Golden Age of Piracy facts for kids
| 1650s–1730s | |
A 1920 painting of Blackbeard's final battle against Robert Maynard in 1718
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The Golden Age of Piracy was a time between the 1650s and 1730s. During this period, piracy on the seas was a big part of history in the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
This exciting time for pirates is often divided into three main parts:
- The Buccaneering Period (around 1650 to 1680): During this time, English and French sailors, often based in Jamaica and Tortuga, attacked Spanish colonies and ships in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
- The Pirate Round (1690s): This period involved long journeys from the Americas to steal from ships in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. These targets included Muslim ships and those belonging to the East India Company.
- The Post-Spanish Succession Period (1715 to 1726): After the War of the Spanish Succession ended, many sailors and privateers (who were like legal pirates working for a government) lost their jobs. A large number of them then became pirates in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, along the North American coast, and off the coast of West Africa.
The way we imagine pirates today, with their adventurous lives and hidden treasures, comes mostly from this Golden Age of Piracy.
Many things helped piracy grow during this time. More valuable goods were being shipped across huge oceans to Europe. Also, European navies were smaller in some areas, making it easier for pirates to attack. Many sailors had also gained lots of experience in navies, especially the British Royal Navy. Plus, some governments in European colonies overseas were not very strong or were corrupt, which allowed piracy to thrive.
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Why Was It Called the Golden Age of Piracy?
The idea of a "Golden Age" for pirates first appeared in books in the late 1800s. Historians like John Fiske used the term to describe a time when piracy was at its peak. He said it lasted from about 1650 to 1720.
Over time, some historians narrowed this period down, saying it was much shorter. For example, some believed the true "Golden Age" was only from 1714 to 1722. However, more recently, other historians have gone back to the broader idea, agreeing that it stretched from the 1650s to around 1730. This longer view helps us understand how piracy connected different parts of the world and influenced how countries like Britain thought about their colonies.
A Look Back: Pirate History
Piracy often grew out of fights between European countries like Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and France. These countries were always competing for trade and new colonies. Most pirates during this era came from places like Wales, England, the Netherlands, Ireland, and France. Many joined because they were poor or couldn't find work, especially in crowded cities like London. Piracy offered a chance for quick wealth and power.
Buccaneers: Early Pirates (1650–1710)
The Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650. This was when major wars in Europe ended, allowing countries to focus on building their empires overseas. This meant more ships carrying valuable goods, creating many opportunities for pirates.
French buccaneers first settled on northern Hispaniola around 1625. They started as hunters but slowly became pirates. This happened partly because the Spanish tried to get rid of them and the animals they hunted. The buccaneers moved to the island of Tortuga, which was easier to defend. This move pushed them to rely more on pirating. A famous buccaneer named Pierre Le Grand was one of the first to attack Spanish ships carrying treasure back to Spain.
Piracy on Tortuga grew even more when the English took Jamaica from Spain in 1655. The English governors in Jamaica often gave "letters of marque" to buccaneers. These letters allowed them to legally attack enemy ships. The port of Port Royal in Jamaica became a popular place for pirates to sell their stolen goods. In the 1660s, the French governor of Tortuga also gave out similar permissions. These conditions made Caribbean buccaneering very strong. It reached its peak with Henry Morgan's Panama expedition in 1670, where Panama City was attacked and burned.
The Pirate Round: Long Journeys for Treasure (1693–1700)
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By the 1690s, many Anglo-American pirates started looking beyond the Caribbean for treasure. Several things led to this change. The end of the profitable teamwork between English Jamaica and French Tortuga was one reason. Also, a huge earthquake in 1692 destroyed Port Royal, which was a major market for pirates.
Governors in the Caribbean also started to crack down on piracy. They stopped giving out letters of marque so easily. Plus, many areas in the Spanish Main (the Spanish territories in mainland America) had been raided so many times that there wasn't much left to steal.
At the same time, some English colonies like Bermuda and New York were struggling for money. Merchants and governors there were willing to ignore or even support pirate voyages. One official even defended a pirate, saying it was "very harsh to hang people that brings in gold to these provinces."
