 1: helped make all the arrangements. Kids set sail in sixteen 75 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: ninety six, and spent the next couple of years patrolling 76 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: the Red See in the Indian Ocean. He and his 77 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: crew did well for themselves at first, catching pirates and 78 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: racking up treasure and valuable commodities in the process. Eventually, though, 79 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: their luck ran out, and Kid had a tough time 80 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: covering the expenses of the ongoing voyage. By the fall 81 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: of many of the crew had deserted, and those who 82 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: remained spoke openly of mutiny. That October, one of the 83 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: crew urged Captain Kidd to attack a Dutch ship, something 84 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: that would have been outside the bounds of their privateering commission. Kid, 85 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: a Dutch born sailor himself, responded by fracturing the crew 86 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 1: member's skull. He died the following day. Shortly after that incident, 87 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: rumors began to spread that Kid often engaged in other 88 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: cruel piratical behavior, such as drubbing and keel hauling, the 89 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: details of which we won't go into here. Whether true 90 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: or not, Kid was soon branded a pirate by members 91 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: of the Royal Navy and became a target of their pursuit. 92 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: Not long after, in January of six, Captain Kidd made 93 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: what many historians considered to be his fatal mistake. While 94 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: sailing near India, Kid and his crew caught sight of 95 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 1: a four hundred ton cargo ship called the Ketta Merchant. 96 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: It was filled to the brim with gold and silver, 97 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: as well as valuable goods like satin, silk, opium, and sugar. 98 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: In other words, the Katta was a massive pay day 99 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: for the adventure Galley. The only question was whether it 100 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,039 Speaker 1: was legal for them to attack it. Since it was 101 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: an Indian ship chartered by Armenian merchants, it should have 102 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: been off limits to privateers who had been commissioned to 103 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: attack pirates and French merchants only. However, it turned out 104 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,280 Speaker 1: that the captain of the Ketta had purchased passes from 105 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: the French East India Company, placing his ship under the 106 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: protection of the French Crown. Kid believed that technically made 107 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: it a French ship kind of sort of, So we 108 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: went through with the attack and kept the French passes 109 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: as proof that it wasn't an act of piracy strictly speaking. 110 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: Unfortunately for Kid, the Keta Merchant also had ties to 111 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: a powerful minister at the court of the Indian Grand Mogul, 112 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: the British government wanted to maintain friendly relations with the 113 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: Mogul Empire, so when news of Kid's latest capture reached England, 114 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: they quickly denounced him as a pirate and called for 115 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: his arrest. Once Kid realized he was a marked man, 116 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: he charted a course back to New York City, and 117 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: along the way he stashed some of the treasure from 118 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 1: the Cata merchant on nearby Gardner's Island. These valuables were 119 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: later retrieved and used against Kid at his trial. It's 120 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: widely believed that he also hid treasure on other small 121 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: islands in the area, including Block Island and possibly even 122 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: Liberty Island, though if he did, nobody's founded As of 123 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: two Shortly after arriving in New York, Kid received an 124 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: offer of clemency from his old friend and chief financier, 125 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: Richard coot kot urged Kid to join him in Boston, 126 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: where he'd be placed under his protection until the whole 127 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: piracy business could be sorted out for good. As a 128 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,480 Speaker 1: wanted man with few other options, Kid decided to trust 129 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,800 Speaker 1: coot and set sail for Boston. Sadly, it turned out 130 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: that Coote was only interested in saving his own skin. 131 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: He was worried that, since he'd been the one who 132 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: recommended Kid for the commission, he might be accused of 133 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: piracy himself. Koot figured his best chance was to capture 134 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: Kid alive and then turn him over to England as 135 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: a show of good faith, and so on July six, 136 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: Captain William Kidd was arrested in Boston on the order 137 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: of Governor Coot. He spent the better part of the 138 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:03,800 Speaker 1: next two years in solitary confinement before being transported to 139 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,640 Speaker 1: Newgate Prison in London to undergo questioning, and then to 140 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: the Old Bailey to stand trial. The trial commenced in 141 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: May of seventeen o one, but the outcome was largely 142 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: a foregone conclusion. Kidd maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, 143 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: but in the end he was found guilty of piracy 144 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 1: and murder and sentenced to death. He was publicly hanged 145 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: later that month at Execution Dock in London's East End. Disturbingly, 146 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: it took two tries to kill William Kidd, and once 147 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: he was dead, his body was strung up on a 148 00:09:39,400 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: gibbet over the River Thames to serve as a warning 149 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 1: to other potential pirates. His corpse remained on display for 150 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:53,439 Speaker 1: three years. Over three centuries later, historians still debate whether 151 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: Captain Kidd truly deserves his reputation as a notorious pirate. 152 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: After all, there was a fine line between privateer and pirate, 153 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: and by most accounts, Kid didn't really stray from his 154 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 1: chosen side, though he may have towed the line every 155 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: now and then. The strongest evidence that Kid was framed 156 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 1: as a pirate are those French passes that he had 157 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: hoped to use to prove his innocence. They were conveniently 158 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: misplaced during his trial and were only rediscovered in a 159 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: public records office in London some two hundred years after 160 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: his execution. Those passes support the version of events he 161 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,320 Speaker 1: presented in court, and had they not been sequestered during 162 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: his trial, kids life and legacy may have turned out 163 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: very differently. I'm Gabe Lousier and hopefully you now know 164 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:49,599 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 165 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:52,959 Speaker 1: He can learn even more about history by following us 166 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at t d I HC 167 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: Show and if you have any comments ors to gugestions, 168 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: you can always send them my way. At this day 169 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: at I heeart media dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 170 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: for producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. 171 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,840 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 172 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: in history class.