Do a video on Chico state university named the #1 party College in the nation by Playboy magazine for 10 years in a row. Then the pioneer day riots happened and the made it illegal for frats to serve alcohol so they had pledges drink gallons of water
Pretending he was a nice man is kinda dumb. and those who followed Bligh in the small boat had families back home, and when they were interrogated they did confirm Bligh was a Tyrant onboard the ship. he was a man who whipped his crew to get tasteless breadplants to slaves as quick as possible. to say he was a victim of his time dont really matter. he should be considered a monster to slaves. and a tyrant to his crew.
I think Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Bligh is the most accurate ever put on film. It's clear he was a decent guy doing his best to enforce the rules, but in a humane (if strict) way. He certainly wasn't a bully ,quite the opposite, the fact that he rescued most of his men after the mutiny makes him a hero, and obviously an excellent sailor.
Maybe I'm mixing up different naval histories, but I seem to remember that it was only a couple of disaffected Bounty crew members (after the fact) who spread a good many lies and distortions about events and which laid the ground for the 'legend' of the journey and personalities that made this 'story' so famous.
@@CaminoAir What we have to remember is that a full scale mutiny was almost unheard of on a British ship of the Royal Navy in the 18th century, so maybe they exaggerated some of the facts.
(13:30) Simon, I'm glad you covered this. Bligh essentially pulled-off a miracle. Back in the late-80's, there was a PBS program where a great-great grandchild of Bligh recreated this voyage with a crew of sailors. (Ironically, he almost had a mutiny...)
As an Australian I grew up with the impression that Bligh was an ineffectual bully, an evil agent of the British monarchy who got what he deserved on HMS Bounty (by the way, she was HMS or HM Armed Vessel & was a Royal Navy vessel, having been purchased by the RN in 1787), and put in his place by the forward thinking John MacArthur (who was a complex but, ultimately, egocentric character, who used the falsehoods spread by the Bounty mutineers to excuse his defiance of Bligh). As I learned more (that wasn't filtered through the lens of republican teachers), I came to understand just how badly Bligh has been maligned by history. His biggest failings were being too kind, to reasonable and too trusting. If you want a villain in the Bounty mutiny, it is Fletcher Christian, who betrayed the man who had taken him under his wing and put him on his first steps up the naval promotional ladder because he had no ties to anyone or anything & found the beachcomber life style to his liking. Bligh's failure in Australia was not so much of his making as the government in Whitehall's, as he was sent to the colony to pull the only military force in New South Wales back into line with out the authorisation or funding for a military force of his own. He was set up to lose. His replacement as Governor of New South Wales was Lachlan Macquarie, a General in the British Army, who arrived with a not insignificant force of regular soldiers to back his demands - and even he failed to achieve all of his goals. To sum it up, Bligh was a man with largely 20th Century sensibilities in the brutality of the 18th Century.
Please do General John J. Pershing! The only living American general to hold the rank of General of the Armies (6-star rank) Though he never wore more than 4 stars on his uniform. The only other person to hold this rank was posthumously and it is George Washington.
Chem: Dear My Good Sir, or Ma'am, please allow me to second your choice of topic. General of the Armies John J. Pershing is an excellent topic. I know when you say "The only person to hold this rank (while alive)", you meant only the army. The only person to receive this rank posthumously was Gen. George Washington. However, Gen. Pershing was not the only living flag officer to have worn 6 stars. Admiral of the Navies George Dewey wore 6 stars.
Future Video suggestion - Eamon DeValera (1882-1975) - prominent political leader in 20th century Ireland who, after the Irish war of independence from 1919 to 1921, was in the public eye for over forty years from 1922 until his death were he served as head of government (Taoiseach) and head of state (president). He was nearly executed in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was key in putting into place the new constitution on 1937. A very prominent figure in Irish history.
Could you do an Episode on Toyohiko Kagawa? He was a Japanese Christian Pacifist who opposed the Empires actions during WWII. We rarely talk about the Atrocities committed by Japan during this time. We talk about the Japanese People who Stood up to those atrocities even less so. I believe this man has earned a Video about his life.
Yes! That would be wonderful. I read my Dad’s copy of a biography of Kagawa In the back of the book he had glued 2 tickets to a speech Kagawa gave in Portland, Oregon. He thought of Kagawa as a saint.
I actually suggested this after I watch Simon's video about The Bounty last week. My comment: "William Bligh definitely deserves the Biographics treatment!" Dang his Blazement elves are fast!
Another chap who might be a good video subject - "Captain" Arthur Phillip, who commanded the First Fleet in 1788 and was the first governor of NSW during the grim early years when the colony nearly starved. On a walking tour in Bath, I discovered he is better known in the UK as "Admiral" Phillip. We saw the outside of his former home in Bath, where apparently he died by throwing himself from a third-story window.
