Spanish pirates of the 17th century. Real pirates: what they were like. Hooks and wooden legs

The word “pirate” (in Latin pirata) comes in turn from the Greek peirates, with the root peiran (“to try, test”). Thus, the meaning of the word would be “trying one’s luck.” Etymology shows how precarious the boundary between the professions of navigator and pirate was from the very beginning.

This word came into use around the 4th-3rd centuries BC, and before that the concept of “laystes” was used, known to Homer, and closely associated with such matters as robbery, murder, mining.

Pirate- a sea robber in general, of any nationality, who at any time robbed any ships at his own request.

Filibuster- a sea robber, mainly in the 17th century, who robbed mainly Spanish ships and colonies in America.

Buccaneer (buccaneer)- a sea robber, mainly in the 16th century, who, like the filibuster, robbed Spanish ships and colonies in America. This term was usually used to describe early Caribbean pirates, but later fell into disuse and was replaced by "filibuster".

Privateer, corsair, and privateer- a private individual who has received a license from the state to capture and destroy enemy ships and neutral countries in exchange for a promise to share with the employer. It should be borne in mind that the earliest term “privateer” came into use in the Mediterranean since (approximately) 800 BC. The term “corsair” appeared much later, starting from the 14th century AD, from the Italian “corsa” and the French “la corsa”. In the Middle Ages both terms were used. The word “privateer” appeared even later (the first use dates back to 1664) and came from the English “privateer”. Often the term “privateer” was used to emphasize the English nationality of a privateer; it did not take root in the Mediterranean; every privateer there was still called corsair (French), corsaro (Italian), corsario (Spanish), corsair (Portuguese).

The boundaries were unsteady and if yesterday he was a buccaneer, today he became a privateer, and tomorrow he could become an ordinary pirate.

In addition to the terms listed above, which appeared at a rather later time, there were also more ancient names for pirates. One of them is tjekers, which designated Middle Eastern pirates in the 15th-11th centuries BC. I have come across several different Latin spellings of tjekers: Tjeker, Thekel, Djakaray, Zakkar, Zalkkar, Zakkaray. In 1186 BC. they virtually conquered all of Egypt* and carried out extensive maritime plunder along the Palestinian coast for several centuries. Current historiography believes that the Tjekers came from Cilicia, the future homeland of the formidable Cilician pirates. The Tjekers are described in some detail in the Venamon papyrus. Later, (somewhere before 1000 BC) the Tjekers settled in Palestine, in the cities of Dor and Tel Zaror (near the present city of Haifa). Since they are not mentioned in Jewish documents, they were most likely absorbed by the more numerous Philistines.

We must keep in mind one feature of Ancient Egypt: the state was stretched along the Nile and the Mediterranean coast, it was no more than 15-25 km away from the water, so whoever controlled the coast controlled essentially the entire country.

Venamon is an ancient Egyptian traveler of the 12th century BC, a priest of the Temple of Amun in Karnak. Papyrus written around 1100 BC. Ancient historians mentioned pirates quite often, but the Venamon papyrus is a unique document because it represents the travel notes of an eyewitness.

Around the 5th century BC, another name for pirates came into use - Dolopians(Dolopians). This time these are ancient Greek pirates, their main area of ​​​​operation was the Aegean Sea. Possibly originally living in northern and central Greece, they settled on the island of Skyros and lived by piracy. Shortly before 476 BC. A group of merchants from northern Greece accused the Dolopians of selling them into slavery after plundering their ship with goods. The merchants managed to escape and won a lawsuit in Delphi against the Skyrians. When the Scirians refused to return their property, the merchants turned to Simon, commander of the Athenian fleet, for help. In 476 BC. Simon's naval forces captured Skyros, drove the Dolopians off the island or sold them into slavery, and established an Athenian colony there.

Who were the ranks of pirates made up of?

They were not homogeneous in their composition. Various reasons prompted people to unite in a criminal community. There were also adventurers here; and avengers placed “outside the law”; travelers and explorers who made a significant contribution to the study of the Earth during the Age of Discovery; bandits who declared war on all living things; and businessmen who considered robbery regular work, which, in the presence of a certain risk, gave a solid income. Often, pirates found support from the state, which during wars resorted to their help, legalizing the position of sea robbers and turning pirates into privateers, that is, officially allowing them to conduct military operations against the enemy, leaving for themselves part of the loot. Most often, pirates operated close to the shore or among small islands: it was easier to get closer to the victim unnoticed and easier to evade pursuit in case of some failure.

Today it is difficult for us, spoiled by the successes of civilization and the achievements of science and technology, to even imagine how immeasurably great the distances were in the age of absence of radio, television and satellite communications, how distant parts of the world seemed in the minds of people of that time. The ship left the harbor, and communication with it was interrupted for many years. What happened to him? Countries were separated by the most terrible barriers of competition, war and hostility. The sailor disappeared from the country for several decades and inevitably became homeless. Having returned to his homeland, he no longer found anyone - his relatives had died, his friends had forgotten, no one was waiting for him and no one needed him. Truly brave were those people who risked themselves, venturing into the unknown on fragile, unreliable (by modern standards) boats!

II. Pirate novelists

Today there are well-established stereotypical ideas about pirates, created thanks to fiction. The founder of modern literature about pirates can be called Daniel Defoe, who published three novels about the adventures of the pirate John Avery.

The next major writer who also wrote about sea robbers was Walter Scott, who published the novel “The Pirate” in 1821, in which the prototype of the main character Captain Cleveland was the image of the pirate leader from Daniel Defoe’s novel “The Adventures and Affairs of the Famous Captain John Gow.”

Such famous writers as R.-L. paid tribute to the sea. Stevenson, F. Mariette, E. Xu, C. Farrer, G. Melville, T. Main Read, J. Conrad, A. Conan Doyle, Jack London and R. Sabatini.

It is interesting that Arthur Conan Doyle and Rafael Sabatini created two colorful, diametrically opposed images of pirate captains - Sharkey and Blood, combining: the first - the worst qualities and vices, and the second - the best knightly virtues of the real-life leaders of the “gentlemen of fortune”.

Thanks to the “help” of such an eminent galaxy of writers, the most famous pirate captains of their time, Flint, Kidd, Morgan, Grammon, Van Doorn and their less “famous” and sometimes simply fictional brothers, continue their second life on the pages of these books. They board Spanish galleons brimming with treasure, sink lumbering royal cruisers, and keep coastal cities at bay long after some have been brought to justice and others have ended their lives peacefully.

Composer Robert Plunkett wrote the operetta “Surcouf”, in which the historical truth about the true deeds of the sea robber Surcouf gave way to fantasy: the beautiful fate of the disinterested sailor Robert and his beloved Yvonne was fully consistent with the spirit of operettas of the 19th century.

One got the impression that pirates are some kind of unrecognized geniuses, wandering the seas only due to an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances. We owe this stereotype mainly thanks to R. Sabatini with his trilogy about Captain Blood, who, among other things, created the myth that pirates had powerful ships and attacked warships.

In fact, completely prosaic motives forced people to engage in piracy.

Sometimes there is hopeless poverty, sometimes all-consuming greed. But, one way or another, the pirates pursued only one goal - personal enrichment. Documents have survived that show the side of piracy that is devoid of any romanticism, so to speak, its financial and organizational side. The pirate's craft was extremely dangerous: being caught "at the scene of the crime", pirates were hanged without a second thought. Being captured on the shore, the pirate did not face a better fate: either a rope or lifelong hard labor. There were very rare cases when pirates owned a powerful ship; more often they were small ships with good seaworthiness.

Even rarer were cases of a pirate ship fighting a warship: for a pirate it was pointless and extremely dangerous. Firstly, because there are no treasures on the military ship, but there are many guns and soldiers there, and the ship is fully equipped for naval combat. Secondly, because the crew and officers of this ship are professional military men, unlike pirates, who took the military path by chance. A pirate doesn’t need a warship: an unjustified risk, an almost certain defeat and then inevitable death on a knock-down yard. But a lonely sailing merchant ship, a pearl fisherman's junk, and sometimes just a fishing boat is just a victim for a pirate. It must be borne in mind that we often approach the assessment of past events from the point of view of a modern person. Therefore, it is difficult for us to understand that almost until the end of the 18th century the difference between the merchant and pirate fleets was small. In those days, almost every ship was armed, and it happened that a peaceful merchant ship, having encountered a fellow ship at sea, but (presumably) weaker in armament, boarded it. Then the merchant pirate would bring the cargo and sell it as if nothing had happened, sometimes at a reduced price.

