Memo+21+Interview+Questions

It is unlikely that I will be conducting interviews with any of the subjects which I am studying, since it is a historical project. So, here is what I am going to “ask” the archive.


 * First is obviously my hierarchy of questions map:**

1. Who participated in the production of colonial/Western science? Who contributed to the rise of interest in colonial science? What role did pirates/piracy play in the development of colonial science - more specifically cartography and the natural sciences? Did the majority of pirates have specific knowledge of scientific instruments (navigational instruments) or did they use other methods of navigation? Given the resources (money and manpower) of the British Navy, how was it the piracy was able to continue unchecked for several hundred years in the Caribbean?

2. How did individuals or social groups from outside of the hegemonic power create scientific or technical knowledge? What types of knowledge did these individuals/social groups produce? Where did they obtain this knowledge from? What was the relationship between pirates and local communities? Was there a knowledge exchange between indigenous people in Central American and the Caribbean regarding ship building and navigation? What information produced by criminals or indigenous persons was appropriated by Western science? How did this appropriation occur? How has this appropriated knowledge impacted the development of colonial and contemporary science and society? Viewing ships as “technology” that marginalized social groups had access to, how were these marginalized groups able to gain an economic stronghold in a global economy? Did marginalized groups play a definitive role in the development of colonial science? Have these groups been given credit for their contributions?


 * Other questions would be**:

1.What types of communication did pirates have with one another? 2.What pirates were connected, and can I discern any social consequences as a result of these relationships? 3.What relationships did pirates have with indigenous persons? 4.The term “buccaneer” derives from French and was given to the first pirates on Haiti by native peoples. Can this story be verified and did the original buccaneers have any close relationship with these natives? 5.What nationalities made up pirate crews? From what social and economic circumstances did these criminals come from? 6.How did piracy impact trade regulations and policy? 7.In what cities and towns was piracy concentrated? How did the local people feel about piracy and did they have relations with these criminals? 8.What journals and documents written by pirates themselves still exist? 9.Is there any documentation about the modifications made to ships by pirates? Were these changes utilized by others? 10.What types of pirates engaged in cartography? 11.What pirates maintained national allegiances? What were the benefits of these allegiances for the ruling powers? 12.What group had first contact with the Quencha? 13.How did Cinchona bark originally come to Europe? 14.What was the response to this indigenous medicine by Europeans? 15.What lengths did physicians go to in order to conceal their use of cinchona? 16.How was the use of quinine eventually accepted into European society? 17.What impacts did quinine have – in both tropical medicine as well as in colonial enterprise?