0:45 - Chapter 1 - Early years 4:35 - Chapter 2 - The bounty 7:25 - Chapter 3 - The voyage to tahiti 10:20 - Mid roll ads 11:45 - Chapter 4 - Mutiny on the bounty 15:15 - Chapter 5 - The rum rebellion
I don’t care what you say the fact that that man made it back to England is the most unparalleled seat of navigational brilliance shown by anyone that I can think of you would’ve put your money on the bounty, and he does not get enough respect for that feat!!
Biographies that you have criminally overlooked so far: Classical composers: - Ludwig van Beethoven - J.S. Bach - Antonio Vivaldi Gods/iconic figures: - Michael Jackson - Babe Ruth Chess legends: - Gary Kasparov - Bobby Fischer Painters: - Gustav Klimt - Marcel Duchamp Architects/builders: - Gustav Eiffel - Frank Lloyd Wright - Le Corbusier - Antonio Gaudi - Buckminster Fuller Writers: - Léon Tolstoï - Fiodor Dostoïevski - Homer - Sophocles - Victor Hugo - Jules Verne - Jorge Luis Borges - Miguel de Cervantes - John Steinbeck - Dante Alighieri Philosophers/theologists: - René Descartes - Confucius - Emmanuel Kant - John Locke - Voltaire - Jean Calvin Scientists: - Max Planck Dictators: - Nicolae Ceausescu - Manuel Noriega Explorers: - Zheng He - Vasco da Gama - John Cabot - Amerigo Vespucci - Hernán Cortés Other: - Anne Frank - Caterina de' Medici - Cesare Borgia
Captain Bligh was..... a commander, plain and simple. The movie Master & Commander gives you some idea of the weather you could face rounding the tip of South America, and what life aboard a ship of that era was like. He didn't need to be loved, but he had to be respected. It was his duty to assemble and drill a crew to safely transit the globe in an era where help was not available. Heck, many sailors preferred to not know how to swim because if you fell overboard, the ship might not be able to turn around and rescue you. Better a swift drowning than treading water for hours or days. On land, as on sea, he did what he believed was the best way to safely carry out his orders. Perhaps he was too much English Oak and not enough supple Willow, refusing to bend when it would have been the more charitable course of action, but this could have been a two-way street. Had the crew been less derelict in their duties and responsibilities, and been more due diligent, then Bligh could have been in a better position to reward them with more liberties. Captain Bligh was a good captain who ended up being poorly remembered. The HMS Bounty mutineers *might* have done the right thing in their eyes, but for the wrong reasons, and then hung themselves by not sailing straight for England. By going into hiding, they ruined their credibility.
We were very fortunate to have our honeymoon in Tahiti, staying at Moorea and Bora Bora and the place truly is paradise on earth and the people so genuinely warm and friendly, it isn't too hard to imagine the sailors reluctance to leave the place.
I would love to see you do a video on Francis Marion (Swamp Fox). He was one of the lesser known Revolutionary War Heros and helped to defeat the British in the Carolinas.
My dad used to tell me the story of Captain Bligh, but I was young and didn’t get all the details. I remember that he said that Bligh was an amazing navigator.
Bligh was very much misrepresented and was a man of great ability and in his time was better than most of his era and must be seen in the light of the times.
It seems like Bligh was a capable officer. And tried to be a fair (if strict) man. He was tame compared to other Royal Navy captains. And he pulled off a miracle after the mutiny.
What Bly was, was a man promoted one stage too far. The Bounty was his first Royal Naval command. So, he's in ultimate command with no superior and no brake. The result was he was not a reliable commander. In fact, he veered wildly between being the crew's friend and being over harsh. Which meant that the crew never knew what the rules were from day to day. Accounts of the navy from that period show that a crew would would put up with a LOT, as long as the rules were consistent. But Bly wasn't . Lax one day, harsh the other. It's worth pointing out that when BLY was later made governor of New South Whales later, he sparked mutiny amongst the officers under him, and for the same reasons.
You need to do more study on the subject! Reading one book or article is like seeing the Hollywood version. Having spent a few years in the merchant Navy, including visiting Pitcairn and Tahiti, and reading many books on the subject, Bligh ( read spelling!) was an incredible Navigator, misaligned by the Admiralty, and was more lenient than Captain Cook.
Some of the telling motivations behind the mutiny may be extrapolated from what took place on Pitcairn Island and one of the key reasons why when discovered only a single brit remained albeit 20 years later. I believe it was American whalers that located the brit and tahitians there. Folks from Pitcairn still carry the surnames of the mutineers.
Here's my call ... usually you'll find a pattern of behavior throughout a career that would give hint to someone who abuses power, and is tyrannical. By what had been laid out he seems rather calm and even keeled. Not someone who would go on to be mutinied
You should try Breadfruit when you get the chance, boiled, roasted or fried it’s beautiful but it took us being those of us a few generations to get around to eating it as it wasn’t part of our original diet. Breadfruit was brought to the Caribbean as a cheap alternative food for the enslaved Africans !
Nice video - could have done with a bit more about Christian's role (some claim he had a personality clash with Bligh which drove him over the edge), and the role of the family of Peter Heywood (one of the mutineers and whose family were dyed in the wool Navy establishment and wanted to save him), in rubbishing Bligh's name.