Pirate flags: Emmanuel Vane (top) and Edward Teach (bottom)

III. Under the Jolly Roger

It is very interesting to dwell a little on pirate flags. It is common knowledge that the pirate flag's nickname is the Jolly Roger. Why such a nickname?

Let's start not directly with the Jolly Roger, but with the answer to the question of what kind of flags were hung on ships by different countries in different time?

Contrary to popular belief, not all ships in the past sailed under the national flag of their country. For example, the draft French Law on the Royal Navy of 1699 states that “royal ships do not have any strictly established distinctive marks for combat. During the wars with Spain, our ships used a red flag to distinguish themselves from the Spanish, who fought under a white flag, and in the last war, our ships sailed under a white flag to distinguish themselves from the British, who were also fighting under a red flag...” However, the French privateers were prohibited by a special royal edict from flying the black flag almost until the last years of their (French privateers) existence.

Around the same time, in 1694, England passed a law establishing a single flag to identify English privateer ships: a red ensign, instantly nicknamed "Red Jack." This is how the concept of a pirate flag appeared in general. It must be said that by the standards of that time, a red flag, pennant or sign meant for any oncoming ship that resistance was pointless. However, following the privateers, free pirates very quickly adopted this flag, not even the flag itself, but the idea of ​​a colored flag. Red, yellow, green, black flags appeared. Each color symbolized a specific idea: yellow - madness and uncontrollable anger, black - an order to lay down arms. A black flag raised by a pirate meant an order to immediately stop and capitulate, and if the victim did not obey, then a red or yellow flag was raised, which meant death for everyone on the recalcitrant ship.

So where did the nickname "Jolly Roger" come from? It turned out that "Red Jack" in French sounded like "Jolie Rouge" (literally - Red Sign), when translated back into English it turned into "Jolly Roger" - Jolly Roger. It is worth mentioning here that in the English slang of that time, roger was a swindler, a thief. Additionally, in Ireland and the north of England during the Middle Ages, the devil was sometimes called "Old Roger."

Today, many people believe that the Jolly Roger is a black flag with a skull and crossbones. However, in fact, many famous pirates had their own unique flags, differing in both color and image. Indeed, pirate flags existed and were very diverse: black, with a red rooster, with crossed swords, with hourglass and even with lamb. As for the “classic” Jolly Roger, such a flag was first noted by the French pirate Emmanuel Vane at the very beginning of the 18th century.

Many famous pirates had their own flag. Here you can already see how the “hero” makes fame work for him: knowing who is chasing him, the victim gave up. A sort of “brand”

a personal brand that signified a certain “quality” of the imposed “service.” An unknown pirate (and there were the vast majority of them!) did not need this, because some unusual flag or the absence of a flag at all would certainly alert the captain of the attacked ship. For what? Pirates were cruel, but by no means as stupid as some writers try to paint them. Therefore, for the most part, pirate ships sailed under the official flag of some state and the victim found out too late that the ship was actually a pirate. In general, by the middle of the 17th century, a black flag was a distinctive sign of pirates and such a flag should be hoisted it was great to bring your neck closer to the gallows.

Captain Kidd's private patent

Filibuster or privateer?

During periods of war, pirates sometimes bought from a warring state the right to conduct combat operations at sea at their own peril and risk and robbed the ships of the warring country, and often of neutral countries. The pirate knew that, having paid a special tax to the treasury and received the appropriate paper - Letter of Marque - Letter of Marque, he was already considered a privateer and was not responsible before the law of this state until he attacked a compatriot or ally.

At the end of the war, privateers often turned into ordinary pirates. It was not for nothing that many commanders of warships did not recognize any privateering patents and hung captured privateers on the yards in the same way as other pirates.

I would like to dwell on all kinds of patents in a little more detail.

In addition to the Letter of Marque, which was issued from the 13th century to 1856 (to be closer to the dates, I will say that the first mention of such papers dates back to 1293) and which specifically permitted the seizure of enemy property, a Letter of Reprisal was also issued (literally, a document for retribution, reprisal), which allowed the killing of enemy subjects and the seizure of their property. Simply put, robbery. But not to everyone in general, but only to those who suffered from the activities of citizens of the state specified in the document. There were several papers, so in official documents they are always referred to in the plural - letters. The effect of the papers was not limited only to sea robbery, but also allowed robbery on land, both in peacetime and in wartime. Why reprisal? Translated from English, this word means retribution. The fact is that medieval cities and settlements were, for the most part, small closed communities and it was considered natural to direct retribution against any of their citizens, who, upon returning home, could recover damages from the real culprit of the crime. The Avenger only had to secure the appropriate papers - letters.

The Egyptian priest Venamon was already mentioned above. In his papyrus, he describes his own journey to the Syrian city of Byblos, where he carried a significant amount of gold and silver for the purchase of wood (wood was practically not produced in Egypt and was imported). On the way there, when they entered the Tzhekera city of Dor, the captain of the ship ran away, taking with him almost all of Venamon’s money, and the Tzhekera city governor refused to help him find this captain. Venamon, however, continued on his way and on the way he met other tjekers and somehow managed to rob them of seven pounds of silver: “I take the silver from you and will keep it with me until you find my money or the thief who stole them." This case may be considered the first documented case of reprisal in the law of the sea.

By about the beginning of the 14th century, the seizure of property at sea had to be sanctioned by an admiral of the royal navy or his representative. To stimulate trade, the rulers of states signed agreements prohibiting private acts of revenge. For example, in France after 1485 such papers were issued extremely rarely. Later, other European powers began to sharply limit the issuance of marque patents. However, other types of licenses were granted to private warships during hostilities. For example, in England, during the war with Spain 1585-1603, the Admiralty Court granted powers to anyone who declared that they were offended in any way by the Spaniards (and confirmation of the words was not required). Such licenses gave the holder the right to attack any Spanish ship or city. And yet, some of the newly-minted privateers began to attack not only the Spaniards, but also their compatriots the English. Perhaps that is why the English king James I (1603-1625) had an extremely negative attitude towards the very idea of ​​​​such patents and banned them altogether.

However, the next English monarch, Charles I (1625-1649), resumed the sale of privateering licenses to private individuals, and, moreover, allowed the Providence company* to issue such papers in unlimited quantities. By the way, this is where the English slang expression Right of Purchase, which is now completely out of use, came from. Literally, this expression meant “the right to plunder,” but the whole point here was precisely in the play on words of the concept of purchase: the fact is that this English word originally meant hunting or pursuing animals, but gradually, in the 13th-17th centuries, it entered the English maritime slang and came to mean the process of robbery, as well as the captured property. Today it has lost this militant meaning and means “acquisition”, in rare cases “cost, value”.

Providence is a government corporation designed to promote privateering on the islands of Tortuga and Providence. After the capture of Providence Island by the Spaniards (1641), the company found itself heavily in debt and gradually declined.

In addition to these documents, from the 1650s to the 1830s, the so-called Right of Search existed in the Mediterranean. Unlike most pirates, the activities of the Berber corsairs were controlled by their government. To facilitate trade, some Christian states entered into peace agreements with Berber rulers. Thus, corsairs could legally attack the ships of individual states, while refraining from attacks on friendly ships.

Sea captains of the powers that signed such a treaty often took on their ships cargo or passengers hostile to the Berber countries. Therefore, in order to avoid possible deception, the states that signed the mentioned agreements were forced to allow Berber corsairs to stop and search their ships. They could seize property and passengers of hostile powers if they found them on board stopped ships. However, they had to pay the full cost of the cargo entrusted to the captain to its destination.

The opposite problem arose when passengers and property of friendly countries were stranded on a captured enemy ship. The corsairs could confiscate the cargo and enslave the crew, but they were expected to free the passengers, who were protected by the treaties. So that the corsairs could freely recognize the subjects of the allied powers, a pass system was created.

Berber passes are quite a curious phenomenon! In essence, these were letters of safe conduct, guaranteeing the ship and crew from sea robbery. Few officials had the right to issue such documents. For example, under the agreements of 1662 and 1682 between England and Algiers, only passes issued by the Lord High Admiral or the Ruler of Algiers were considered valid. Moreover, the contract was divided into two parts by an intricate cut; one part of the sheet was kept for oneself, and the second part was given to the opposite party. Only two people could board the ship to check the cargo and passenger list. The overwhelming majority of corsairs obeyed these passes; those who disobeyed faced the death penalty, although in the beginning (the first 30-40 years) there were a fair number of violations.

