[brocktice]

Ricket, scurvy, hepatitis, malaria, halitosis, scabies, and any number od venerial diseases. They got scurvy that was why they walked with their backs bent over and with a cane, they needed an apple a day to keep the doctor away-apples provided the nutrients that were essential for proper bones. Currently books on pirates are populaer-I'm writting one. One interesting disease that pirates sometime suuffered from was psittacosis, also known as parrot fever. It is a disease of parrots but can be transferred to humans by the inhalation of dust from dried parrot dung. Infected humans suffer from extremely high temperature leading to pneumonia and if untreated coma and death. And is also so deadly you only get this in hot places. more

[leopoldo78fa]

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[finn]

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It is painted by Andrew Wyeth, the youngest son of the famous N.C. Wyeth, the great illustrator of Treasure Island. Andrew’s teacher was his famous father and he gained an impressive national reputation as a great artist apart from his father. In his painting, The Landing Party ca. 1930, rendered in ink on paper, Wyeth depicts two pirates dragging their skiff on a Florida sandy beach. The black and white image shows several typical Florida cabbage palms in the background and clouds gathering above them. The pirate who is walking away from his skiff appears to be dressed as if some type of captain with a long sword. The scene depicts a romantic version of pirates on a faraway beach, the type of image most of us have grown up with.

[denger]

From the children’s story, Treasure Island to the Disney property, Pirates of the Caribbean, pirates have captured our imaginations. We romanticize the stories with images of treasure hidden on sandy beaches among the coconut trees, tall ships sailing on wide-open oceans, and freedom from the rigors of society. The romance of the pirates is strong but take the time to delve into the real history of pirates and you will find a fascinating history that is different from that of Hollywood. It is a history tied to international politics woven in an emerging global sea trade and is definitely part of Florida’s unique history.

[DrWatson]

Henry Jennings
The story of the pirate Henry Jennings is remarkable as he is one of the few pirates that actually acquired treasure, and lots of it. In 1715, the Spanish Crown was desperate for money to fund years of on-going wars. The Spanish king ordered the Spanish treasure fleet to set sail from Cuba in August despite the threat of hurricane season. As the fleet neared Cape Canaveral, a hurricane smashed it against the Florida coast. The ships, carrying jewels, gold, and silver, were torn apart in the shallow waters from Port St. Lucie to Melbourne Beach. The royal treasure now sat in shallow water a mere 100 yards offshore. As the survivors tried to get word back to Cuba, the rumors began to spread throughout the Caribbean of the wrecked treasure fleet. [links]

[DJFC]

Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) Paris, Plan Du Port De St. Augstine Dans La Floride,
from Jacques Nicolas Bellin, Petit Atlas Maritime, 1704 [links]

[bc343336]

Join MOAS Senior Curator of Education and History, Zach Zacharias, in the Root Family Auditorium for a look at the real-life of pirates. The fictional pirate stories you heard while growing up are based on real pirates, and Florida has its share! Florida has a long history of pirates who attacked St. Augustine or operated off its coast. Learn about the real history of the Caribbean pirates and how they became part of Florida's history.

[Alcoholocaust]

Sir Francis Drake
One of the first notorious pirates to attack east Florida was Sir Francis Drake who became an English celebrity in his day. Unlike many later pirates, he was an accomplished seaman and navigator, and the first captain to sail around the globe who lived to tell the tale (Ferdinand Magellan was killed before he completed his circumnavigation). The Spanish saw Drake, whom they called the Sea Dragon, as the most ruthless pirate that ever lived. In 1586, while returning back to England on the swift gulfstream current, Drake heard rumors of a tiny outpost on the Spanish frontier in La Florida. After spotting a wooden watchtower on today’s Anastasia Island, he attacked the military outpost with a vengeance. He destroyed the wooden fort, confiscated the soldiers’ pay box, burned every standing building, and stole everything he could lay his hands on. By the time he left, St. Augustine was leveled to the ground. Most of the Spanish citizens survived by escaping into the woods and seeking refuge with the local Timucuan Indians. more