Most iconic lines from Simon - Empire - The world at his/her feet - He/she indulged in - There would nobody quite like him/her - This video is brought to you by squarspace - Thank you for watching *Your welcome*
I agree with the quite widely-held view that it was the sudden change from the easy life in Tahiti back to the hard work, boredom and lousy diet aboard ship that was the catalyst for the mutiny. I don't believe it was anything that Bligh did - I think the crew could have had Santa as their captain and they would *still* probably have mutinied!
The book I read claimed the phrase "Cape Horn Fever" another term for Malingering was started on The Bounty on Bligh's famous journey Christian started all the problems and led the mutiny.
Everything I have read has led me to believe Bligh is one of the most unjustly maligned figures in history. If he were alive today, he could bankrupt a couple movie studios for defamation.
Anna Bligh, a descendant of Captain Bligh, was Queensland Premier, 2007-12. Also, a recent Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has the middle name Bligh. From Wikipedia: "The use of Bligh as a male middle name is a tradition in the Turnbull family. It is also Turnbull's son's middle name. One of Turnbull's ancestors was colonist John Turnbull, who named his youngest son William Bligh Turnbull in honour of deposed Governor William Bligh at the time of the Rum Rebellion." Captain Bligh may be best known in Australia through the image you showed of him hiding under the bed when the redcoats came to capture him during the Rum Rebellion. In Yr8 history class over 40 years ago, we had to study and copy that picture.
So interesting! You know, I studied Pitcairn Island and the descendants of Fletcher Christian and the recalcitrant crew of the Bounty. I think the descendants were relocated to one or two other islands (New Zealand is coming to mind). There were population issues regarding in breeding as well as other health problems. They were really attempting to survive on their own with an exquisite number of challenges. I studied Bioarchaeology in grad school and the Bounty's Pitcairn Island population is an isolated, interbreeding population...therefore studied frequently for use as a control group. The crew of the Bounty really had quite a hard life on Pitcairn. Captain Cook is really interesting too. Defleshing, polishing and bundling the skeletal material is considered a burial of honor in ancient Hawaii. So, even though the Hawaiians killed Capt. Cook, they did consider him the "Chief" if his tribe. Often, the Hawaiian royalty in antiquity would have a kahuna take the bundled bones and place them in a lava cave. When the Kahuna returned from burying the remains, The Hawaiian royalty would then kill the Kahuna so the location of the burial could not be discovered. Basically, they thought one could absorb mana (energy) from warriors or Kings if they killed them or interacted with their remains. If none knew where Cook's remains were, they couldn't absorb his energy.
what fells me he was no tyrant was the fact so many of his men wanted to go w him that he had to leave a few behind on the ship if be was a tyrant he'd have had plenty of room on that lifeboat
Fletcher Christian was signed on as Master's Mate and didnt become 1st mate until Christian was promoted to Master and thus, 1st mate during the voyage. Bligh was only a Leutenant and was assigned a ship to command that was in accordance with his rank. Leutenant, Commander, Captain, Post Captain. Only a full post captain gets a ship of the line. Lieutenants are lucky to have a command at all and were usually assigned as only commanders of Cutters or acting captain of a prize crew.
I have literally watched every one of the videos on this channel & followed this channel for years. I love all the work you guys put into the videos. This is one of the best channels on video! I have one request can you please do Abraham Lincoln at some point? Thankyou and I will continue to support you guys.
Random post but I've used a few of your sponsers now, and I gotta say... Great job at only promoting quality products! I feel like I can trust your judgement going forward after testing the waters with a few of them
Hello A Norfolk islander and decentent of fletcher Christian here to say; You summarised that very well XD I have been told this story my whole life but it never painted bligh in this light!!! (I was taught he was a coward... go figure? some beef lasts generations) I don't know if you were skipping minor details, but John Adams was actually initially pardoned because he changed his name and lied... us islanders also think he is the one who shot Fletcher, oh he also most definitley killed his wife I believe... But I would love to hear a mentioning of Mauatua aka Mamiti (I don't know her english name I think it might be Lizzie?)
Both films are good and very entertaining, even if they're inaccurate in different ways. What I think would be good is a Mini series adaption. More scenes about the events that talk place on the arduous voyage to Dutch Timor and ofc the rocky early start in the Pitcairn Islands. I would say both events are more interesting than the actual mutiny itself.
I’m wondering if you all would ever be willing to do one on Governor George Wallace? I think his trip from moderate to the face of segregation, his presidential campaign and assassination attempt, all the way back to moderate is an interesting story. Just how chasing the vote and populism can change someone for the worse.
Interestingly a new book, Men Without Country, has just come out about the Bounty mutineers, written by Harrison Christian, a descendant of Fletcher Christian, telling their side of it. The debate over how bad Bligh was and how right (or wrong) the justifications of the mutineers were continues centuries on!