The Indian Ocean became a very attractive target. India's economy was huge, producing valuable goods like silk and calico, which were perfect for pirates. There weren't many strong navies in the Indian Ocean, leaving local ships and those from the East India Companies open to attack. This led to the famous piracies of Thomas Tew, Henry Every, Robert Culliford, and William Kidd.
After the War: A New Wave of Pirates (1715–1726)
In 1713 and 1714, peace treaties ended the War of the Spanish Succession. This left thousands of sailors, including European privateers, without jobs. At the same time, trade ships crossing the Atlantic were booming. Many sailors, who were unemployed or worked in harsh conditions on merchant ships (including slave ships), were eager to become pirates. This gave pirate captains a steady supply of new crew members.
In 1715, pirates launched a big attack on Spanish divers trying to get gold from a sunken treasure ship near Florida. This pirate group included famous names like Henry Jennings, Charles Vane, Samuel Bellamy, Benjamin Hornigold, and Edward England. They succeeded in getting the treasure. However, the governor of Jamaica wouldn't let them spend their loot there. So, Hornigold, Jennings, and their friends set up their base in Nassau, on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas.
Nassau became a home for these pirates until Governor Woodes Rogers arrived in 1718. His arrival marked the end of the Republic of Pirates. Rogers offered pardons to pirates under the King's Act of Grace. Some, like Hornigold, accepted the pardon and became pirate hunters. Others, like Blackbeard, went back to piracy after being pardoned.
Trade across the Atlantic, known as the triangular trade, grew a lot in the 1700s. Ships sailed from Europe to Africa with goods, traded them for enslaved people, then sailed to the Caribbean to sell the enslaved people. Finally, they returned to Europe with goods like sugar and tobacco. This busy trade route became a rich target for pirates.
Many pirates during this time had been sailors in the Royal Navy, privateers, or merchant seamen. They knew how tough life at sea could be. Royal Navy sailors often had little food and suffered from sickness. This led some to leave the navy and become pirates.
Unlike other ships, pirate ships often had strict rules about how the crew should be treated. Pirate captains were usually voted into their position and had to follow rules. They were not treated better than the rest of the crew and were expected to show respect. This was very different from merchant captains, who often treated their crews badly. Many pirates had experienced these harsh conditions.
Because of this, pirate ships often had councils made up of all the crew members. These councils might make daily decisions or act as a court for problems. Outside of battle, crew members often had as much power as the captain. The captain only had full authority during a fight and could be removed if he showed cowardice. Pirates wanted to avoid the bad conditions found on navy or merchant ships.
Pirates Return to the Indian Ocean (1719–1721)
Between 1719 and 1721, pirates like Edward England, John Taylor, Olivier Levasseur, and Christopher Condent operated from Madagascar. Taylor and Levasseur captured the biggest prize in the Golden Age of Piracy. They plundered the Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora Do Cabo in 1721, stealing diamonds and other treasures worth a huge amount of money.
Condent was also successful, but England was not. He was left stranded on Comoros by Taylor and Levasseur in 1721 and died soon after. Despite the success of Taylor and Levasseur, the Pirate Round quickly declined again. Edward Teach, the famous "Blackbeard," died in a battle with Lieutenant Robert Maynard's navy ship.
Famous Pirates of the Golden Age
Many of the most well-known pirates come from this exciting time:
- "Black Sam" Bellamy: Captain of the Whydah Gally, he was lost in a storm in 1717. He was known as the "Robin Hood of pirates" because he believed his piracy was justified.
- Stede Bonnet: A rich landowner from Barbados who became a pirate just for adventure. He raided ships off the Virginia coast in 1717 and was later captured and hanged in 1718.
- Henry Every: One of the few major pirate captains who retired with his treasure without being caught or killed. He is famous for capturing the incredibly rich Mogul ship Ganj-i-Sawai in 1695.
- William "Captain" Kidd: Executed for piracy in London in 1701. He is famous for the "buried treasure" he supposedly left behind.
- Henry Morgan: A buccaneer who raided the Spanish and captured Panama City, burning it down. He was supposed to be executed but was instead knighted and made governor of Jamaica. He died peacefully in 1688.
- John "Calico Jack" Rackham: Famous for sailing with female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. He was captured and executed in 1720.
- Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts: Many consider him the most successful Western pirate ever, capturing over 400 ships.
