Civilized Pirates?

Most people think of pirates as bloodthirsty villains killing any who got in their way and stealing everything they could get their hands on. But did you know that pirates actually practiced an early form of democracy? Except in very rare cases (Such as the infamous Edward Teach, or Blackbeard as he is more commonly referred too), at any time the captain's captaincy could be bestowed upon another with a majority vote. Most pirates came from people who had been basically enslaved by press gangs, dragged from their homes, and forced to work in the British navy. They were promised pay, but when they returned home from their journeys they weren't given a penny. They were mistreated and beaten frequently on ships, so much that when weapons had to be moved the crew was locked up and the officers did the work themselves. No wonder they turned to piracy, it was the only way out.