I earnestly believe that Capt Bligh being portrayed as a tyrant by the mutineers, It made it easier for others to mutiny against him because they had a pre-published excuse to fall back on. It didn't help that some of the mutineers from the Bounty were given pardons. Being a well-known figure of his time, many would have made up a preconceived opinion of Capt Bligh.
according to the movie "The Bounty" which starred Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins as Bligh, the main reason behind the mutiny was the fact that fresh water was rationed to keep the breadfruit plants alive, to the detriment of the crew.
Funny how all other biographics videos are titled starting with the subject's name followed by an epithet, but this one straight up gives only the subject's name and nothing else.
The mutiny occured because Bligh went totally insane and wanted to take on Simon Whistler who was circumnavigating the earth in a rowboat. The crew knew this meant certain death and to preserve their lives Captain Bligh had to go. The Mutiny most certainly saved their lives of the crew with Mr. Whistler on the high seas and they hid in Tahiti to avoid getting in Mr. Whistler's way.
Great RUclips clip. Just finished reading mutiny on the bounty by Peter Fitzsimons on audible with my ears. Audible rocks, but I'm definitely picking up a physical copy from Frugal Muse in Darien Illinois the next time I go there. Support your local bookstore. One of the most interesting and captivating books I've read on Audible in the last year. It's even better than the reviews on audible. Read the reviews. It will be one of the most interesting books you've ever read.
Interesting sailor of the high seas! 🌊 Another in Britain's top 100! 🇬🇧 We sail the ocean blue and our saucy ships a beauty ! 🎶 We're sober men and true and attentive to our duty! 🎶 He was also born in Cornwall. maybe he had that well known accent? 😁 Arrrr!
The movie, "Muntiny on the Bounty" painted a horrible picture of Captain Bligh. After a couple documentaries, notably from PBS and NPR, seems Captain Bligh was somewhat rehabilitated.
Hi Simon, can you please do a Biographic on Nestor Makhno, leader of the Ukrainian Anarchist Black Army at the end of WW1. He is a fascinating figure largely overlooked by history. He is a personal hero of mine.
He's in Britain. He'd probably get beheaded on his way to his car if he tried to cover Pershing. The asswhooping that red blooded American killing machine laid down on those flip boy lovers was so thorough that the very name inspires shame in the modern moor.
Go to nordvpn.com/bio to get a 2-year plan plus an extra gift with a huge discount!
lol, just milking this story in every channel possible, eh?
Do a video on Chico state university named the #1 party College in the nation by Playboy magazine for 10 years in a row. Then the pioneer day riots happened and the made it illegal for frats to serve alcohol so they had pledges drink gallons of water
Pretending he was a nice man is kinda dumb. and those who followed Bligh in the small boat had families back home, and when they were interrogated they did confirm Bligh was a Tyrant onboard the ship. he was a man who whipped his crew to get tasteless breadplants to slaves as quick as possible. to say he was a victim of his time dont really matter. he should be considered a monster to slaves. and a tyrant to his crew.
I think Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Bligh is the most accurate ever put on film. It's clear he was a decent guy doing his best to enforce the rules, but in a humane (if strict) way. He certainly wasn't a bully ,quite the opposite, the fact that he rescued most of his men after the mutiny makes him a hero, and obviously an excellent sailor.
Maybe I'm mixing up different naval histories, but I seem to remember that it was only a couple of disaffected Bounty crew members (after the fact) who spread a good many lies and distortions about events and which laid the ground for the 'legend' of the journey and personalities that made this 'story' so famous.
@@CaminoAir What we have to remember is that a full scale mutiny was almost unheard of on a British ship of the Royal Navy in the 18th century, so maybe they exaggerated some of the facts.
@@jasonvaughn4886 wasn't a Royal British Naval Vessel . It was a Merchant Marines .
@@Mr.CliffysWorld I thought it was chartered by the Navy. I stand corrected
@@Mr.CliffysWorld no it was a Navy Vessel, HMS Bounty.
(13:30) Simon, I'm glad you covered this. Bligh essentially pulled-off a miracle. Back in the late-80's, there was a PBS program where a great-great grandchild of Bligh recreated this voyage with a crew of sailors. (Ironically, he almost had a mutiny...)
What’s the name of the documentary?
As an Australian I grew up with the impression that Bligh was an ineffectual bully, an evil agent of the British monarchy who got what he deserved on HMS Bounty (by the way, she was HMS or HM Armed Vessel & was a Royal Navy vessel, having been purchased by the RN in 1787), and put in his place by the forward thinking John MacArthur (who was a complex but, ultimately, egocentric character, who used the falsehoods spread by the Bounty mutineers to excuse his defiance of Bligh). As I learned more (that wasn't filtered through the lens of republican teachers), I came to understand just how badly Bligh has been maligned by history. His biggest failings were being too kind, to reasonable and too trusting. If you want a villain in the Bounty mutiny, it is Fletcher Christian, who betrayed the man who had taken him under his wing and put him on his first steps up the naval promotional ladder because he had no ties to anyone or anything & found the beachcomber life style to his liking. Bligh's failure in Australia was not so much of his making as the government in Whitehall's, as he was sent to the colony to pull the only military force in New South Wales back into line with out the authorisation or funding for a military force of his own. He was set up to lose. His replacement as Governor of New South Wales was Lachlan Macquarie, a General in the British Army, who arrived with a not insignificant force of regular soldiers to back his demands - and even he failed to achieve all of his goals.
