Pirates

The 1650s to the late 1720s was the Golden Age of Piracy. While today pirate lore is popularly linked to tales of adventure on the high seas, camaraderie, and treasure hunting, centuries ago pirates were recognized as real criminals. Traveling by sea, they would fly the Jolly Roger and then attack and plunder ships, often killing crews with disregard.

Those buccaneers, corsairs, and privateers marked the histories of nations around the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, the Indian Ocean, North America, and West Africa. Some were state-sponsored and others were outright outlaws, but all the pirates you’ll read about here made their reputations as fearsome raiders on the seas!