In general, the concept of “international law” uniting all peoples has a relatively late origin. In ancient times, the laws of one society applied exclusively to its members. Because local laws could not extend beyond certain borders, Greek city-states allowed their citizens to defend their interests against the claims of outsiders. Roman law also drew a clear line between the state's citizens, its allies, and the population of the rest of the outside world. However, this difference became less significant after the Romans conquered the entire Mediterranean region. Unlike later letters of marque, a natural right to retaliation existed until the two parties entered into a special treaty regulating the legal relations between these states. Contracts often became a form of blackmail.

For example, the Aetolian League* (300-186 BC) supported the piracy practiced by its members and benefited from their activities. The Aetolians received their share of the pirate booty. If any of the neighboring states wanted to protect themselves from pirate attacks, they had to sign an agreement recognizing the power of the Aetolian Union.

Aetolia is a mountainous, forested area in the center of Greece between Macedonia and the Gulf of Corinth, where various local tribes united into a kind of federal state - the Aetolian Union. The government dealt only with issues of war and foreign policy. In 290 BC. Aetolia began to expand its domains, including neighboring domains and tribes as full members or allies. By 240, the alliance controlled almost all of central Greece and part of the Peloponnese. The main occupation of the representatives of the union was participation in wars between warring empires as mercenaries. In 192 BC. the union opposed the growing strength of Rome, for which it paid, becoming one of its provinces.

Modern idea of ​​pirates

V. Legacy

Of course, among the huge number of unknown pirates, there were exceptions - outstanding individuals - and we will talk about them separately.

There are known cases when it was pirates - skilled seafarers - who became the discoverers of new lands. Many of them were imperiously attracted by the “muse of distant wanderings,” and the thirst for exploits and adventures often prevailed over the thirst for profit, with which they seduced their royal patrons in England, Spain and Portugal. Not to mention the unknown Vikings who visited the soil of North America almost five hundred years before its discovery by Columbus, let us at least remember Sir Francis Drake, the “royal corsair” and admiral who completed the second voyage around the world after Magellan; discoverer of the Falkland Islands, John Davis; historian and writer Sir Walter Raleigh and the famous ethnographer and oceanographer, member of the Royal Society of England William Dampier, who circumnavigated the Earth three times.

However, if a patent for the position of captain of a galleon of the “Golden Fleet” or “Silver Fleet”, transporting jewelry looted in America, could be easily purchased by a noble and wealthy nobleman of Spain, then the position of captain of a pirate ship could not be acquired for any money. Only a person with extraordinary organizational skills could advance among the sea robbers with their unique but cruel laws. It is not surprising that people of this kind have always excited the imagination of writers, artists and composers and have become, often in an idealized form, heroes of works.

In essence, the pirates led a life of hard labor to which they doomed themselves. For months they ate crackers and corned beef, often drank stale water rather than rum, suffered from tropical fever, dysentery and scurvy, died from wounds, and drowned during storms. Few of them died at home in their beds. Polycrates of Samos in 522 BC. crucified on the cross by the Persian satrap Oroites, who lured him into a trap on his continent under the pretext of concluding a non-aggression pact. The once famous François L'Olone was killed, roasted and eaten by cannibals; the leader of the Vitaliers, Störtebecker, was beheaded in Hamburg; Sir Francis Drake died of tropical fever; Sir Walter Raleigh executed in London; Teach was killed during a boarding battle and his severed head was hung by the winner under the bowsprit of his ship; Roberts was killed by a buckshot that hit his throat, and the enemy, paying tribute to his bravery, lowered the corpse of the captain into the sea with a gold chain and a diamond-studded cross around his neck, with a saber in his hand and two pistols in a silk sling, and then hanged all the remaining pirates. Edward Lowe was hanged by the French, Vane was executed in Jamaica, Kidd was hanged in England, Mary Read died in prison while pregnant... Is it worth listing further?

And I can remind you about modern pirates: , or this option: . Well, let's do the math

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The peak of maritime robberies occurred in the 17th century, when the World Ocean was the scene of struggle between Spain, England and some other emerging European colonial powers. Most often, pirates made their living through independent criminal robberies, but some of them ended up in government service and deliberately harmed foreign fleets. Below is a list of the ten most famous pirates in history.

1. William Kidd

William Kidd (22 January 1645 - 23 May 1701) was a Scottish sailor who was convicted and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean to hunt pirates. Considered one of the most cruel and bloodthirsty sea robbers of the seventeenth century. The hero of many mysterious stories. Some modern historians, such as Sir Cornelius Neale Dalton, consider his pirate reputation to be unfair.

2. Bartholomew Roberts

Bartholomew Roberts (May 17, 1682 - February 17, 1722) was a Welsh pirate who robbed about 200 ships (according to another version 400 ships) in the vicinity of Barbados and Martinique over two and a half years. Known primarily as the opposite of the traditional image of a pirate. He was always well dressed, had refined manners, hated drunkenness and gambling, and treated the crew of the ships he captured well. He was killed by cannon shot during a battle with a British warship.

3. Blackbeard

Blackbeard or Edward Teach (1680 - November 22, 1718) was an English pirate who traded in the Caribbean in 1716–1718. He liked to strike terror into his enemies. During the battle, Teach wove incendiary wicks into his beard and, in clouds of smoke, like Satan from hell, burst into the ranks of the enemy. Due to his unusual appearance and eccentric behavior, history has made him one of the most famous pirates, despite the fact that his “career” was quite short, and his success and scale of activity were much smaller compared to his other colleagues on this list.

4. Jack Rackham

Jack Rackham (December 21, 1682 - November 17, 1720) was an English pirate, famous primarily for the fact that his crew included two more equally famous corsairs, female pirates Anne Bonny, nicknamed “Mistress of the Seas” and Mary Read.

5. Charles Vane

Charles Vane (1680 – March 29, 1721) was an English pirate who plundered ships between 1716 and 1721 in North American waters. He became famous for his extreme cruelty. As history says, Vane was not attached to such feelings as compassion, pity and empathy; he easily broke his own promises, did not respect other pirates and did not take anyone’s opinion into account. The meaning of his life was only production.

6. Edward England

Edward England (1685 - 1721) was a pirate active off the coast of Africa and in the waters of the Indian Ocean from 1717 to 1720. He differed from other pirates of that time in that he did not kill prisoners unless absolutely necessary. Ultimately, this led to his crew mutinying when he refused to kill sailors from yet another captured English merchant ship. England was subsequently landed in Madagascar where he survived for some time by begging and eventually died.

7. Samuel Bellamy

Samuel Bellamy, nicknamed Black Sam (February 23, 1689 - April 26, 1717) was a great English sailor and pirate who traded at the beginning of the 18th century. Although his career lasted just over a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships, making Black Sam the richest pirate in history. Bellamy was also known for his mercy and generosity towards those he captured in his raids.

8. Saida al-Hurra

Saida al-Hurra (1485 – c. 14 July 1561) - last queen of Tetouan (Morocco), reigning between 1512–1542, pirate. In alliance with the Ottoman corsair Arouj Barbarossa of Algeria, al-Hura controlled the Mediterranean Sea. She became famous for her fight against the Portuguese. She is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding women of the Islamic West of the modern era. The date and exact circumstances of her death are unknown.

9. Thomas Tew

Thomas Tew (1649 - September 1695) was an English privateer and pirate who made only two major piracy voyages, a voyage later known as the "Pirate Circle". He was killed in 1695 while attempting to rob the Mughal ship Fateh Muhammad.

10. Steed Bonnet

Steed Bonnet (1688 - December 10, 1718) was a prominent English pirate, nicknamed the "pirate gentleman." Interestingly, before Bonnet turned to piracy, he was a fairly wealthy, educated and respected man, owning a plantation in Barbados.

11. Madame Shi

Madame Shi, or Madam Zheng, is one of the world's most famous female pirates. After the death of her husband, she inherited his pirate flotilla and put sea robbery on a grand scale. Under her command were two thousand ships and seventy thousand people. The strictest discipline helped her command an entire army. For example, for unauthorized absence from a ship, the offender lost an ear. Not all of Madame Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains once rebelled and went over to the side of the authorities. After Madame Shi's power was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to an old age in freedom, running a brothel.

