This document discusses potential governance models for autonomous space colonies based on historical examples. It describes challenges colonies may face due to isolation from Earth and limited resources. It analyzes the democratic and consensus-based social organization of 18th century pirates and the Mayflower Compact as precedents. The document suggests space colony residents may agree on a code of conduct and elect leaders, with punishments aimed at rehabilitation rather than imprisonment. Direct democracy is presented as a modern governance model for Mars.

1. A look at the Possible
Governance of Automatous
Space Colonies with a Historical
Perspective
A talk by Michal Franks LLB FBIS on
31st January 2017 for the British Interplanetary Society

2. Issues for Space Colonies
• Far from Earth
• Communications difficult delayed and almost impossible to have two
way conversation because of time delays
• Resources limited no easy way to obtain fresh supplies quickly
• Number of Persons in Colony Limited
• No clear chain of command
• Isolated from Earth
• Us and them situation which occurred even with Apollo Missions such
as Apollo 7

3. Command and Control
• If colony is military simple chain of command but may not be most
effective
• Colonies likely to be civilian and will contain individuals with many
specialism valuable to colony
• How do you operate with no clear authority

4. Historical Parallels
• There is a interesting parallel with 18th Century Pyrates!

5. Pirate Social Organisation
• Piracy presented an complex challenge
• A vessel or in some cases a fleet of vessels had to be maintained and
directed towards a target. The crew which had to have a large number of
skills had to worked together as a unit to ensure success in combat,
• How was this to be done?
• In conventual navy such as the Royal Navy the solution was a tight
command structure enforced by strict discipline enforced by floggings and
hangings
• As Winston Churchill said the great traditions of the Royal Navy were “Rum
Sodmy and the Lash”

6. The Pirate Approach
• Curiously the pirate solution was democracy.
• Each pirate was a freelancer. He was not pressganged into service.
• He chose to join a pirate company of his own free will apart from the usual
pressure of society and starvation
• A pirate company would form by agreement
• A Captain will be elected as would some of the other officers
• A Code of conduct would be draw up and agreed by all of the crew.
• The strange result was the fierce and much feared pirates formed a free
society far more liberties than the highly regulated sailors of the Royal
Navy. Indeed in contrast to colonial society racial divisions were unknown
and in some cases pirates of African descent served as Captains.

7. Pirates Articles

8. Form of Pirate Articles
• Life on board a pirate ship was regulated by the articles which
would have been drawn up and agreed to before the ship sailed
• Most of the pirate articles were destroyed after the voyage to remove
evidence of piracy but all at least four sets of articles survived.
• They were all different but they usually contained the following
provisions set out on the next slide

9. Elements of the Code of Pirates:
• - who was voted CAPTAIN, if the ship's owner was not among them to be in
charge...
- which AREA to sail in search of fortune...
- the TERMS and conditions of service clearly stated...
- the DIVISION of plunder among crew members...
A pirate captain and possibly the quartermaster (whose powers equaled or
surpassed those of the captain) might receive as much as two (sometimes
up to five!) shares of the loot taken, while the master gunner, boatswain,
and carpenter might receive 1 and3/4 shares. All others would receive 1
share or less.
- INTOLERABLE behaviors, such as fighting, gambling, open flame
- PUNISHMENT or disciplines for broken rules
- COMPENSATION for disabling injuries such as loss of eye, hand, arm, or
leg (losses of right hand or arm were compensated with more as more
pirates were right-handed)
• Each pirate would sign or make his mark and then swear an oath of honor
while his hand was on either a Bible, crossed pistols or a human skull, or
while sitting on a cannon.

10. Punishments under the Pirate Code
• Punishments for breaking the pirate's code were always swift and
rarely without exception, an attitude carried over from their previous
time aboard a sailing vessel. The quartermaster would deliver the
punishment determined by the captain or vote of the crew, which
might be legs in irons, flogging, or keel hauling. More serious crimes
were answered with marooning or death....though not walking the
plank!

11. Actual Example of Pirate Code
• Henry Morgan’s code Henry Morgan was a successful pirate and was twice temporary Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica
• I. Every man has a vote in affairs of moment; has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized, and may use them at
pleasure, unless a scarcity (not an uncommon thing among them) makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.
• II. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes because, (over and above their proper share) they were on these occasions allowed a
shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment. If the robbery
was only betwixt one another, they contented themselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty, and set him on shore, not in an
uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was sure to encounter hardships.
• III. No person to game at cards or dice for money.
• IV. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night: if any of the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do
it on the open deck.
• V. To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service.
• VI. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were to be found seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he
was to suffer death; (so that when any fell into their hands, as it chanced in the Onslow, they put a sentinel immediately over her to prevent ill
consequences from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel; but then here lies the roguery; they contend who shall be sentinel, which
happens generally to one of the greatest bullies, who, to secure the lady's virtue, will let none lie with her but himself.)
• VII. To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or marooning.
• VIII. No striking one another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on shore, at sword and pistol. (The quarter-master of the ship, when the
parties will not come to any reconciliation, accompanies them on shore with what assistance he thinks proper, and turns the disputant back to back,
at so many paces distance; at the word of command, they turn and fire immediately, (or else the piece is knocked out of their hands). If both miss,
they come to their cutlasses, and then he is declared the victor who draws the first blood.)
• IX. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared one thousand pounds. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or
become a cripple in their service, he was to have eight hundred dollars, out of the public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionately.
• X. The Captain and Quartermaster to receive two shares of a prize: the master, boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers one
and quarter.
• XI. The musicians to have rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six days and nights, none without special favour

12. Thoughts on Pirate Codes
• Very much product of their time
• Might provide useful precedent for Articles for a Space colony
• Not sure whether modern colonists would agree to articles which
contained a death penalty though conditions on a space colony might
not permit a punishment of long term imprisonment.
• If there were sufficient resources marooning or leaving a colonist on
his or her own on another part of the planet for a period might be a
better solution

13. Further Historical Parallel
• Mayflower Compact
• The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It
was written by the male passengers of the Mayflower, consisting of separatist
Congregationalists who called themselves "Saints", and adventurers and
tradesmen, most of whom were referred to by the Separatists as "Strangers“
• The Mayflower was originally bound for the Colony of Virginia, financed by the
Company of Merchant Adventurers of London. Storms forced them to anchor at
the hook of Cape Cod in what is now Massachusetts; it was unwise to continue
with provisions running short. This inspired some of the Strangers to proclaim
that, since the settlement would not be made in the agreed-upon Virginia
territory, they "would use their own liberty; for none had power to command
them."[4] To prevent this, the Pilgrims chose to establish a government. The
Mayflower Compact was based simultaneously upon a majoritarian model (taking
into account that women and children could not vote) and the settlers' allegiance
to the king. It was in essence a social contract in which the settlers consented to
follow the compact's rules and regulations for the sake of order and survival.

14. Modern Version of Mayflower Compact
• In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal
subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of
Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, defender of the Faith, etc.
• Having undertaken, for the Glory of God, and advancements of the
Christian faith and honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the
first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents,
solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one another, covenant
and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic; for our better
ordering, and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by
virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal laws,
ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be
thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony;
unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
• In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod
the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King
James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the
fifty-fourth, 1620.

15. Mayflower Compact

16. Elon Musk’s View
• Most likely the form of government on Mars would be a direct democracy, not
representative. So it would be people voting directly on issues. I think that’s
probably better, because the potential for corruption is substantially diminished
in a direct versus a representative democracy
• ReCode's Code Conference June 2016