Nautical Term: Shanghaied

Definition of Shanghaied

Shanghaied is the term used to describe the practice of forcibly recruiting crew members for long voyages. This unsavory practice emerged due to the difficulty of securing a full crew for extended journeys. Once a hapless seafarer had been overpowered and coerced aboard ship, he would regain consciousness to find himself shackled and bound for some distant and often remote port, such as Shanghai. Therefore, a Shanghaied individual is one who is forcibly recruited against his will.

Example: During the late 1800s, the demand for labor in the Pacific islands was immense. Desperate ship captains would often resort to forcibly recruiting crew members, a practice known as Shanghaied. One such unfortunate seafarer was James, a young man from England, who had been enticed aboard ship with the promise of a well-paid position as a crew member. However, once James had been lulled into a false sense of security by the warm and welcoming demeanor of the ship’s captain and crew, he was suddenly and without warning, overpowered and bound, leaving him

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