12. Francis Drake

Francis Drake- one of the most famous pirates in the world. Actually, he was not a pirate, but a corsair who acted on the seas and oceans against enemy ships with the special permission of Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coasts of Central and South America, he became immensely rich. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he opened a strait, which he named in his honor, and under his command the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, one of the ships of the English navy has been named after the famous navigator and corsair Francis Drake.

13. Henry Morgan

The list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without the name of Henry Morgan. Despite the fact that he was born into a wealthy family of an English landowner, from his youth Morgan connected his life with the sea. He was hired as a cabin boy on one of the ships and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to move to Jamaica, where Morgan joined a gang of pirates. Several successful trips allowed him and his comrades to purchase a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a good decision. A few years later there were 35 ships under his command. With such a fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a day and burn the entire city. Since Morgan acted mainly against Spanish ships and pursued an active English colonial policy, after his arrest the pirate was not executed. On the contrary, for the services rendered to Britain in the fight against Spain, Henry Morgan received the post of lieutenant governor of Jamaica. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from cirrhosis of the liver.

14. Edward Teach

Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone has heard his name. Teach lived and was engaged in sea robbery at the very height of the golden age of piracy. Having enlisted at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience, which would then be useful to him in the future. According to historians, Teach took part in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after its end he deliberately decided to become a pirate. The fame of a ruthless filibuster helped Blackbeard seize ships without the use of weapons - upon seeing his flag, the victim surrendered without a fight. The cheerful life of a pirate did not last long - Teach died during a boarding battle with a British warship pursuing him.

15. Henry Avery

One of the most famous pirates in history is Henry Avery, nicknamed Long Ben. The father of the future famous buccaneer was a captain in the British fleet. Since childhood, Avery dreamed of sea voyages. He began his career in the navy as a cabin boy. Avery then received an appointment as first mate on a corsair frigate. The ship's crew soon rebelled, and the first mate was proclaimed captain of the pirate ship. So Avery took the path of piracy. He became famous for capturing the ships of Indian pilgrims heading to Mecca. The pirates' booty was unheard of at that time: 600 thousand pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Avery later officially married. How the life of the famous filibuster ended is unknown.

16. Amaro Pargo

Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous freebooters of the golden age of piracy. Pargo transported slaves and made a fortune from it. Wealth allowed him to engage in charity work. He lived to a ripe old age.

17. Arouge Barbarossa

Famous powerful pirate from Turkey. He was characterized by cruelty, ruthlessness, and a love of mockery and execution. He was involved in the pirate business together with his brother Khair. The Barbarossa Pirates were a threat to the entire Mediterranean. So, in 1515, the entire Azir coast was under the rule of Arouj Barbarossa. The battles under his command were sophisticated, bloody and victorious. Arouj Barbarossa died during the battle, surrounded by enemy troops in Tlemcen.

18. William Dampier

A sailor from England. By vocation he was a researcher and discoverer. Made 3 trips around the world. He became a pirate in order to have the means to engage in his research activities - studying the direction of winds and currents in the ocean. William Dampier is the author of such books as “Travels and Descriptions”, “A New Journey Around the World”, “The Direction of the Winds”. An archipelago in the North-West coast of Australia, as well as a strait between the western coast of New Guinea and the island of Waigeo, are named after him.

19. Grace O'Mail

Female pirate, legendary captain, lady of fortune. Her life was full of colorful adventures. Grace had heroic courage, unprecedented determination and high talent as a pirate. For her enemies she was a nightmare, for her followers an object of admiration. Despite the fact that she had three children from her first marriage and 1 child from her second, Grace O'Mail continued her favorite business. Her work was so successful that Queen Elizabeth I herself invited Grace to serve her, to which she received a decisive refusal.

20 . Anne Bonney

Anne Bonny, one of the few women who succeeded in piracy, grew up in a wealthy mansion and received a good education. However, when her father decided to marry her off, she ran away from home with a simple sailor. Some time later, Anne Bonny met the pirate Jack Rackham and he took her on his ship. According to eyewitnesses, Bonnie was not inferior to male pirates in courage and ability to fight.

Incredible facts about pirates

1. In the 18th century, the Bahamas were a paradise for pirates

The Bahamas, today's respectable resort, and its capital, Nassau, were once the capital of maritime lawlessness. In the 17th century, the Bahamas, which formally belonged to the British crown, did not have a governor, and pirates took the reins of government into their own hands. At that time, more than a thousand sea robbers lived in the Bahamas, and squadrons of the most famous pirate captains moored in the island’s harbors. The pirates preferred to call the city of Nassau Charlestown in their own way. Peace returned to the Bahamas only in 1718, when British troops landed in the Bahamas and regained control of Nassau.

2. “Jolly Roger” is not a single pirate flag at all

The Jolly Roger, a black flag with a skull and crossbones, is often called the main pirate symbol. But it is not so. He is rather the most famous and spectacular. However, it was not used as often as is commonly believed. It appeared as a pirate flag only in the 17th century, that is, already at the end of the golden era of piracy. And not all pirates used it, since each captain himself decided under which flag to carry out raids. So, along with the Jolly Roger, there were dozens of pirate flags, and the skull and crossbones was not particularly popular among them.

3. Why did pirates wear earrings?

Books and films don’t lie: almost all pirates wore earrings. They were even part of the pirate initiation ritual: young pirates received an earring upon their first crossing of the equator or Cape Horn. The fact is that among pirates there was a belief that an earring in the ear helps preserve vision and even helps cure blindness. It was this pirate superstition that led to the mass fashion for earrings among sea robbers. Some even tried to use them for dual purposes, casting a spell against drowning on the earring. Also, an earring taken from the ear of a killed pirate could guarantee a decent funeral for the deceased.

4. There were a lot of female pirates

Oddly enough, women in pirate crews were not such a rare occurrence. There weren't even that few female captains. The most famous of them are the Chinese Cheng Yi Sao, Mary Read and, of course, the famous Anne Bonny. Anne was born into the family of a wealthy Irish lawyer. From an early age, her parents dressed her like a boy so that she could help her father in the office as a clerk. The boring life of a lawyer's assistant did not appeal to Anne, and she ran away from home, joining the pirates and quickly becoming a captain thanks to her determination. According to rumors, Anne Bonny had a hot temper and often beat her assistants if they tried to challenge her opinion.

5. Why are there so many one-eyed pirates?

Anyone who has watched a movie about pirates has probably thought at least once: why are there so many one-eyed people among them? The eye patch has long remained an indispensable part of the pirate image. However, the pirates did not wear it because they all lacked an eye. It was simply convenient for quick and more accurate aiming in battle, but putting it on for battle took too long - it was more comfortable to wear it without taking it off.

6. There was strict discipline on pirate ships

Pirates could do any obscenity on the shore, but strict discipline reigned on board pirate ships, because the lives of sea robbers depended on it. Each pirate, upon boarding a ship, signed a contract with the captain, stipulating his rights and obligations. The main duties were unquestioning obedience to the captain. A simple pirate did not even have the right to contact the commander directly. This could be done at the insistence of the sailors only by an appointed representative of the team - usually the boatswain. In addition, the contract strictly determined the part of the booty that the pirate would receive, and an attempt to conceal the captured property was subject to immediate execution - this was done to avoid bloody showdowns on board.

7. The pirates included people from all walks of life

Among the sea robbers there were not only poor people who went to sea for lack of other means of subsistence, or fugitive criminals who did not know the possibility of legal earnings. There were also people from rich and even noble families among them. For example, the famous pirate William Kidd - Captain Kidd - was the son of a Scottish nobleman. He was originally a British naval officer and pirate hunter. But his innate cruelty and passion for adventure pushed him onto a different path. In 1698, under the cover of the French flag, Kidd captured a British merchant ship loaded with gold and silver. When the first prize turned out to be so impressive, could Kidd refuse to continue his career?

8. Buried pirate treasure is the stuff of legends.

There are many legends about buried pirate treasures - much more than there are treasures themselves. Of the famous pirates, only one is reliably known to have actually buried treasure - William Kidd did this, hoping to use it as ransom if he was caught. This did not help him - after his capture he was immediately executed as a pirate. Typically, pirates did not leave behind large fortunes. The pirates' expenses were high, the crews were numerous, and each member of the crew, including the captain, was succeeded by one of his friends and colleagues. At the same time, realizing that their life was short, the pirates preferred to waste money rather than hide it in the prospect of a very unreliable future.

