2. Captain Bligh Was an Inspirational Hero
In popular culture, Captain William Bligh (1754 – 1817) is the epitome of a tyrannical boss and cruel commanding officer. As portrayed in cinematic and fictional accounts of the mutiny on the Bounty, Bligh was an overbearing and despotic captain. He reportedly overworked, mistreated, and insulted his men, and was a sadist who gratuitously punished any who triggered his insecurities by flogging them to within an inch of their lives.
In reality, when viewed within the context and norms of his era, Bligh was a decent ship commander. He was no teddy bear, and frequently subjected his men to tongue lashings, but so did most captains back then. However, when it came to actual physical lashings, his men were flogged less frequently than were their peers sailing under other captains: Bligh preferred to chastise his crew verbally, instead of physically.
Also, unlike many captains of his day who neglected their crews’ wellbeing, Bligh invested significant time and effort in keeping his ship’s company healthy. He organized their shifts to ensure that they got plenty of rest, oversaw a daily exercise regimen, and saw to it that they got as highly nutritious a diet as was possible under the circumstances.
That his men eventually mutinied had little to with unbearable conditions or an impossible captain. The mutiny came about because, after an extremely long journey, the men had spent several weeks on leave in the tropical island paradise of Tahiti, partying it up with local women. When they finally sailed back home, the jarring contrast between the dreary ship life and the paradise they had left behind was too much, so they mutinied, ditched Bligh, and returned to Tahiti.
Bligh’s conduct after the mutiny was actually inspirational. After seizing the Bounty, the mutineers placed Bligh and 17 other sailors loyal to him on a 23 foot boat, gave them provisions for five days, and cast them adrift. Seeing as how they were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from civilization, Bligh and his followers were left to die. Instead, he demonstrated brilliant leadership under adversity. Bligh kept his men alive and navigated the dinky boat nearly 4000 until they reached civilization, all the while battling thirst, hunger, illness, and the occasional hostile natives. It was one of the most extraordinary feats of seamanship in history.