To sum it up, Bligh was a man with largely 20th Century sensibilities in the brutality of the 18th Century.
Please do General John J. Pershing! The only living American general to hold the rank of General of the Armies (6-star rank) Though he never wore more than 4 stars on his uniform. The only other person to hold this rank was posthumously and it is George Washington.
I second this!!!
Also they should do Smedley Butler and talk about the Business Plot.
Chem: Dear My Good Sir, or Ma'am, please allow me to second your choice of topic. General of the Armies John J. Pershing is an excellent topic.
I know when you say "The only person to hold this rank (while alive)", you meant only the army.
The only person to receive this rank posthumously was Gen. George Washington. However, Gen. Pershing was not the only living flag officer to have worn 6 stars.
Admiral of the Navies George Dewey wore 6 stars.
I thought they already did
Yes
Future Video suggestion -
Eamon DeValera (1882-1975) - prominent political leader in 20th century Ireland who, after the Irish war of independence from 1919 to 1921, was in the public eye for over forty years from 1922 until his death were he served as head of government (Taoiseach) and head of state (president). He was nearly executed in the Easter Rising in 1916 and was key in putting into place the new constitution on 1937. A very prominent figure in Irish history.
He seems to be a personification of the phrase "No good deed goes unpunished."
Could you do an Episode on Toyohiko Kagawa?
He was a Japanese Christian Pacifist who opposed the Empires actions during WWII.
We rarely talk about the Atrocities committed by Japan during this time. We talk about the Japanese People who Stood up to those atrocities even less so.
I believe this man has earned a Video about his life.
Yes! That would be wonderful. I read my Dad’s copy of a biography of Kagawa
In the back of the book he had glued 2 tickets to a speech Kagawa gave in Portland, Oregon. He thought of Kagawa as a saint.
I actually suggested this after I watch Simon's video about The Bounty last week. My comment: "William Bligh definitely deserves the Biographics treatment!"
Dang his Blazement elves are fast!
All his writers are in fact; Elves.. that way you can fit more of them in a basement...
He treats them better than Santa.
Another chap who might be a good video subject - "Captain" Arthur Phillip, who commanded the First Fleet in 1788 and was the first governor of NSW during the grim early years when the colony nearly starved.
On a walking tour in Bath, I discovered he is better known in the UK as "Admiral" Phillip. We saw the outside of his former home in Bath, where apparently he died by throwing himself from a third-story window.
The Bounty is one of my favorite movies, Anthony Hopinks and Mel Gibson were fantastic, We even had a young Liam Neeson and Daniel Day Lewis
I gotta watch that one. I saw Mutiny on the bounty but I’m curious about The bounty.. in color.
As a Plymothian ,Hopkin's Accent is pretty much spot on. The best interpretation of a troubled man in a difficult situation
@@mashbury
He nailed the part
You realise Liam neeson is 4 years older than Mel Gibson... Hardley a young neeson aha 4 years older than Gibson and 5 older than day Lewis
@@matthoward7645
He was 32 that's pretty young compared to being 70 now, Unless people who are 32 is considered old these days?
0:45 - Chapter 1 - Early years
4:35 - Chapter 2 - The bounty
7:25 - Chapter 3 - The voyage to tahiti
10:20 - Mid roll ads
11:45 - Chapter 4 - Mutiny on the bounty
15:15 - Chapter 5 - The rum rebellion
Very useful
I don’t care what you say the fact that that man made it back to England is the most unparalleled seat of navigational brilliance shown by anyone that I can think of you would’ve put your money on the bounty, and he does not get enough respect for that feat!!
Biographies that you have criminally overlooked so far:
Classical composers:
- Ludwig van Beethoven
- J.S. Bach
- Antonio Vivaldi
Gods/iconic figures:
- Michael Jackson
- Babe Ruth
Chess legends:
- Gary Kasparov
- Bobby Fischer
Painters:
- Gustav Klimt
- Marcel Duchamp
Architects/builders:
- Gustav Eiffel
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Le Corbusier
- Antonio Gaudi
- Buckminster Fuller
Writers:
- Léon Tolstoï
- Fiodor Dostoïevski
- Homer
- Sophocles
- Victor Hugo
- Jules Verne
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Miguel de Cervantes
- John Steinbeck
- Dante Alighieri
Philosophers/theologists:
- René Descartes
- Confucius
- Emmanuel Kant
- John Locke
- Voltaire
- Jean Calvin
Scientists:
- Max Planck
Dictators:
- Nicolae Ceausescu
- Manuel Noriega
Explorers:
- Zheng He
- Vasco da Gama
- John Cabot
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Hernán Cortés
Other:
- Anne Frank
- Caterina de' Medici
- Cesare Borgia
Captain Bligh was..... a commander, plain and simple. The movie Master & Commander gives you some idea of the weather you could face rounding the tip of South America, and what life aboard a ship of that era was like. He didn't need to be loved, but he had to be respected. It was his duty to assemble and drill a crew to safely transit the globe in an era where help was not available. Heck, many sailors preferred to not know how to swim because if you fell overboard, the ship might not be able to turn around and rescue you. Better a swift drowning than treading water for hours or days.