9. A walk along the yard was a rare punishment

Judging by the films, the most common method of execution among pirates was the “yardwalk,” where a man with his hands tied was forced to walk along a thin yard until he fell overboard and drowned. In fact, such punishment was rare and was applied only to sworn personal enemies - to see their fear or panic. The traditional punishment was “dragging under the keel,” when a pirate or an obstinate prisoner punished for disobedience was lowered overboard with the help of ropes and dragged under the bottom of the ship, pulled out from the other side. A good swimmer could easily not choke during the punishment, but the body of the punished person ended up being so cut up by shells. stuck to the bottom, which took many weeks to recover. The punished could easily die, and, again, more likely from wounds than from drowning.

10. Pirates roamed all seas

After the film "Pirates of the Caribbean", many believe that the seas of Central America were the nest of world piracy. In fact, piracy was equally common in all regions - from Britain, whose privateers, pirates in the royal service, terrorized European ships, to Southeast Asia, where piracy remained a real force well into the 20th century. And the raids of the northern peoples on the cities of Ancient Rus' along the rivers were real pirate raids!

11. Piracy as a way to make a living

In difficult times, many hunters, shepherds and lumberjacks became pirates not for adventure, but for a banal piece of bread. This was especially true for residents of Central America, where in the 17th-18th centuries there was an endless battle between European powers for colonies. Constant armed clashes deprived people not only of work, but also of home, and residents of coastal settlements knew maritime affairs from childhood. So they went to where they had a chance to be well-fed and not think too much about tomorrow.

12. Not all pirates were outlaws

Government piracy is a phenomenon that has existed since ancient times. Berber corsairs served the Ottoman Empire, Dunker privateers served Spain, and Britain, during the era of dominion over the ocean, kept a fleet of privateers - warships that captured enemy merchant ships - and corsairs - private individuals engaged in the same trade. Despite the fact that state pirates were engaged in the same craft as their free brothers, the difference in their position was enormous. Captured pirates were subject to immediate execution, while a corsair with the appropriate patent could count on the status of a prisoner of war, a quick ransom and a state reward - like Henry Morgan, who received the post of governor of Jamaica for his corsair service.

13. Pirates still exist today

Today's pirates are armed with modern machine guns instead of cutlass, and prefer modern high-speed boats to sailing ships. However, they act just as decisively and ruthlessly as their ancient predecessors. The Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Malacca and the coastal waters of Madagascar are considered the most dangerous places for pirate attacks, and civilian ships are advised not to enter there without an armed escort.

7 Most Scary Pirates in History

With the advent of the famous Jack Sparrow, pirates turned into cartoon characters of modern pop culture. And that makes it easy to forget that real sea robbers were more formidable than their Hollywood parody. They were brutal mass murderers and slave owners. In a word, they were pirates. Real pirates, not pathetic caricatures. As evidenced by the following...

1. Francois Ohlone

The French pirate François Ohlone hated Spain with all his heart. Early in his pirate career, Ohlone nearly died at the hands of Spanish marauders, but instead of reconsidering his life and becoming, say, a farmer, he decided to dedicate himself to hunting the Spanish. He clearly expressed his attitude towards this people after he beheaded the entire crew of a Spanish ship that came his way, with the exception of one single man, whom he sent to his fellows to convey the following words: “From this day forward, not a single Spaniard will receive from me not a cent."

But these were only flowers. Considering what happened next, we can say that the beheaded Spaniards got off lightly.

Having earned a reputation as a cutthroat, Ohlone gathered eight pirate ships and several hundred men under his command and set out to terrorize the coast of South America, destroying Spanish cities, capturing ships bound for Spain, and generally delivering strong headache this state.

Nevertheless, Olone's luck suddenly turned away when he, returning from another raid on the coast of Venezuela, was ambushed by Spanish soldiers who outnumbered him. Explosions thundered here and there, pirates flew into pieces, and Olona barely managed to escape from this meat grinder, simultaneously capturing several hostages. But this was not the end of his difficulties, because Olona and his team still needed to escape alive from enemy territory and not run into another ambush, which they simply could not repulse.

What did Ohlone do? He took out a saber, slashed the chest of one of the Spanish hostages, pulled out his heart and “sank his teeth into it like a greedy wolf, telling the others: “The same thing awaits you if you don’t show me the way out.”

The intimidation worked, and soon the pirates were out of danger. If you're wondering what happened to the heads of the beheaded Spaniards we mentioned earlier... well, let's just say that for a week the pirates ate like kings.

2. Jean Lafitte

Despite his effeminate name and French origin, Jean Lafitte was a true pirate king. He owned his own island in Louisiana, robbed ships and smuggled stolen goods into New Orleans. Lafitte was so successful that when the governor of Louisiana offered $300 for his capture (at that time, 300 bucks was half the country's budget), the pirate responded by offering $1,000 for the capture of the governor himself.

Newspapers and authorities portrayed Lafitte as a dangerous and violent criminal and mass murderer, a sort of 1800s Osama bin Laden, if you will. Apparently his fame crossed the Atlantic Ocean, since in 1814 Lafitte was given a letter signed personally by King George III, who offered the pirate British citizenship and lands if he sided with them. He also promised that he would not destroy his small island and sell it piece by piece. Lafitte asked to be given a few days to think... and in the meantime he hurried straight to New Orleans to warn the Americans about the British advance.

So, maybe the United States did not like Jean Lafitte, but for Lafitte the United States was like family.

Even though he was not an American, Lafitte treated the new country with respect and even ordered his fleet not to attack American ships. Lafitte personally killed one pirate who disobeyed his order. In addition, the privateer treated hostages well and sometimes returned their ships if they were not suitable for the pirate business. New Orleans residents considered Lafitte almost a hero, as the contraband he brought in allowed people to buy things they otherwise could not afford.

So, how did the American authorities react to the report of a future British attack? They attacked the island of Lafitte and captured his people, because they thought that he was simply lying. Only after future President Andrew Jackson intervened, noting that New Orleans was not ready to withstand a British attack, did the authorities agree to release Lafitte's men on the condition that they agree to help their navy.

It can be said that it was only thanks to the pirates that the Americans managed to defend New Orleans, which otherwise could have been a significant strategic victory for the British. In this city the latter could gather their forces before attacking the rest of the country. Just think: if it weren’t for that unwashed French “terrorist,” the United States might not exist today.

3. Stephen Decatur

Stephen Decatur does not fit the typical pirate mold in that he was a fairly respected US Navy officer. Decatur became the youngest captain in the history of the Navy, which would be a ridiculous fiction if it were not true. He was recognized as a national hero, and for a time his portrait even appeared on the twenty-dollar bill.

How did he manage to achieve such popularity? Organizing some of the most epic and bloody raids in history.

For example, when Tripolitan pirates captured the frigate Philadelphia in 1803, 25-year-old Decatur gathered a group of men disguised as Maltese sailors and armed only with swords and pikes and entered the enemy harbor. There, without losing a single person, he captured the enemies and set fire to the frigate so that the pirates could not use it. Admiral Horatio Nelson called the raid "the boldest and most daring adventure of the century."

But that is not all. Later, returning from the capture of another ship whose crew was twice the size of Decatur's, the man learned that his brother had been mortally wounded in a battle with pirates. Although his crew was exhausted from a recent raid, Decatur turned the ship around and pursued the enemy ship, which he and ten others later boarded.

Ignoring the others, Decatur ran straight towards the man who had shot his brother and killed him. The rest of the team eventually gave up. Thus, in one day, the young man captured 27 hostages and killed 33 pirates.

He was only 25 years old.

4. Ben Hornigold

Benjamin Hornigold was Blackbeard's Emperor Palpatine. While his protégé became the most famous pirate in history, Hornigold forever became a footnote in the books about Edward Titch.

Hornigold began his pirate career in the Bahamas; at that time he had only a couple of small boats at his disposal. However, a few years later Hornigold sailed on a huge 30-gun warship, thanks to which it became much easier for him to engage in sea robbery. So much easier that, apparently, the privateer began to rob solely for fun.

Once, for example, in Honduras, Hornigold boarded a merchant ship, but all he demanded from the crew was their hats. He explained his demand by saying that last night his team got very drunk and lost their hats. Having received what he wanted, Hornigold boarded his ship and sailed away, leaving the merchants with their goods.

