Peace of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the powers involved in the War of the Spanish Succession, namely, the Spanish, English, and Portuguese Empires; the Kingdom of France; the Duchy of Savoy; and the Dutch Republic,[1] between April 1713 and February 1715 in the city of Utrecht. The treaties ended the War, resolving many territorial disputes and settling the question of the Spanish succession crisis by allowing Philip V to remain as King of Spain[2] in return for permanently renouncing his claim to the French throne.[3] Missing from any of the treaties, however, was the problem of the unprotected coastline in the Caribbean.[2]
With the end of hostilities between the major empires, prospects of British privateers dried up,[4] with Great Britain demobilizing a large part of its navy. Taking advantage of the lack of authority in the region, several unemployed sailors regrouped and formed pirate crews to attack ships from the Spanish Navy.[2]
On 28 July 1713, then-privateer Edward Thatch received a message informing him of the treaties being signed.[1] Rather then becoming one of hundreds of unemployed sailors,[5] he then announced to his crew that they would become a pirate vessel and allowed them to leave if they wanted. Edward Kenway and Charles Johnson both decided to remain with Thatch.[1] Thatch would later adopt the moniker of "Blackbeard" and become one of the most notorious pirates active in the region.[6][7]
The signing of the final treaty in 1715 marked the start of the Golden Age of Piracy's third and final period;[8] barely a year later, it had become impossible to keep up honest work as a privateer, as British Governors were skittish about breaking the treaty's terms.[9]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first mentioned) (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Assassin's Creed: Black Flag (indirect mention only)
- Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
- Echoes of History – Behind the Legends (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal – 28 July, 1713
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Database: Before the Golden Age
- ↑
Peace of Utrecht on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Database: Edward Kenway
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Initiates – Dossier: "Blackbeard"
- ↑ Echoes of History – Behind the Legends – Episode 6: Blackbeard
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Database: Edward "Blackbeard" Thatch
- ↑ The Twelve Trials – Set 7, Question 7
- ↑ Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag – Database: Charles Vane