Writing Samples 

British mariners, motivated by their personal pursuit of wealth and/or adventure, orchestrated the growth of the British Empire. However, these individuals, deemed "pirates" primarily by their victims, were honored and even respected at times by the crown and the average citizen because of the monetary profits they achieved for the British State. This paper looks into how religious convictions influenced people's interpretation of these acts of "piracy," specifically through the experiences of Captain Henry Avery.