And this was not the only case. On another occasion, a crew of sailors captured by Hornigold said that the pirate released them with only “a little rum, sugar, gunpowder and ammunition.”

Alas, his crew did not seem to share their captain's views. Hornigold always considered himself a “privateer” rather than a pirate, and to prove this, he refused to attack British ships. This position did not find support from the sailors, and ultimately Hornigold was removed, and a good part of his crew and ships went to Blackbeard. Before he lost his head.

Hornigold left the pirate life, accepted a royal pardon and took the other side, starting to hunt for those with whom he once hung out.

5. William Dampier

The Englishman William Dampier was used to achieving a lot. Not wanting to be content with the status of the first person to travel around the world three times, as well as a recognized author and scientific researcher, he had a small business on the side - he plundered Spanish settlements and plundered other people's ships. All this in the name of science, of course.

Pop culture tries hard to convince us that all pirates were toothless and illiterate bums, but Dhampir was the clear opposite of that: he not only respected English language, but also filled it with new words. The Oxford English Dictionary refers to Dampier more than a thousand times in its articles, since it was he who wrote examples of the spelling of words such as “barbecue”, “avocado”, “chopsticks” and hundreds of others.

Dampier was recognized as Australia's first naturalist, and his contribution to Western culture is simply invaluable. It was his observations that Darwin based on when working on the theory of evolution, and he is also mentioned in a laudatory tone in Gulliver’s Travels.

However, his most striking achievement did not concern literature or science. In 1688, when his first trip around the world was almost over, Dampier sent his crew away and landed somewhere on the coast of Thailand. There he boarded a canoe and swam home. Dampier landed on the English coast only three years later; he had nothing on him except a diary... and a tattooed slave.

6. Black Bart

In the 17th-18th centuries, sailing on military or merchant ships was an extremely thankless task. The working conditions were disgusting, and if you suddenly angered a senior, the punishment that followed was extremely cruel and often led to death. As a result, no one wanted to become a sailor, so the military and merchants had to literally kidnap people from the ports and force them to work on their ships. It is clear that this method of hiring did not awaken in the sailors any particular loyalty to the cause and to their superiors.

Bartholomew Roberts (or simply “Black Bart”) himself became a pirate by force, which, however, does not make him worse than others. Roberts worked on a slave trading ship that was captured by pirates. When they invited the sailors to join them, he agreed without hesitation. Although there is a possibility that the robbers also threatened to kill him if he did not go with them. Thanks to his high intelligence and talent for navigation, Roberts quickly gained the captain's trust. When the latter was killed, he (by that time having lived with the pirates for only six months) was elected in his place.

Roberts became an outstanding pirate, but apparently never forgot where he came from. Having boarded a ship, he, before making money, asked the captured sailors whether the captain and officers had treated them well. If a complaint was made against anyone from the commanding staff, Roberts dealt mercilessly with the offenders. By the way, other pirates also practiced this. although their punishments were more sophisticated.

Roberts, being a civilized man, eventually forced his crew (the one who had previously captured him) to follow a strict 11-point code of conduct, which included: a ban on gambling, a ban on women on board, and an eight-hour blackout. evenings and mandatory washing of dirty bed linen.

7. Barbarossa

In movies and TV shows, a pirate can be considered lucky if they have at least one ship and a crew of a couple dozen people. But as it turned out, some real pirates were much luckier in life. Thus, the Turkish pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa had not only his own fleet, but also his own state.

Barbarossa started out as an ordinary merchant, but after an unsuccessful political decision (he supported the wrong candidate for sultan) he was forced to leave the Eastern Mediterranean. Becoming a pirate, Barbarossa began attacking Christian ships in the area of ​​what is now Tunisia until his enemies captured his base, leaving him homeless. Tired of being constantly kicked out from everywhere, Barbarossa founded his own state, known as the Algerian Regency (the territory of modern Algeria, Tunisia and part of Morocco). He succeeded in this thanks to an alliance with the Turkish Sultan, who, in exchange for support, supplied him with ships and weapons.

Large and tiny, powerful and maneuverable - all these ships, as a rule, were built for completely different purposes, but sooner or later they ended up in the hands of corsairs. Some ended their “careers” in battle, others were resold, others sank in storms, but all of them glorified their owners in one way or another.

Adventure Galley is the favorite ship of William Kidd, an English privateer and pirate. This unusual frigate galley was equipped with straight sails and oars, which made it possible to maneuver both against the wind and in calm weather. The 287-ton ship with 34 guns accommodated 160 crew and was primarily intended to destroy the ships of other pirates.

Queen Anne's Revenge is the flagship of the legendary captain Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard. This 40-gun frigate was originally called Concorde, belonged to Spain, then passed to France, until it was finally captured by Blackbeard Under his leadership, the ship was strengthened and renamed. "Queen Anne's Revenge" sank dozens of merchant and military ships that stood in the way of the famous pirate.

Whydah is the flagship of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the pirates of the golden age of sea robbery. The Ouida was a fast and maneuverable vessel capable of carrying a lot of treasure. Unfortunately for Black Sam, only a year after the start of his pirate “career” the ship was caught in a terrible storm and was thrown ashore. The entire crew, except two people, died. By the way, Sam Bellamy was the richest pirate in history, according to Forbes' recalculation, his fortune amounted to about 132 million dollars in modern equivalent.

"Royal Fortune" belonged to Bartholomew Roberts, the famous Welsh corsair, with whose death the golden age of piracy ended. Bartholomew had several ships during his career, but the 42-gun, three-masted ship of the line was his favorite. On it he met his death in battle with the British warship "Swallow" in 1722.

Fancy is the ship of Henry Avery, also known as Long Ben and the Arch-Pirate. The Spanish 30-gun frigate Charles II successfully plundered French ships, but eventually a mutiny broke out on it, and power passed to Avery, who served as first mate. Avery renamed the ship Imagination and sailed on it until his career ended.

Happy Delivery is a small but beloved ship of George Lowther, an 18th-century English pirate. His signature tactic was to ram an enemy ship with his own while simultaneously boarding it with lightning speed.

The Golden Hind was an English galleon that circumnavigated the world between 1577 and 1580 under the command of Sir Francis Drake. The ship was originally named "Pelican", but upon entering the Pacific Ocean, Drake renamed it in honor of his patron, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hatton, who had a golden hind on his coat of arms.

The Rising Sun was a ship owned by Christopher Moody, a truly ruthless thug who took no prisoners as a matter of principle. This 35-gun frigate terrified Moody's enemies until he was safely hanged - but she went down in history with the most unusual pirate flag known, yellow on a red background, and even with a winged hourglass to the left of the skull.

All pirate ships, regardless of size and origin, met certain requirements to one degree or another. First of all, the pirate ship had to be sufficiently seaworthy, since it often had to endure storms on the open ocean. The so-called "golden age of piracy" (1690-1730) was marked by particular piracy activity in the Caribbean Sea, on the Atlantic coast of North America, the west coast of Africa and in the Indian Ocean. The first two of these areas are famous for frequent hurricanes, the season of which lasts from June to November, reaching its peak in August-September. At the beginning of the 17th century, sailors were already well aware of the existence of a hurricane season on the Atlantic and that these hurricanes originated off the West African coast. Sailors have learned to predict the approaching hurricane. Knowing that a storm was approaching, the ship's captain could try to get away from it or find shelter. Winds blowing at speeds of more than 150 km/h have caused catastrophic destruction on the coast and sunk ships for centuries. For pirates, for whom access to most ports was closed, storms posed a particular threat. Their ships had to be particularly stable and withstand any storm. Mandatory attributes of a pirate ship were a set of storm sails, a durable hull, reliable pumps for pumping water out of the hold and an experienced crew. For pirates, hurricanes also had a positive side, as they damaged other ships, leaving them defenseless. Pirate Henry Jennings began his career by plundering Spanish galleons washed ashore in the 1715 hurricane. In the Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones, which in the western Pacific are known as typhoons, were no less dangerous. In the northern Indian Ocean, tropical cyclones occur from May to November, while further south the cyclone season occurs from December to March. Meteorologists report an average of 85 hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones per year. Apparently, during the "golden age of piracy" this number was approximately the same. Hurricanes and typhoons are dangerous even for modern ships. How dangerous they were for sailing ships, deprived of the opportunity to receive a storm warning by radio! Add to this the constant risk of Atlantic storms and rough seas in the Cape of Good Hope area... It is interesting that in those days transatlantic crossings (and circumnavigations!) were often carried out by sloops and even smaller vessels, which today are used only for coastal fishing (meaning vessels of the same size). For example, Bartholomew Roberts crossed the Atlantic several times, and also walked along the coast of the New World from Brazil to Newfoundland. The load on the wooden hull of a ship during a long voyage is compatible with short-term load during a storm. The problem is further aggravated by the constant fouling of the bottom with algae and shells, which seriously impair the performance of the vessel. Heavily overgrown sailing ship cannot reach a speed of more than three or four knots. Therefore, it is very important to periodically clean the bottom of the ship. But if the military and merchants had shipyards in port cities at their disposal, the pirates had to clean the bottom of their ships secretly, hiding in secluded bays and river mouths. Cleaning the bottom (heeling, pitching) of a small ship (sloop or brig) usually took a week. Larger ships required proportionately more time for this operation. While careening, the ship was vulnerable to attack and cases of attacks on pirate ships in a similar position are known.

