Pirates Plunder and the Metric System

 Here is a twisted tale of how pirates raiding a ship in the Caribbean in Sea caused hundreds of years of ongoing disorder in world trade. 

In the 1793 a man named Joseph Dombey was crossing the Atlantic with a rather small set of objects. These were carefully packed and protected within a sturdy 3-inch by 3-inch copper cylinder, with a little copper carrying handle on top. This man, and his little copper case, were intended to be presented to none other than Thomas Jefferson, a founding father, the then Secretary of State, and future President, of the United States of America. 

Unfortunately, during the crossing of the Atlantic, a fierce storm blew the ship, sailing under a French flag, well off course and deep into the  Caribbean. 

The ship, it’s cargo, and its French emissary to the United States with his little copper canister fell into some trouble, and were boarded by English Privateers – also known as pirates.

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