On land, as on sea, he did what he believed was the best way to safely carry out his orders. Perhaps he was too much English Oak and not enough supple Willow, refusing to bend when it would have been the more charitable course of action, but this could have been a two-way street. Had the crew been less derelict in their duties and responsibilities, and been more due diligent, then Bligh could have been in a better position to reward them with more liberties.
Captain Bligh was a good captain who ended up being poorly remembered.
The HMS Bounty mutineers *might* have done the right thing in their eyes, but for the wrong reasons, and then hung themselves by not sailing straight for England. By going into hiding, they ruined their credibility.
We were very fortunate to have our honeymoon in Tahiti, staying at Moorea and Bora Bora and the place truly is paradise on earth and the people so genuinely warm and friendly, it isn't too hard to imagine the sailors reluctance to leave the place.
I grew up near where Fletcher Christian was born, nice to hear more background.
I'd say the real villain of the story was the British Empire that kept giving Bligh impossible tasks to accomplish.
i found this edition truly fascinating man.
Simon, do a story about Pitcairn Island.
oh god. 0-0 I am related to every single person there. thats how... uh... closely they kept the families
I would love to see you do a video on Francis Marion (Swamp Fox). He was one of the lesser known Revolutionary War Heros and helped to defeat the British in the Carolinas.
My dad used to tell me the story of Captain Bligh, but I was young and didn’t get all the details. I remember that he said that Bligh was an amazing navigator.
Bligh was very much misrepresented and was a man of great ability and in his time was better than most of his era and must be seen in the light of the times.
It seems like Bligh was a capable officer. And tried to be a fair (if strict) man. He was tame compared to other Royal Navy captains.
And he pulled off a miracle after the mutiny.
There are few things better than looking up a topic I’ve developed an interest in and seeing that my favorite RUclipsr Simon has done a video on it!
What Bly was, was a man promoted one stage too far. The Bounty was his first Royal Naval command. So, he's in ultimate command with no superior and no brake. The result was he was not a reliable commander. In fact, he veered wildly between being the crew's friend and being over harsh. Which meant that the crew never knew what the rules were from day to day. Accounts of the navy from that period show that a crew would would put up with a LOT, as long as the rules were consistent. But Bly wasn't . Lax one day, harsh the other. It's worth pointing out that when BLY was later made governor of New South Whales later, he sparked mutiny amongst the officers under him, and for the same reasons.
You need to do more study on the subject! Reading one book or article is like seeing the Hollywood version. Having spent a few years in the merchant Navy, including visiting Pitcairn and Tahiti, and reading many books on the subject, Bligh ( read spelling!) was an incredible Navigator, misaligned by the Admiralty, and was more lenient than Captain Cook.
@@davidmacmahon7964 which "one book or article" have I read in particular. I'll stand by my comments on what made Bligh a poor commander.
@@davidmacmahon7964 which "one book or article" have I read in particular. I'll stand by my comments on what made Bligh a poor commander.
Some of the telling motivations behind the mutiny may be extrapolated from what took place on Pitcairn Island and one of the key reasons why when discovered only a single brit remained albeit 20 years later. I believe it was American whalers that located the brit and tahitians there. Folks from Pitcairn still carry the surnames of the mutineers.
Here's my call ... usually you'll find a pattern of behavior throughout a career that would give hint to someone who abuses power, and is tyrannical.
By what had been laid out he seems rather calm and even keeled. Not someone who would go on to be mutinied
He really was a nice guy!
You should try Breadfruit when you get the chance, boiled, roasted or fried it’s beautiful but it took us being those of us a few generations to get around to eating it as it wasn’t part of our original diet. Breadfruit was brought to the Caribbean as a cheap alternative food for the enslaved Africans !
Nice video - could have done with a bit more about Christian's role (some claim he had a personality clash with Bligh which drove him over the edge), and the role of the family of Peter Heywood (one of the mutineers and whose family were dyed in the wool Navy establishment and wanted to save him), in rubbishing Bligh's name.
Most iconic lines from Simon
- Empire
- The world at his/her feet
- He/she indulged in
- There would nobody quite like him/her
- This video is brought to you by squarspace
- Thank you for watching
*Your welcome*
But the x, it was y
I agree with the quite widely-held view that it was the sudden change from the easy life in Tahiti back to the hard work, boredom and lousy diet aboard ship that was the catalyst for the mutiny.
