pirates: history & other stuff

hello hi! i wanted to make this blog because i was bored, but i'm also super fixated on pirates and just anything pirate related atm so! why not make a blog where i just yap about pirates? (^w^) i'll be editing/updating this as needed to, as well if i see any mistakes that i've possibly made or anything that i need to add of course.

Pirates & Piracy

pirates were criminals who committed robbery, assault, and murder. they mostly committed these crimes by boarding a big ship consisting of a captain in charge (as long as said captain was able to recruit a crew by making people sign up on a piece of paper), and sailing across the ocean, which is where most pirate activity took place. they would attack other boats, and in some cases even capture people and take them in as hostages. piracy dates back to the ancient times, with one of the oldest documents describing a sight of notorious attacks in the Mediterranean Sea, somewhere around the 14th century BC; by Pharo Akhenaten.

piracy was something that some people chose to do, while other times people were thrown into the life of piracy by force. maybe because they were captured by pirates, or because they were in a desperate situation and were poor, which in fact; most pirates at the time were.

The Golden Age of Piracy & Piracy Afterwards

beginning in the 1650s and ending in the 1730s, a time where the influence of politics and global trade were present, the number of pirates rose. at least more than 5,000 pirates are known to have been reported during the Golden Age of Piracy. they were most active within the Atlantic; primarily North America, Britain, the Caribbean, Europe, and the west coast of Africa. many pirates were runaways, poor, or sailors.

some of the most famous and notorious pirates were active during this time period as well, such as: Henry Morgan, William Captain Kidd (or just Captain Kidd), Calico Jack Rackham (or just Calico Jack), Bartholomew Roberts, and the most fearsome of all (although there are zero verified records of him ever being a violent pirate like the rest tended to be); Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard.

fun fact about Blackbeard actually — since he wasn't very much of a violent pirate, he relied on his menacing appearance in order to intimidate others and make them surrender. cool tactic.

also, "Jack" Rackham was actually just a nickname for his real first name, "John." don't know how? anyways, his nickname, "Calico" though, is derived from the type of clothing he'd often wear. he was mostly active towards the end of the Golden Age of Piracy.

piracy still existed after the 1730s, the only reason why the "Golden Age of Piracy" were from the 1650s-1730s was simply because it's known that more pirates began to pop up between this time period, which quickly increased pirate activity. piracy did decrease in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea around the 1800s. despite this information though, there's actually some pirates still active nowadays. modern day pirates in fact... crazy.

Modern Day Pirates & Piracy

it's kinda crazy to think that there are still pirates out here just casually living the real (but modern) pirate life. i actually just learned about this very recently, and i was surprised that something such as "modern day pirates," really exists in this world. which, yes; there's a possibility that u can encounter pirates if ure out in the ocean boarding a boat, but it mostly depends on the location ure in.

most modern day pirates are located to be in Somalia, Singapore Strait, Gulf of Guinea, Malacca Strait, Bangladesh, South China Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Indonesia. it is likely that more pirates may roam around elsewhere in other countries and oceans, but these are just some with various reports of pirate activity.

it is even stated that Indonesia has a high piracy rate; there have been many attacks by Indonesian pirates in the waters between Australia and Indonesia, which contributes to Indonesia's economic problems and instability. Somalia is another very known country for its high piracy rate and pirate attacks which occur in the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, Somali Sea, Somali territorial waters, and other surrounding places of Somalia. plus, even more pirate attacks have also been reported to happen around the coastal waters of Africa and the Caribbean. still??? wow

modern day pirates suck ASS. no sense of fashion like layering clothes, no stealing jewelry like rings and necklaces to go with the fits, not even any old revolvers with some very sick and pretty designs? or any swords?? not one big ship that can help you recruit a bigger crew as well?? losers.

Edward Teach (Blackbeard)

Edward Teach, or most commonly known as Blackbeard (c.1680-11/22/1718), was a notorious English pirate active during the Golden Age of Piracy. he operated around the West Indies and America's eastern coast, targeting shipping vessels. there's not much information known about his earlier life, but it is possible that he could've been a sailor on privateer ships during "Queen Anne's War," before settling on the Bahamian island of New Province. it was the base of Captain Benjamin Hornigold (very funny name), whose crew Blackbeard would later on join somewhere around 1716.

Blackbeard once captured a French slave ship that was named, "La Concorde," which he later renamed it as "Queen Anne's Revenge." he became a renowned pirate; managing to equip the ship with 40 guns and recruit over 300 men, many consisting of former slaves, ones whom he offered positions to on the same ship he had just taken over; technically freeing them. his nickname, "Blackbeard," derives from his intimidating appearance and thick black beard that he would often use as a weapon to make others fear him and surrender. he would also tie slow matches under his hat in order to scare his enemies.

Blackbeard sailed the Caribbean and Atlantic coast of North America along his crew on his ship, "Queen Anne's Revenge," which as stated; had formerly been a French slave ship. while sailing the sea, he'd often torture crewmen and passengers on merchant ships while stealing cargo. although, it is most likely that his men were the ones to act on these attacks. Blackbeard has been known to be a pirate who had never involved himself in violence as a way to get what he wanted, relying on his own appearance that would always work when it came to making others fear him. still, he became one of the most notorious and feared pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy, making him one of the most successful pirates ever.

he died on November 22, 1718 after suffering from 25 wounds, getting repeatedly stabbed over 20 times and shot 5 times by Lieutenant Maynard, during one of Blackbeard's very last battles; ultimately leading to his death. after Lieutenant Maynard had successfully killed Blackbeard, he still needed proof to present in order to prove that Blackbeard was really dead so he could earn the Bounty that was offered by Governor Spotswood. so, Lieutenant Maynard beheaded Blackbeard and then hung up his decapitated head in front of a ship he used to sail back home.