![]() In addition, pirates typically went after easy targets such as merchant vessels armed with no more than a handful of cannons. The vast majority of pirates preferred something like a sloop, which was fast, highly manoeuvrable, and capable of sailing through shallows where larger naval ships could not follow. The Pirate ShipĪlthough novels and films often have pirates sailing large galleon-type ships, the reality during the Golden Age was rather different. Captain Samuel Bellamy died in relative anonymity in 1717 when his ship Whydah was sunk in a storm off Cape Cod, but his name has been revived following the underwater exploration of this wreck and its invaluable contribution to our knowledge of Golden Age pirates, their loot, and their ships. 1719) was notable for giving up piracy and becoming, instead, a pirate hunter for the governor of the Bahamas. Captain John Rackham (aka ' Calico Jack', hanged 1720) was a small-time pirate now famous for his crew members of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, as well as his Jolly Roger with its crossed cutlasses. Doubtless, these pirate captains were keen to create a legend about themselves that helped make sure a target vessel surrendered immediately and their own crews remained loyal.įinally, there are those pirates who were not particularly famous in their day but who have since grabbed the public’s imagination for one reason or another. Blackbeard (aka Edward Teach) wore black ribbons in his beard, carried six pistols, and had lit fuses under his hat whenever he went into battle. Bartholomew Roberts (aka 'Black Bart' Roberts) was famous for wearing a scarlet silk coat, a matching damask waistcoat, and a diamond necklace. While most pirates wore the clothing that any other type of mariner wore, the captains were more wont to make a fashion statement and wear the flashy apparel the gentry of the period sported. While some pirate crew members have gained fame (or infamy) in their own right, the names most strongly attached to the period are those of captains. There was still, though, a lack of firm governance and military protection so far from the home nation so that many ports and ships were easy targets for pirates who cared not for the consequences of their crimes. These were communities growing in size and wealth and with a corresponding increase in merchant shipping to serve them. Following the Age of Exploration, the European colonies beyond the Mediterranean were now blossoming. Men and some women were tempted into a life of piracy by the harshness of life at sea on a merchant or naval vessel - the vast majority of pirates were experienced seamen - or because they could not find meaningful employment following the end of the wars between England and France. The question remains why piracy flourished in this particular period. It is also important to note that piracy has been conducted since antiquity and is still ongoing in many parts of the world so that an insistence on specific time frames is inherently problematic: piracy, it seems, has neither a starting nor a finishing point. ![]() ![]() Here, then, in order not to omit certain points of interest pertinent to the subject of piracy, we will adopt a wider view and treat the 'Golden Age' as being approximately 1690 to 1730. ![]() The close of that century is the most common starting point of the Golden Age for scholars, but some would restrict it to the first two or three decades, or even only the second decade of the 18th century. Most historians would not include the period of the buccaneers who targetted the Spanish Main and treasure ships earlier in the 17th century (c. The 'Golden Age of Piracy' is rather an odd name to attach to a period when crime was rife, but this is of secondary concern to the problem of defining what exactly this period covers.
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