Rum, Rascals, & Revolution: Sea Shanties of Boston's Privateers

Before Boston had parking tickets and traffic cones, it had privateers—patriotic troublemakers with letters of marque, a talent for causing problems for the British, and a whole lot to sing about. Join rapscallions Jeremy Bell and Larry Young at the West End Museum for a rollicking evening of sea shanties rooted in the rough-and-tumble world of Revolutionary-era privateering.

These weren’t polite parlor songs. Shanties were sung to haul ropes, raise sails, pass the time, and complain loudly about food, weather, officers, and fate in general. On privateering ships—half-navy, half-sanctioned piracy—music kept spirits up as crews chased prize money, dodged cannon fire, and argued over who drank the last of the rum.

Through lively performance and a dash of historical storytelling, this program dives into the songs that echoed from Boston’s docks, taverns, and decks during the American Revolution. Expect call-and-response anthems, rolling rhythms, and tales of fortune won and lives spent before the mast. This is maritime music as it was meant to be heard: loud, communal, and unapologetically salty!

Come sing, laugh, and learn as we resurrect the soundscape of Boston’s Revolutionary waterfront—where freedom was fought for, fortunes were gambled, and everyone had a chorus to sing in the making of a new nation.

This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.