Golden Age Of Piracy Research Paper

Pirates are a major contribution to our history today, and they continue to be to this day. There have been numerous counts of pirate outbursts throughout time but the most notable one was early in the 18th century known as The Golden Age of Piracy. This was a time in which pirates were most influential and at times overwhelming. The major trade routes of the seas were impacted by large pirate ships trying to rob anyone or anything that crossed their path. The main reason for this major happening was the lack of naval employment and also the fact that many wars were coming to an end at the time. Sailors and other privateers were left unemployed and with nothing else to turn to they were forced to make a living off of stealing and therefor found …show more content…
This period lasted for about 250 years and started soon after Columbus’s discovery. The first major period of this time was called the Buccaneering Period. Spain signed a treaty in 1630 which stated that the English and French were allowed to have some of the land along the Spanish Main. Hispaniola (present day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) was the hotspot for these European settlers. These settlers were soon to become the Buccaneers. They got their name from Buccans, or open fires that they would roast their pig on, since wild pig was one of the few main food sources for the island. The Spanish felt threatened by the fact that so many buccaneers were living on their land. As a result, they sent people to kill their main food source, the pigs. With their food supply quickly running out, the buccaneers had no other choice than to turn to piracy to meet their needs. Off the coast of Hispaniola, there was an island of Tortuga, this became a pirate stronghold (Krystek). In order to get water, or trade for supplies, English ships would stop here. They would also recruit men off the island for privateer …show more content…
He was born in 1635 in Wales and joined a pirate crew from Tortuga when he was just a teenager. After a while he decided to outfit his own ship with a few others. He became the captain of the boat and had many successful raids. He became very rich and famous very fast among the buccaneering fleet. The governor of Jamaica heard that the Spanish planned to attack the island he wrote Morgan a letter offering him a job as a privateer, but only if he would attack the Spanish first. He agreed and his mission was a success. Later in his life he purchased a plantation in Jamaica, the king at the time was King Charles II. He became Deputy Governor of Jamaica but later died 1688 (Krystek). Sir Henry Morgan was lucky to end his career on a good note. Many pirates who tried to retire, were eventually caught and hung because they were a burden to society. But the torture doesn’t end there, their bodies were hung around the boat dock and left to rot in order to send a message to other sailors. Other pirates eventually died from disease or alcoholism

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