Manuel Barcia, "Pirate Imperialism: Trade, Abolition, and Global Suppression of Maritime Raiding, 1825–1870" (Yale UP, 2026)

In this episode of New Books in Law, Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Professor Manuel Barcia about his forthcoming book, 'Pirate Imperialism: Trade, Abolition, and Global Suppression of Maritime Raiding, 1825–1870,' published by Yale University Press in 2026. Barcia traces how Western imperial powers, along with non-Western empires like Siam and the Ottoman Empire, used the label of 'piracy' as a tool of global domination. He reveals that the designation of 'enemy of all mankind'—rooted in 18th-century legal thought—granted imperial states universal jurisdiction to justify military intervention, territorial expansion, and violent suppression of amphibious communities across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The episode exposes the racialized and selective application of anti-piracy laws: while white, Christian Atlantic pirates involved in slave trading were often tried and acquitted, non-Western populations resisting colonial encroachment were routinely massacred without trial. Barcia highlights how technology like steam warships and Congreve rockets enabled asymmetric violence, and how the same imperial tactics—burning villages, collective punishment, and forced relocations—were justified as 'civilizing missions' or 'abolitionist humanitarianism.' He also critiques the enduring legacy of this framework in modern perceptions of piracy in places like Somalia and the southern Philippines. Barcia emphasizes that 'piracy' in this era was not a neutral legal category but a weaponized narrative used to legitimize empire. He calls for a rethinking of maritime history as a space of power and resistance, not empty voids, and warns that modern international order remains shaped by the same selective legality and racialized violence. The discussion concludes with Barcia’s upcoming work on the Anglo-Ashanti War and a broader Atlantic-focused project. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on how historical myths of romantic piracy obscure the brutal realities of imperial violence and the enduring consequences of legal and moral double standards.