The Brief History of Piracy

For a more detailed history click the link below.

Many people have been enamored with pirates.  I for one am among the lot.  There have been countless books on the subject, movies, songs, video games.  You name it.  It really makes me think "Why do we all love pirates so much?"  Some few hundred years from now are there going to be people going to be devoting time and effort learning and writing about today's criminals?  I think so.  There are many books and movies today about the 1920's organized crime.  Some element of human kind feels romantic about the rebellion and free will demonstrated by the pirates of old.  The open sea, the salty air, the disregard for social norms.  Let's look into what we love about the buccaneers. 

The Golden Age of Piracy started in the 15th century with the discovery and colonization of the new world. Technology developed allowing for more accurate ship travel causing all of main European countries to begin colonizing the new lands.   As sea routes became for pronounced and highly traveled, ships began waging wars for control of the main routes. Early on in the rush to the new world Spain gained the advantage and occupied an early hold on the Americas and it's many resources. The English, French and Dutch soon began the fight for the new world. Ships traveling from the new land carrying treasure and resources back to their home country were often attacked in the well known trade routes.  Country leaders sponsored vessels to attack ships that belonged to warring countries.  These men were known as Privateers.  It is a form of "legal" piracy.  Toward the end of the 17th century England and France gained the power of the trade routes and the colonization of the new land.  Trade between countries as well as ships traveling between the colonies and their mother country increased.  As the amount of treasure, goods and skilled sea men increased, the pirates of the golden age were born.

 

Pirate crews were made up of any number of men from varying sources.  Some were once slaves, other Navy men, tired of the harsh life aboard a navy vessel.  Others were captured in raids on trade ships.   During the 17th century the pirates operated mainly in the
Caribbean area.   Towns like Port Royal and Tortuga became pirate havens.  Port Royal was known at times to be governed by pirates
such as Captain Kidd.   As piracy gained men and momentum, the
countries effected by the loss of trade vessels began a vigorous campaign to rid themselves of the thieving murderous pirates.  They begin utilizing their fastest, largest navy vessels to hunt and capture
(or simply sink) any known pirates.  Trade vessels began running heavily armed or guarded by escort gunner ships.  The pirates began declaring enemies of their own countries and became more fowl and
vicious.  Pirate banners began to display gruesome images of beheading, pacts with the devil and other scenes to frighten ships into an early surrender.

During this time many pirates were hunted down and hung.  The public display of hung or beheaded pirates served as a warning to
others not to follow the way of the pirates.  Over the next century as the trade ships became more heavily armed and the loss became too great for the pirates the numbers of swash bucklers began to diminish.  Piracy still exists today, in many different forms, and
will probably continue, but when people think of the classic pirate, they will most likely think of the pirates of the golden age.

Pirate Information Categories

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