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A painting depicting the era.
A painting depicting the era.

The Golden Age of Piracy is the common designation given the period roughly spanning from the 1650s to the 1720s. Events and trends Manufacture of the earliest surviving Pianos World leaders Louis XV King of France The decade of 1715-1725 experienced a substantial increase in the number of pirates operating throughout the Caribbean, the American coast, the Indian Ocean, and the western coast of Africa. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface It is also from this period that the modern conception of pirates as depicted in popular culture is derived.

During the early 18th century, many European and colonial American sailors and privateers found themselves unemployed. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping Factors contributing to piracy included the rise in quantities of valuable cargoes being shipped to Europe over vast ocean areas, reduced European navies in certain regions, the training and experience that many sailors had gained as conscripts in European navies (particularly the Royal Navy), and ineffective government in European overseas colonies. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

Contents

Origins

Some historians mark the beginning of the Golden Age of Piracy at around 1650, when the end of the Wars of Religion allowed European countries to resume the development of their colonial empires. The French Wars of Religion (1562 to 1598 between French Catholics and Protestants ( Huguenots involved both civil infighting This involved considerable seaborne trade, and a general economic improvement: there was money to be made—or stolen—and much of it traveled by ship.

In 1713, a succession of peace treaties was signed, known as the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession (also called 'Queen Anne's War'). Year 1713 ( MDCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A Treaty is an agreement under International law entered into by actors in international law namely States and International organizations. The Treaty of Utrecht that established the Peace of Utrecht, rather than a single document comprised a series of individual peace treaties signed in the Dutch In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714 several European powers combined to stop French succession to the Spanish throne and what would likely have been a resulting Queen Anne's War ( 1702 &ndash 1713) was the second in a series of four French and Indian Wars fought between France and England (later With the end of this conflict, thousands of seamen, including Britain's paramilitary privateers, were relieved of military duty. A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping The result was a large number of trained, idle sailors at a time when the cross-Atlantic colonial shipping trade was beginning to boom. In addition, Europeans who had been pushed by unemployment to become sailors and soldiers involved in slaving were often enthusiastic to abandon that profession and turn to pirating, giving pirate captains for many years a constant pool of trained European recruits to be found in west African waters and coasts.

Triangular trade

Trafficking on shipping lanes between Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe began to soar in the 18th century, a model that was known as triangular trade, and was a rich target for piracy. Triangular trade is a historical term indicating Trade between three ports or regions Trade ships sailed from Europe to the African coast, trading manufactured goods and weapons for slaves. The traders would then sail to the Caribbean to sell the slaves, and return to Europe with goods such as sugar and cocoa.

As part of the war's settlement, Britain obtained the asiento, a Spanish government contract, to supply slaves to Spain's new world colonies, providing British traders and smugglers more access to the traditionally closed Spanish markets in America. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 In the History of Slavery, asiento (or assiento, meaning " Assent " refers to the permission given by the Spanish government The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history This arrangement also contributed heavily to the spread of piracy across the western Atlantic at this time. Shipping to the colonies boomed simultaneously with the flood of skilled mariners after the war. Merchant shippers used the surplus of sailors' labor to drive wages down, cutting corners to maximize their profits, and creating unsavory conditions aboard their vessels. Merchant sailors suffered from mortality rates as high or higher than the slaves being transported (Rediker, 2004). Living conditions were so poor that many sailors began to prefer a freer existence as a pirate. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The increased volume of shipping traffic also could sustain a large body of brigands preying upon it.

Pirates of the era

Blackbeard's severed head hanging from Maynard's bowsprit
Blackbeard's severed head hanging from Maynard's bowsprit

Many of the most well known pirates in historical lore originate from this Golden Age of Piracy.

Female pirates

Women entered the career of piracy as well (most usually disguised as men). Two of the best-known female pirates were Calico Jack Rackham's cohorts, Anne Bonney (also sometimes spelled Bonny) and Mary Read. John Rackham ( December 21, 1682 – November 18, 1720 in Jamaica) also known as Calico Jack Rackham or Calico Anne Bonny ( March 8, 1700 - possibly April 25, 1782) was an Irish American Pirate who plied her trade in the Caribbean For Mary Karen Read see Virginia Tech massacre. Mary Read (do

Bonney grew up ferocious, and, unable to leave an earlier marriage, eloped with Rackham, with whom she was in love. Mary Read had been dressed as a boy all her life by her mother, and had spent time in the British military. She came to the West Indies (Caribbean) after the death of her husband, and fell in with Calico Jack and Anne Bonney.

When their ship was assaulted, the two women were the only ones that defended their ship. The other crew members were too drunk to fight. In the end they were captured and arrested.

After their capture, both women escaped death sentences (the punishment for piracy) by claiming to be pregnant; however, Read died of a fever in jail and Bonney disappeared.

References

External links

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