An epilogue for a few Maltese corsairs : Vassalli, privateers and cotton

Abstract

In my very early days of researching about the Maltese corsairs I set about uncovering the very fabric of the characters of the commerce raiders that used Malta as their base in the 18th century. The local corsairs were intertwined into a colourful weave that was not only Malta but the Mediterranean and Europe in the late 18th century. The corsairs were no peculiarity of an insular society. They were the product of their time. The late 18th century flung them not only into seaborne raids around the Mediterranean but also into ever changing European politics. They lived in an enlightened Europe that was slowly festering into revolution.