[M.I.]

The Golden Age of Piracy lasted for thirty years from 1690 to 1720 and Nassau was at its heart. The era of piracy in the Bahamas began in 1696 when the privateer Henry Every brought his ship the Fancy loaded with loot from plundering Indian Empire trade ships into Nassau harbour. Henry Every bribed the Governor of The Bahamas Nicholas Trott with gold, silver and with the Fancy itself which was still loaded with 50 tons of elephant tusks and 100 barrels of gunpowder. This established Nassau as a base where pirates could operate safely, although various governors regularly made a show of suppressing piracy.

[Alex8844]

The pirates became increasingly powerful and the era of true pirate control occurred when a combined Franco-Spanish fleet attacked Nassau in 1703 and again in 1706. The island was effectively abandoned by many of its settlers and left without any English government presence. Nassau was then taken over by English privateers who became completely lawless pirates over time. The Bahamas were well-suited as a base of operations for pirates as its waters were too shallow for a large man-of-war but deep enough for the fast, shallow draft vessels favoured by pirates. From their snug harbour in Nassau they could employ their hit and run tactics to full effect and they devastated the merchant shipping that plied the trade routes just a short sail away. The pirates essentially established their own “Republic” with its own “governors” and their plundered booty forming the basis of a thriving community that attracted rogues, merchants and wild women from far and wide. It was said that when pirates slept, they did not dream of going to heaven but instead of returning to their favourite port of Nassau on New Providence Island. more

[melinamoore373]

By 1713 the War of the Spanish Succession was over but many British privateers were slow to get the news or reluctant to accept it and so slipped into piracy. This led to large numbers of unemployed privateers making their way to New Providence to join the “Republic” and swell its numbers. The “Republic” was dominated by two famous pirates who were bitter rivals – Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings. Hornigold was mentor to pirates such as the infamous Edward Teach, known as “Blackbeard”, along with Sam Bellamy and Stede Bonnet. Jennings was mentor to Charles Vane, “Calico” Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. Despite their rivalries, the pirates formed themselves into the “Flying Gang” and quickly became infamous for their exploits. The Governor of Bermuda stated that there were over 1,000 pirates in Nassau at that time and that they greatly outnumbered the 100 inhabitants of the city. Blackbeard was later voted by the pirates of Nassau to be their “Magistrate” and to be in command of their “Republic” and enforce law and order as he saw fit.

[ledskof]

Take a Caribbean vacation to the island of Barbados and have the holiday of a lifetime with these and other exciting activities:

[molecular]

Want to have some fun with modern day Pirates of the Caribbean?

[atti]

Bonnet sailed his pirate ship "Revenge" off the New England Coast, capturing and burning several ships, before returning to the Caribbean. Here he befriended perhaps the most famous of the pirates of the Caribbean - Blackbeard! here

[mdgdue222]

Sam Lord, one of the most creative pirates of the Caribbean region, would then plunder the ships!

[preventhrtattack1]

A retired British army major and well off plantation owner in Barbados, the middle aged Major Stede Bonnet suddenly turned to piracy in early 1717 and actually purchased his own pirate ship, an unheard of act among the pirates of the Caribbean! more

[jimmyrdavenport]

These two pirates of the Caribbean led unusual lives and live on in legend even today.

[kosovito]

When pirates got a new ship, by stealing one or by swapping their existing ship out for a better one belonging to their victims, they usually made some changes. They would mount as many cannons on the new ship as they could without significantly slowing her down. Six cannons or so was the minimum that pirates liked to have on board.

[enoxice]

In November of 1717, Blackbeard captured La Concorde, a massive French slaving ship. He renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge and refitted her, mounting 40 cannons on board. The Queen Anne's Revenge was one of the most powerful ships around at the time and could go toe-to-toe with any British warship. The ship ran aground (some say Blackbeard did it intentionally) in 1718 and sank. Researchers believe they have found it in the waters off of North Carolina. Some items, such as an anchor, bell, and spoon have been found and are displayed in museums. here

[Hiroe]

Cordingly, David. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1996 [links]

[yana]

Cawthorne, Nigel. A History of Pirates: Blood and Thunder on the High Seas. Edison: Chartwell Books, 2005. [links]

[Boytoat]

Morgan's exact date of birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been born sometime around 1635 in Monmouth County, Wales. He had two uncles who had distinguished themselves in the English military, and Henry decided as a young man to follow in their footsteps. He was with General Venables and Admiral Penn in 1654 when they captured Jamaica from the Spanish.

[tadcroz81]

Still, Morgan probably did more harm than good. He helped build Jamaica into a strong English colony in the Caribbean and was responsible for lifting England's spirits during an otherwise grim time in history, but he also was guilty of the death and torture of countless innocent Spanish civilians and spread terror far and wide on the Spanish Main.

[allinvain]

In times of peace, the privateers either took to outright piracy or more respectable trades such as fishing or logging. The English colony on Jamaica, a foothold in the Caribbean, was weak, so it behooved the English to have a large privateer force ready for times of war. Morgan excelled at privateering. His attacks were well-planned, he was a fearless leader, and he was very clever. By 1668 he was the leader of the Brethren of the Coast, a group of pirates, buccaneers, corsairs, and privateers.