Places That Were Plundered by Pirates of Old
Pirates have plundered most of the world's seas. During the Golden Age of Piracy, they were most active in the Caribbean. Here was the Spanish Main—the route by which the Spanish took gold, silver, and other riches from the Americas.
When piracy in the Spanish Main died down, pirates moved to the Ocean, where trade between the East and Europe was expanding.
In North America, pirates attacked British merchant and navy ships, helping America secure its independence. Wherever there was loot to steal, pirates could be found. Today, one of the most popular places for piracy is the South China Sea.
When piracy in the Spanish Main died down, pirates moved to the Ocean, where trade between the East and Europe was expanding.
In North America, pirates attacked British merchant and navy ships, helping America secure its independence. Wherever there was loot to steal, pirates could be found. Today, one of the most popular places for piracy is the South China Sea.
Pirates of the Mediterranean
During the era of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, pirates had success plundering the Mediterranean because there were so many trading vessels in a relatively small body of water. The Mediterranean also offered many excellent hiding places on the many islands and in secluded covers all along the coastlines.
Between the 11th and 17th centuries, there were two groups of pirates who waged a religious war. These were Christian corsairs from the island of Malta, and the Muslim corsairs from the north coast of Africa. The Muslim corsairs were known as the Barbary pirates because they operated along the Barbary Coast of Africa, including the Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis.
The Barbary corsairs had galleys with over one hundred fighting men, but these men didn’t do any of the rowing—that was left to the slaves. When the Barbary corsairs boarded a Christian merchant ship, they treated the enemy crew harshly causing great pain and suffering. They immediately turned them into slaves and stole their ships.
These prisoners were commonly shackled together while rowing long oars to power the ship, and didn't survive for long. Some lucky slaves might be released if their families paid an expensive ransom. The Christian corsairs of Malta treated captured Barbary corsairs the same way. When these two pirate groups were not attacking each other, they were plundering trade ships from other countries.
Between the 11th and 17th centuries, there were two groups of pirates who waged a religious war. These were Christian corsairs from the island of Malta, and the Muslim corsairs from the north coast of Africa. The Muslim corsairs were known as the Barbary pirates because they operated along the Barbary Coast of Africa, including the Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis.
The Barbary corsairs had galleys with over one hundred fighting men, but these men didn’t do any of the rowing—that was left to the slaves. When the Barbary corsairs boarded a Christian merchant ship, they treated the enemy crew harshly causing great pain and suffering. They immediately turned them into slaves and stole their ships.
These prisoners were commonly shackled together while rowing long oars to power the ship, and didn't survive for long. Some lucky slaves might be released if their families paid an expensive ransom. The Christian corsairs of Malta treated captured Barbary corsairs the same way. When these two pirate groups were not attacking each other, they were plundering trade ships from other countries.
The Spanish Main
The Spanish Main was the most legendary stage for pirates thirsty for riches and adventure. Beginning in the late 15th century, Spain set out to find a more convenient trade route to the East. What they found were the Americas, vast lands rich with treasure not found in Europe.
The Spanish conquistadors found gold and jewels in parts of Mexico and South America. The Spanish explorers established settlements and mined the riches for transport back to Europe.
Many argue that pirates were a ruthless bunch, but the Spanish conquistadors were thieves also. It was the Spanish army that ultimately attacked and wiped out the ancient civilizations of the Americas, including the Aztecs and Incas, by the beginning of the 16th century.
The Spanish Main consisted of North and South America and later, included the Caribbean Sea and the surrounding islands in the West Indies such as Jamaica and Hispaniola. After the Spanish had set up colonies and plundered the gold and silver from the Americas, they sailed it back to Europe on enormous treasure ships, called galleons.
The pirates in the Spanish Main sailed in small, sleek sloops, which were swift and easy to maneuver to catch up with the treasure ships sailing to Europe. This period, known as the Golden Age of piracy, included the time period between the 16th and 18th centuries, but mainly the 30 years before 1725.
The Spanish conquistadors found gold and jewels in parts of Mexico and South America. The Spanish explorers established settlements and mined the riches for transport back to Europe.
Many argue that pirates were a ruthless bunch, but the Spanish conquistadors were thieves also. It was the Spanish army that ultimately attacked and wiped out the ancient civilizations of the Americas, including the Aztecs and Incas, by the beginning of the 16th century.
The Spanish Main consisted of North and South America and later, included the Caribbean Sea and the surrounding islands in the West Indies such as Jamaica and Hispaniola. After the Spanish had set up colonies and plundered the gold and silver from the Americas, they sailed it back to Europe on enormous treasure ships, called galleons.