I don't believe it was anything that Bligh did - I think the crew could have had Santa as their captain and they would *still* probably have mutinied!
Incidentally, I'm distant cousins to Fletcher Christian. (7th cousins). My cousin waged a mutiny against Bligh.... lol
Another perfect companion piece to a recent TIFO that was specifically about the mutiny
The book I read claimed the phrase "Cape Horn Fever" another term for Malingering was started on The Bounty
on Bligh's famous journey Christian started all the problems and led the mutiny.
All hail to Captain Bligh
Maybe a video about the whaleship Essex in the future? Some interesting characters on that voyage.
Everything I have read has led me to believe Bligh is one of the most unjustly maligned figures in history. If he were alive today, he could bankrupt a couple movie studios for defamation.
Anna Bligh, a descendant of Captain Bligh, was Queensland Premier, 2007-12.
Also, a recent Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has the middle name Bligh. From Wikipedia: "The use of Bligh as a male middle name is a tradition in the Turnbull family. It is also Turnbull's son's middle name. One of Turnbull's ancestors was colonist John Turnbull, who named his youngest son William Bligh Turnbull in honour of deposed Governor William Bligh at the time of the Rum Rebellion."
Captain Bligh may be best known in Australia through the image you showed of him hiding under the bed when the redcoats came to capture him during the Rum Rebellion.
In Yr8 history class over 40 years ago, we had to study and copy that picture.
So interesting! You know, I studied Pitcairn Island and the descendants of Fletcher Christian and the recalcitrant crew of the Bounty. I think the descendants were relocated to one or two other islands (New Zealand is coming to mind). There were population issues regarding in breeding as well as other health problems. They were really attempting to survive on their own with an exquisite number of challenges. I studied Bioarchaeology in grad school and the Bounty's Pitcairn Island population is an isolated, interbreeding population...therefore studied frequently for use as a control group. The crew of the Bounty really had quite a hard life on Pitcairn.
Captain Cook is really interesting too. Defleshing, polishing and bundling the skeletal material is considered a burial of honor in ancient Hawaii. So, even though the Hawaiians killed Capt. Cook, they did consider him the "Chief" if his tribe. Often, the Hawaiian royalty in antiquity would have a kahuna take the bundled bones and place them in a lava cave. When the Kahuna returned from burying the remains, The Hawaiian royalty would then kill the Kahuna so the location of the burial could not be discovered. Basically, they thought one could absorb mana (energy) from warriors or Kings if they killed them or interacted with their remains. If none knew where Cook's remains were, they couldn't absorb his energy.
Go to nordvpn.com/bio to get a 2-year plan plus an extra gift with a huge discount!
I like the title. Short, sweet, and to the point. It doesn't set any expectations for the video, just let's the story play out
Breadfruit, still one of Jamaica's most important foods till this day.
Great content and beautifully presented thank you for you're time and effort you put into making this video ❤
what fells me he was no tyrant was the fact so many of his men wanted to go w him that he had to leave a few behind on the ship if be was a tyrant he'd have had plenty of room on that lifeboat
Well, i have to side with Captain Bligh, he just a great captain with conincidentally wrong crew.
I don’t think “William Bligh” is gonna catch the algorithm
William Bligh
Fletcher Christian was signed on as Master's Mate and didnt become 1st mate until Christian was promoted to Master and thus, 1st mate during the voyage. Bligh was only a Leutenant and was assigned a ship to command that was in accordance with his rank. Leutenant, Commander, Captain, Post Captain. Only a full post captain gets a ship of the line. Lieutenants are lucky to have a command at all and were usually assigned as only commanders of Cutters or acting captain of a prize crew.
I love how Simon outcha with the suit jacket 🤣🤣🤣
I have literally watched every one of the videos on this channel & followed this channel for years. I love all the work you guys put into the videos. This is one of the best channels on video! I have one request can you please do Abraham Lincoln at some point? Thankyou and I will continue to support you guys.
Thanks so much! I really appreciated this one
Random post but I've used a few of your sponsers now, and I gotta say... Great job at only promoting quality products! I feel like I can trust your judgement going forward after testing the waters with a few of them
@biographics I think you should do one on the Borgia’s Pope Alexander IV and his some Cesare
Hello A Norfolk islander and decentent of fletcher Christian here to say; You summarised that very well XD I have been told this story my whole life but it never painted bligh in this light!!! (I was taught he was a coward... go figure? some beef lasts generations) I don't know if you were skipping minor details, but John Adams was actually initially pardoned because he changed his name and lied... us islanders also think he is the one who shot Fletcher, oh he also most definitley killed his wife I believe... But I would love to hear a mentioning of Mauatua aka Mamiti (I don't know her english name I think it might be Lizzie?)
what the hell Simon I was watching that Singapore video & it went down
Both films are good and very entertaining, even if they're inaccurate in different ways. What I think would be good is a Mini series adaption. More scenes about the events that talk place on the arduous voyage to Dutch Timor and ofc the rocky early start in the Pitcairn Islands. I would say both events are more interesting than the actual mutiny itself.
