Though a generally familiar historical event, how much do we really know about what happened on this ill-fated 1789 voyage to Tahiti? Under the direction of the infamous Captain William Bligh, the HMS Bounty was tasked with delivering Tahitian breadfruit to British plantations in the Caribbean. Instead, Bligh was tied up by his crew and set adrift with 18 loyal seamen in an open boat in the middle of the South Pacific.
Justin M. Jacobs, associate professor of history at American University, provides a fresh perspective on the mutiny by placing it in historical context, examining the fates of all its participants, and highlighting continuities with the voyages of Captain Cook just one decade earlier.
Jacobs is the author of several books, including The Compensations of Plunder: How China Lost Its Treasures. He recently completed a 24-episode series on UNESCO World Heritage Sites for The Great Courses and is currently conducting research on the voyages of Captain Cook in the Pacific.
Justin Jacobs is also lecturing on this maritime topic in March 2022:
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