The pirates in the Spanish Main sailed in small, sleek sloops, which were swift and easy to maneuver to catch up with the treasure ships sailing to Europe. This period, known as the Golden Age of piracy, included the time period between the 16th and 18th centuries, but mainly the 30 years before 1725.
Pirates of the Far East
For centuries, pirates have scoured the Indian Ocean and South China Seas, seeking out booty from trading ships carrying luxuries and goods. In the late 17th century, piracy in the Spanish Main was dwindling, and pirate activity in the East began to heat up.
Trade was growing in the East, especially where merchants from East India Companies hauled valuable treasure like silk, spices, porcelain, and tea across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Arab and Indian pirates attacked them using vessels called dhows, which were small and sleek.
They, along with pirates from the Americas, cruised across the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Africa near Madagascar, which was a prime staging area for pirates to attack merchant vessels heading for Europe. The attack of the pirates in the Far East crippled the area's trade with Europe.
In the South China Seas, convoys of pirates sailed in boats called junks. They weren't what the name suggests—on the contrary, they were strong vessels that were really converted merchant ships that had been fortified with guns and crew.
Junks were fairly narrow ships with three masts, and part of the rigging was made of bamboo. They were highly decorative ships and flew flags different from the Jolly Rogers hoisted by the pirates of the Spanish Main.
During this time, pirate junks were almost unstoppable. The Chinese and Japanese navies joined forces in an effort to halt the plundering, but they had too few warships to do much.
Note: One famous female pirate who raided the South China Seas and the Pearl River Delta was Cheng I Sao, or Madame Cheng. She consolidated different pirate gangs in the area, and built a pirate fleet of more than 2,000 ships and thousands of men and women under her command.
Trade was growing in the East, especially where merchants from East India Companies hauled valuable treasure like silk, spices, porcelain, and tea across the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. Arab and Indian pirates attacked them using vessels called dhows, which were small and sleek.
They, along with pirates from the Americas, cruised across the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Africa near Madagascar, which was a prime staging area for pirates to attack merchant vessels heading for Europe. The attack of the pirates in the Far East crippled the area's trade with Europe.
In the South China Seas, convoys of pirates sailed in boats called junks. They weren't what the name suggests—on the contrary, they were strong vessels that were really converted merchant ships that had been fortified with guns and crew.
Junks were fairly narrow ships with three masts, and part of the rigging was made of bamboo. They were highly decorative ships and flew flags different from the Jolly Rogers hoisted by the pirates of the Spanish Main.
During this time, pirate junks were almost unstoppable. The Chinese and Japanese navies joined forces in an effort to halt the plundering, but they had too few warships to do much.
Note: One famous female pirate who raided the South China Seas and the Pearl River Delta was Cheng I Sao, or Madame Cheng. She consolidated different pirate gangs in the area, and built a pirate fleet of more than 2,000 ships and thousands of men and women under her command.
Privateers of America
One of the most powerful groups of pirates was the American privateers used during the American Revolution (1775-1783). America was trying to establish its independence from British rule, and it used pirates to help win fight for freedom.
Hundreds of pirates were recruited as privateers and given Marques In the fledgling government in return for swearing allegiance to American independence. These volunteer pirates were paid excellent wages to attack British merchant vessels in the Atlantic Ocean and West Indies, disrupting Britain’s lucrative trade routes.
These brave privateers also protected their own waters along the North American coast. They chased English ships on the high seas, capturing supplies that were difficult to find during the war, like weapons, ammunition and food. Some were lucky enough to intercept and loot cargoes containing precious booty like gold!
After a brief period, privateers were again called upon during another war with Britain in 1812. The events leading up to the war were complicated, with America having disputes with Canada, and the British struggling against both France and America.
The French imposed a European blockade against English ships, and the British in turn seized American ships and forced the crews to serve in the Royal Navy. During this war, American privateers again successfully attacked and captured British merchant and warships.
Hundreds of pirates were recruited as privateers and given Marques In the fledgling government in return for swearing allegiance to American independence. These volunteer pirates were paid excellent wages to attack British merchant vessels in the Atlantic Ocean and West Indies, disrupting Britain’s lucrative trade routes.
These brave privateers also protected their own waters along the North American coast. They chased English ships on the high seas, capturing supplies that were difficult to find during the war, like weapons, ammunition and food. Some were lucky enough to intercept and loot cargoes containing precious booty like gold!
After a brief period, privateers were again called upon during another war with Britain in 1812. The events leading up to the war were complicated, with America having disputes with Canada, and the British struggling against both France and America.
The French imposed a European blockade against English ships, and the British in turn seized American ships and forced the crews to serve in the Royal Navy. During this war, American privateers again successfully attacked and captured British merchant and warships.