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Pirates also organized themselves to achieve economies of scale. They often sailed in small fleets (squadrons) to overwhelm larger, well-defended merchant vessels. This required high-level coordination between different ships, necessitating a sophisticated signaling system and agreed-upon rules of engagement.

Pirates viewed their ship not as a military unit but as a . Every member was a shareholder. pirates org

While the transatlantic slave trade was at its peak, many pirate organizations operated on a meritocratic basis regarding race. Free black sailors served alongside white sailors, sharing in the plunder and voting rights. However, this was not universal; some pirates participated in the slave trade, and the degree of racial equality varied by crew. Nevertheless, the pirate ship offered one of the few spaces in the Atlantic world where non-whites could exercise authority over whites. Pirates also organized themselves to achieve economies of