- Edward "Blackbeard" Teach (Thatch): Active from 1716 to 1718, he is perhaps the most famous pirate in English-speaking countries. His most famous ship was the Queen Anne's Revenge. He was killed in battle in 1718.
- Charles Vane: A very violent pirate who served under Henry Jennings before starting his own crew. He was unpopular with his crew and was eventually left stranded, then captured and hanged in 1721.
- Benjamin Hornigold: An English pirate who helped create the Republic of Pirates and was a mentor to Blackbeard. He later accepted a royal pardon and became a pirate hunter.
- Amaro Pargo: A well-known Spanish corsair who controlled the shipping route between Cádiz and the Caribbean. Legends link him to piracy, hidden treasures, and romantic stories.
Female Pirates
The most famous female pirates were Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
Anne Bonny (1697–1721) became well-known in Nassau. She ran away with her lover, Calico Jack Rackham, because she couldn't leave her earlier marriage.
Mary Read had been disguised as a boy by her mother for most of her life and had served in the British military. She came to the Caribbean and joined Calico Jack's crew after he attacked a ship she was on. She first told only Bonny that she was a woman, but later revealed it to everyone.
When their ship was attacked in 1720, Bonny and Read were captured. Both women were found guilty of piracy and sentenced to death. However, they delayed their executions by saying they were pregnant. Read died in jail a few months later, possibly from a fever or problems after childbirth. Bonny's fate is unknown, as there are no records of her execution or childbirth.
Barbary Pirates: North African Raiders
The Barbary pirates were pirates and privateers who operated from ports in North Africa (the "Barbary coast"), such as Algiers and Tunis. They attacked ships in the western Mediterranean Sea and even ventured into the Atlantic, reaching as far north as Iceland.
These pirates were very active in the early 1600s. It's believed that between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by Barbary pirates and sold as slaves in North Africa between the 1500s and 1800s. Rich captives could buy their freedom, but poor ones were forced into slavery.
In 1627, Iceland was attacked in what became known as the Turkish Abductions. About 400 people were taken prisoner, and 242 were sold into slavery. The pirates only took young and healthy people.
While European and American piracy declined by the 1730s, the Barbary pirates continued to be strong until the early 1800s. The young United States refused to pay them tribute and fought the First Barbary War and Second Barbary War against them.
Privateers: Legal Pirates
Privateers were private individuals who fought in sea battles with official permission from their government. This permission came in the form of "letters of marque," which allowed them to raid enemy ships without being charged with piracy. Privateers had existed for a long time, even before the Golden Age of Piracy.
The Decline of Piracy
By the early 1700s, countries were growing tired of privateers. After the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, many trained sailors were left without jobs. This initially caused the number of pirates to grow a lot. However, more pirates meant more attacks on ships, which hurt trade for all European nations.
In response, European countries strengthened their navies to protect their merchant ships and hunt down pirates. The large number of skilled sailors who were unemployed also meant there were many people who could be recruited into national navies.
Piracy began to decline sharply by 1720. The Golden Age of Piracy did not last much longer.
By late 1718, with Governor Woodes Rogers arriving in Nassau, the pirates lost their safe base. With more pressure from naval forces, the pirates lost their power. The dream of Spanish treasures faded, and the hunters became the hunted. By early 1719, the remaining pirates were on the run. Many went to West Africa, attacking poorly defended slavers.
Pirates in Popular Culture
The stories and history from the Golden Age of Piracy are the basis for many modern ideas about pirates. A book called A General History of the Pirates (1724) by Captain Charles Johnson is a main source for the lives of many famous pirates from this time. This book probably added some exciting details to the stories of colorful characters like Blackbeard and Calico Jack.
Historian David Cordingly said that Captain Johnson "created the modern conception of pirates." Johnson's book influenced later pirate stories by writers like Robert Louis Stevenson (who wrote Treasure Island) and J. M. Barrie (who wrote Peter Pan). These stories, while romanticized, used many ideas from real pirates and their adventures.
Today, we often see even less accurate images of pirates, like those celebrated on "Talk Like a Pirate Day." However, these fun ideas only help to keep the romantic image of pirates, with their buried treasure and swashbuckler adventures, alive in popular culture.
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