The ship is also threatened by woodworms. The waters of the Caribbean Sea are the most infested with wood borers, so wooden ships floating in this region deteriorate faster than others. The Spaniards adhered to the rule that a ship making regular voyages to the Caribbean could not last longer than ten years, even if measures were taken to protect the hull. It should be noted that the problem of the ship's durability never arose before the pirates, because even the most successful of them, like Bartholomew Roberts, rarely operated for more than two years. Larger ships were better suited to sailing across the Atlantic, but required more time to heel. It is much easier to clean the bottom of a small ship. Small ships have a shallow draft, which allows them to sail more confidently in coastal waters, as well as swim into river mouths, sandbanks and inland waters. In 1715, New York Governor Hunter wrote the following lines to London: “The coast is infested with privateers, who, taking advantage of the opportunity of rowing in the shallow waters, are moving away from His Majesty’s ships.” The governor demanded at his disposal a flotilla of sloops capable of fighting pirates in the shallow waters of Long Island and the mouth of the Hudson.

To others mandatory requirement there was high speed towards the pirate ship. There is a mathematical formula that determines the relationship between the size of the ship, the shape of the hull and the number of sails the ship can carry. Theoretically, a large ship can carry more sails, but its hull also has a greater displacement. A large sail area has a positive effect on speed, while a large displacement, on the contrary, limits it. Small ships such as a brigantine have a small sail area, but the ratio of sail area to displacement is greater than that of square-rigged ships, giving them a speed advantage. Small narrow and shallow-draft vessels, such as sloops and schooners, have improved hydrodynamics, which also increases their speed. Although speed is determined by a complex third-degree equation, the main reasons that determine it are well known. Pirate ships were generally faster than square-rigged merchant ships. Pirates valued certain types of ships precisely for their speed. Thus, single-masted sloops built in Jamaica or Bermuda were especially popular among pirates.

The speed of a ship is also influenced by factors that are difficult to express mathematically. We have already talked about fouling of the bottom. Pirates needed to keel their ships regularly, since every additional knot of speed was important to them. Certain types of ships sailed better in certain winds. For example, ships with gaff sails could stay steeper to the wind than ships with straight sails; a lateen sail is especially good in a crosswind, but helps little in a tailwind. But most important was the experience of the captain and the qualifications of the team. Experienced sailors can squeeze out an extra knot of speed by knowing the characteristics of their vessel. All other things being equal, an experienced crew will definitely outplay the enemy. When in 1718 the ships of the Royal Navy set off towards the Bahamas to intercept Charles Vane, the pirate, thanks to his skill and the quality of the ship, was able to break away from his pursuers. According to the testimony of one of the English officers, Vane made two feet when the royal ships made one. Finally, adequate weaponry was important for a pirate ship. The more guns a ship carries, the greater its displacement, the lower its speed. For a successful pirate, getting guns was not a problem. They could be found on any boarded ship. The pirates avoided solving a naval battle with an artillery duel, as they did not want to damage the hull of the trophy. However, it is surprising to learn that pirates tried to arm their ships as much as possible, sometimes turning them into real floating batteries. All this was done solely in case of a meeting with warships. Larger ships can carry more guns and provide a more useful fighting platform. We will talk in more detail about the armament of pirate ships below. For now, let’s just note that pirates found a balance between weapons, speed and seaworthiness of their ships in different ways. While some preferred small, fast sloops with a minimum of weapons, others tried to acquire large ships capable of carrying impressive artillery and sailing weapons.

The most famous pirates.

Bartholomew Roberts(1682-1722). This pirate was one of the most successful and fortunate in history. It is believed that Roberts was able to capture more than four hundred ships. At the same time, the cost of the pirate's production amounted to more than 50 million pounds sterling. And the pirate achieved such results in just two and a half years. Bartholomew was an unusual pirate - he was enlightened and loved to dress fashionably. Roberts was often seen in a burgundy vest and breeches, he wore a hat with a red feather, and on his chest hung a gold chain with a diamond cross. The pirate did not abuse alcohol at all, as was customary in this environment. Moreover, he even punished his sailors for drunkenness. We can say that it was Bartholomew, who was nicknamed “Black Bart”, who was the most successful pirate in history. Moreover, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as a third mate on a slave trading ship. Roberts' responsibilities included supervising the “cargo” and its safety. However, after being captured by pirates, the sailor himself was in the role of a slave. Nevertheless, the young European was able to please the captain Howell Davis who captured him, and he accepted him into his crew. And in June 1719, after the death of the leader of the gang during the storming of the fort, it was Roberts who led the team. He immediately captured the ill-fated city of Principe on the coast of Guinea and razed it to the ground. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, production off the African coast was scarce, which is why Roberts headed to the Caribbean in early 1720. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships were already shying away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. Throughout the summer of 1720, he was lucky - the pirate captured many ships, 22 of them right in the bays. However, even while engaged in robbery, Black Bart remained a devout man. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with the idea of ​​a cruel execution using a board thrown over the side of the ship. The team loved their captain so much that they were ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At different times he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams included escaped criminals and slaves of many different nationalities, calling themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.

Henry Morgan(1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a unique fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than simply rob sea ships. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army bypassing the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Last years Morgan spent his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery sank into the sea after the earthquake.
Francis Drake(1540-1596) was born in England, in the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, as long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach(1680-1718) is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.

William Kidd(1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the meager profits, periodically rebelled. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the English authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the struggle of political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Read(1685-1721). From childhood, girls were dressed in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off early.
Bonnie, Anne(1690 -?) - one of the most famous female pirates. She was born in Ireland into the family of a wealthy lawyer, William Cormack. She spent her childhood in South Carolina, where the family moved when Ann's father bought a plantation. Quite early she married a simple sailor James Bonney, with whom she ran away in search of adventure. Then Anne Bonny got involved with a famous pirateJack Rackham. She began sailing on his ship and participating in pirate raids. During one of these raids, Anne metMary Reid. , after which they continued to engage in maritime robbery together. It is not known exactly how many lives the spoiled daughter of an ex-lawyer ruined, but in 1720 a pirate ship was ambushed, after which all the robbers faced the gallows. However, by that time Anne was already pregnant, and the intervention of her rich daddy arrived very opportunely, so that in the end the pirate managed to avoid the well-deserved gallows and even went free. Then her traces are lost. In general, the example of Anne Bonny is interesting as a rare case in those days when a woman took on a purely male craft.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseurbecame the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained unfound.

Zheng Shi(1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the fact that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate is reflected in literature and cinema; there are many legends about her.

William Dampier(1651-1715) is often called not just a pirate, but also a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of ​​traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Journey Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair expedition around the world. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Edward Lau(1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing rare bloodthirstiness.

Arouge Barbarossa(1473-1518) became a pirate at age 16 after the Turks captured his home island of Lesbos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.