I'm related to this guy apparently. Explains a lot about my dad's attitude😁
I’m wondering if you all would ever be willing to do one on Governor George Wallace? I think his trip from moderate to the face of segregation, his presidential campaign and assassination attempt, all the way back to moderate is an interesting story. Just how chasing the vote and populism can change someone for the worse.
Nice idea @joseph k'meyer
Good video 👍
Interestingly a new book, Men Without Country, has just come out about the Bounty mutineers, written by Harrison Christian, a descendant of Fletcher Christian, telling their side of it. The debate over how bad Bligh was and how right (or wrong) the justifications of the mutineers were continues centuries on!
What happened to your Lee Kuan Yew video?
Marquis de Sade please!
His house is near the British Military Museum. There is a blue plaque on the house.
Requesting richard p feynman
I earnestly believe that Capt Bligh being portrayed as a tyrant by the mutineers, It made it easier for others to mutiny against him because they had a pre-published excuse to fall back on. It didn't help that some of the mutineers from the Bounty were given pardons. Being a well-known figure of his time, many would have made up a preconceived opinion of Capt Bligh.
according to the movie "The Bounty" which starred Mel Gibson as Fletcher Christian and Anthony Hopkins as Bligh, the main reason behind the mutiny was the fact that fresh water was rationed to keep the breadfruit plants alive, to the detriment of the crew.
Love all the channels u do fact boy…never do comments but Cecil Rhodes? As a recommendation?
Brando: Im in command of this ship! If any man doubts that lemme hear his voice!
I always confuse Trevor Howard with Gordon Jackson
Let's go watching now
Everyone talks about the mutiny on the Bounty, but the mutiny on the Hermione was far more interesting and less heard of.
Ceausescu when?
Also the Hermione Mutiny, as well.
Funny how all other biographics videos are titled starting with the subject's name followed by an epithet, but this one straight up gives only the subject's name and nothing else.
Great Video, could you please cover Juan Ponce de León, Thanks.
The mutiny occured because Bligh went totally insane and wanted to take on Simon Whistler who was circumnavigating the earth in a rowboat. The crew knew this meant certain death and to preserve their lives Captain Bligh had to go. The Mutiny most certainly saved their lives of the crew with Mr. Whistler on the high seas and they hid in Tahiti to avoid getting in Mr. Whistler's way.
must be the luckiest man that ever lived through 3 mutinies,
That's one hell of a life!
Great RUclips clip. Just finished reading mutiny on the bounty by Peter Fitzsimons on audible with my ears. Audible rocks, but I'm definitely picking up a physical copy from Frugal Muse in Darien Illinois the next time I go there. Support your local bookstore. One of the most interesting and captivating books I've read on Audible in the last year. It's even better than the reviews on audible. Read the reviews. It will be one of the most interesting books you've ever read.
Please do Copper Reed!!!
Do you mean Chopper Reed, the Aussie criminal?
@@lilymarinovic1644 Sure do
I wish Simon would make a video on George Marshall, he had a very interesting
I heard bly is responsible for" shell backing"
Simon makes learning fun.if we buy his cereal
Could you do an episode on John Adam’s?
"From now on there'll be no more Grogg and no more shore leave you will become seamen again"
Aha haa aha haaa....
Interesting channel
might wanna change the title
It would be nice to see more on the explorers that made up the age of exploration. Vasco de gama and Hong Bao to name two.....
I could be wrong, but wasn’t this a Treehouse of horror episode in the Simpsons? Well the mutiny part
Interesting sailor of the high seas! 🌊 Another in Britain's top 100! 🇬🇧
We sail the ocean blue and our saucy ships a beauty ! 🎶
We're sober men and true and attentive to our duty! 🎶
He was also born in Cornwall.
maybe he had that well known accent? 😁
Arrrr!
Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job
It came out 3 minutes ago, how did you watch it already
"He had a face that just made you want to mutiny" 🤔
The movie, "Muntiny on the Bounty" painted a horrible picture of Captain Bligh. After a couple documentaries, notably from PBS and NPR, seems Captain Bligh was somewhat rehabilitated.
so, this is the rebranded mutiny on the Bounty Highlight History episode from a few days ago?
Mr. William Bloody Bligh
I'm sorry I couldn't concentrate on the bio because of that GIANT pinkish purple eye looking at me the whole bloody time.
Hi Simon, can you please do a Biographic on Nestor Makhno, leader of the Ukrainian Anarchist Black Army at the end of WW1. He is a fascinating figure largely overlooked by history.
He is a personal hero of mine.
Please do General Pershing.
Please do Josephine Bakhita.
He's in Britain. He'd probably get beheaded on his way to his car if he tried to cover Pershing. The asswhooping that red blooded American killing machine laid down on those flip boy lovers was so thorough that the very name inspires shame in the modern moor.
Simon you just talked about this on another channel!!!!
I always wondered if this was a true story. My mom read this to me when I was a kid
Could you do videos on Edgar Casey and Arthur C. Clark?