Jack Rackham (1682-1720). And this famous pirate had the nickname Calico Jack. The fact is that he loved to wear Calico pants, which were brought from India. And although this pirate was not the most cruel or the luckiest, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham’s team included two women dressed in men’s clothing - Mary Read and Anne Boni. Both of them were the pirate's mistresses. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and bravery of his ladies, Rackham's team became famous. But his luck changed when in 1720 his ship met the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To escape pursuit, Rackham ordered the anchor to be cut. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The pirate captain and his entire crew were hanged in Port Royal, Jamaica. Just before his death, Rackham asked to see Anne Bonney. But she herself refused him this, saying that if the pirate had fought like a man, he would not have died like a dog. It is said that John Rackham is the author of the famous pirate symbol - the skull and crossbones, the Jolly Roger. Jean Lafitte (?-1826). This famous corsair was also a smuggler. With the tacit consent of the government of the young American state, he calmly robbed the ships of England and Spain in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of pirate activity occurred in the 1810s. It is unknown where and when exactly Jean Lafitte was born. It is possible that he was a native of Haiti and was a secret Spanish agent. It was said that Lafitte knew the Gulf coast better than many cartographers. It was known for sure that he sold the stolen goods through his brother, a merchant who lived in New Orleans. The Lafittes illegally supplied slaves to the southern states, but thanks to their guns and men, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 at the Battle of New Orleans. In 1817, under pressure from the authorities, the pirate settled on the Texas island of Galveston, where he even founded his own state, Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves, using intermediaries. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered to be insolent, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from what was once a whole fleet. Then Lafitte and a group of his followers settled on the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. But even then he did not attack American ships. And after 1826 there is no information about the valiant pirate. In Louisiana itself, there are still legends about Captain Lafitte. And in the city of Lake Charles, “smugglers’ days” are even held in memory of him. A nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is even named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, he was played by Yul Brynner.

Thomas Cavendish(1560-1592). Pirates not only robbed ships, but were also brave travelers, discovering new lands. In particular, Cavendish was the third sailor who decided to travel around the world. His youth was spent in the English fleet. Thomas led such a hectic life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went to rich America for his share of the spoils. He returned to his homeland rich. Easy money and the help of fortune forced Cavendish to choose the path of a pirate to gain fame and fortune. On July 22, 1586, Thomas headed his own flotilla from Plymouth to Sierra Leone. The expedition aimed to find new islands and study winds and currents. However, this did not stop them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, plundered local settlements. A successful start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. On January 7, 1587, Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan and then headed north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European passed this way - Francis Drake. The Spanish controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it Spanish Lake. The rumor of English pirates forced the garrisons to gather. But the Englishman's flotilla was worn out - Thomas found a quiet bay for repairs. The Spaniards did not wait, having found the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repelled the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately plundered several neighboring settlements. Two ships went further. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for a “treasury” ship with all the proceeds of the Mexican colonies. Persistence was rewarded, and the British captured a lot of gold and jewelry. However, when dividing the spoils, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with only one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a cargo of spices by robbery. On September 9, 1588, Cavendish's ship returned to Plymouth. The pirate not only became one of the first to circumnavigate the world, but also did it very quickly - in 2 years and 50 days. In addition, 50 of his crew returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted for more than two centuries.
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Piracy appeared as soon as people began to use watercraft to transport goods. In different countries and in different eras, pirates were called filibusters, ushkuiniki, corsairs, privateers.

The most famous pirates in history left behind a significant mark: they inspired fear in life, and in death their adventures continue to attract undiminished interest. Piracy has had a great influence on culture: sea robbers have become central figures in many famous literary works, modern films and TV series.

10 Jack Rackham

One of the most famous pirates in history is Jack Rackham, who lived in the 18th century. He is interesting because there were two women on his team. His love for Indian calico shirts in bright colors earned him the nickname Calico Jack. In the navy he found himself in early age out of need. For a long time he served as senior helmsman under the command of the famous pirate Charles Vane. After the latter tried to refuse a fight with a French warship pursuing a pirate ship, Rackham rebelled and was elected as the new captain according to the order of the pirate code. Calico Jack differed from other sea robbers in his gentle treatment of his victims, which, however, did not save him from the gallows. The pirate was executed on November 17, 1720 in Port Royal, and his body was hung as a warning to other robbers at the entrance to the harbor.

9 William Kidd

The story of one of the most famous pirates in history, William Kidd, is still controversial among scholars of his life. Some historians are sure that he was not a pirate and acted strictly within the framework of the marque patent. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of attacking 5 ships and murder. Despite the fact that he tried to get his release in exchange for information about the location where the valuables were hidden, Kidd was sentenced to hang. After the execution, the body of the pirate and his accomplices was hung for public display over the Thames, where it hung for 3 years.

The legend of Kidd's hidden treasure has long intrigued people's minds. The belief that the treasure really exists was supported by literary works that mentioned pirate treasure. Kidd's hidden wealth was searched on many islands, but to no avail. The fact that the treasure is not a myth is evidenced by the fact that in 2015, British divers found the wreckage of a pirate ship off the coast of Madagascar and underneath it a 50-kilogram ingot, which, according to experts, belonged to Captain Kidd.

8 Madame Shi

Madame Shi, or Madam Zheng, is one of the world's most famous female pirates. After the death of her husband, she inherited his pirate flotilla and put sea robbery on a grand scale. Under her command were two thousand ships and seventy thousand people. The strictest discipline helped her command an entire army. For example, for unauthorized absence from a ship, the offender lost an ear. Not all of Madame Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains once rebelled and went over to the side of the authorities. After Madame Shi's power was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to an old age in freedom, running a brothel.

7 Francis Drake

Francis Drake is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Actually, he was not a pirate, but a corsair who acted on the seas and oceans against enemy ships with the special permission of Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coasts of Central and South America, he became immensely rich. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he opened a strait, which he named in his honor, and under his command the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, one of the ships of the English navy has been named after the famous navigator and corsair Francis Drake.

6 Henry Morgan

The list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without the name of Henry Morgan. Despite the fact that he was born into a wealthy family of an English landowner, from his youth Morgan connected his life with the sea. He was hired as a cabin boy on one of the ships and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to move to Jamaica, where Morgan joined a gang of pirates. Several successful trips allowed him and his comrades to purchase a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a good decision. A few years later there were 35 ships under his command. With such a fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a day and burn the entire city. Since Morgan acted mainly against Spanish ships and pursued an active English colonial policy, after his arrest the pirate was not executed. On the contrary, for the services rendered to Britain in the fight against Spain, Henry Morgan received the post of lieutenant governor of Jamaica. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from cirrhosis of the liver.

5 Bartholomew Roberts

Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart, is one of the most colorful pirates in history, although he is not as famous as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. Black Bart became the most successful filibuster in the history of piracy. During his short pirate career (3 years), he captured 456 ships. Its production is estimated at 50 million pounds sterling. It is believed that he created the famous "Pirate Code". He was killed in action with a British warship. The pirate's body, according to his will, was thrown into the water, and the remains of one of the greatest pirates were never found.

4 Edward Teach

Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone has heard his name. Teach lived and was engaged in sea robbery at the very height of the golden age of piracy. Having enlisted at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience, which would then be useful to him in the future. According to historians, Teach took part in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after its end he deliberately decided to become a pirate. The fame of a ruthless filibuster helped Blackbeard seize ships without the use of weapons - upon seeing his flag, the victim surrendered without a fight. The cheerful life of a pirate did not last long - Teach died during a boarding battle with a British warship pursuing him.

3 Henry Avery

One of the most famous pirates in history is Henry Avery, nicknamed Long Ben. The father of the future famous buccaneer was a captain in the British fleet. Since childhood, Avery dreamed of sea voyages. He began his career in the navy as a cabin boy. Avery then received an appointment as first mate on a corsair frigate. The ship's crew soon rebelled, and the first mate was proclaimed captain of the pirate ship. So Avery took the path of piracy. He became famous for capturing the ships of Indian pilgrims heading to Mecca. The pirates' booty was unheard of at that time: 600 thousand pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Avery later officially married. How the life of the famous filibuster ended is unknown.

2 Amaro Pargo

Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous freebooters of the golden age of piracy. Pargo transported slaves and made a fortune from it. Wealth allowed him to engage in charity work. He lived to a ripe old age.

1 Samuel Bellamy

Among the most famous sea robbers is Samuel Bellamy, known as Black Sam. He joined the pirates to marry Maria Hallett. Bellamy desperately lacked funds to provide for his future family, and he joined Benjamin Hornigold's crew of pirates. A year later, he became captain of the bandits, allowing Hornigold to leave peacefully. Thanks to a whole network of informants and spies, Bellamy was able to capture one of the fastest ships of the time, the frigate Whyda. Bellamy died while swimming to his beloved. The Whyda was caught in a storm, the ship was driven aground and the crew, including Black Sam, died. Bellamy's career as a pirate lasted only a year.