#piratehistorypodcast

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 23 October • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1718, while cruising off Long Island, Charles Vane captured a brigantine and sloop bound from Jamaica to New England. Charles Vane had been patrolling for prizes off Charleston, when they discovered Col. Thomas Rhett was in the area in search of pirates, namely Stede Bonnet and his crew. Feigning a move to the south to put Rhett off his trail, Vane instead turned north and ducked into an inlet to lay low, coincidentally running into Blackbeard, who happened to also be in the area. There they rested for several weeks with Blackbeard and his company, before finally weighing anchor and heading north toward New York, where they would eventually come upon and take the New England-bound prizes. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #pirateship #pirate #pirates #charlesvane #blacksails #piratecaptain #blackbeard https://www.instagram.com/p/CkD9eJkrxar/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 21 October • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1520, explorer and navigator Ferdinand Magellan discovers the Strait that would later bear his name. After quelling a potentially vicious mutiny at Port St. Julian earlier in the year, Magellan and his Armada de Molucca continued sailing south along the coast of Argentina. Probing every estuary, Magellan hoped to discover the passage that would lead his crew through Terra Firma and into the Pacific Ocean. On the 21st of October, the small Armada rounded Cabo Virgenes and entered the passage that proved to be the Strait that he was seeking. With the San Antonio having deserted the expedition, the remaining three ships made their way through the winding waterway until they finally reached the other side. When the Pacific Ocean finally came into view, the always stoic Magellan reportedly broke down and cried with tears of joy. . . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #pirates #explorer #circumnavigation #straitofmagellan #armadademolucca #ferdinandmagellan #victoria #pirateship #thisdateinpiratehistory https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj_d1MkrNk8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 28 March • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1718, Stede Bonnet, aboard his ship Revenge, unsuccessfully attacks the merchant ship, Protestant Caesar. Bonnet’s men spotted the merchant ship Protestant Caesar near Roatán, off the coast of Honduras. Protestant Caesar was an impressive ship boasting twenty-six cannon and 400-tons; she was more than four times the size of Bonnet’s Revenge. Nonetheless, Bonnet and his men decided to give chase and attack. They caught up to the Protestant Caesar at 9pm and, with a clever move, cut behind the merchant ship and fired five cannon and a volley of musket. The Caesar responded by firing off two stern guns and a hail of bullets. As the smoke cleared, Bonnet called out that if the ship fired another gun, no quarter would be given, and they would kill everyone onboard. Knowing a bluff when he saw one, the ship’s captain - William Wyer of Boston - let off another salvo of his cannon. The two ships exchanged fire for several hours, but seeing the futility of the effort, Bonnet eventually broke off from the engagement and retreated into the night. Disgruntled by the continued lack of successes under Bonnet, the crew made it known that his captaincy was on thin ice; many vowed to abandon when the ship came into the next port. As they pulled into Turneffe several days later, many were pleased to see the Queen Anne’s Revenge anchored nearby. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #piratebattle #pirateship #stedebonnet #blackbeard #historyofpirates #piracy #historyofpiracy #roatan #piratebay https://www.instagram.com/p/CbqG4fGJoVE/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 22 December • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1709, privateer captain Woodes Rogers captured the Manila galleon Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion y Desengaño. The Desengaño was part of a convoy crossing the Pacific en route to Acapulco, tasked with escorting the much larger Nuestra Señora de Begoña. The Desengaño became separated from the rest of the convoy during the crossing and continued the journey on its own. Captain Rogers aboard his flagship Duke, along with its consorts Duchess and Marquis, had been anchored off the coast of Cabo San Lucas for two months, anticipating that the galleons would traverse this route. The Desengaño was unprepared for battle when it came upon the English ships. Having placed all of its cannons in its hold during the crossing, it was only able to respond with small arms and the light caliber guns it had on deck. The action was brief, with the Spanish ship surrendering after offering only minimal resistance. During the skirmish, Rogers was wounded in the face by a musket ball, and would carry the scar with him for the remainder of his life. The Nuestra Señora de la Encarnacion y Desengaño was commandeered by the English privateers and renamed Bachelor, with Thomas Dover appointed captain and the previously-marooned and recently-rescued Alexander Selkirk named its sailing master. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #pirate #historyofpirates #piraterepublic #privateer #privateerlife #spanishgalleon #piratebattle https://www.instagram.com/p/CX1G3q3LUAT/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 4 November • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1587, Thomas Cavendish captured and sacked the Spanish treasure galleon Santa Ana. Cavendish was patrolling the coast of Baja California in command of two vessels; his flagship Desire, and the smaller Content. During a resupply near Cabo San Lucas, they spotted a sail on the horizon, weighed anchor, and gave chase. The sails belonged to the 700-ton treasure galleon Santa Ana, which was so laden with treasure that the English privateer and his ships quickly overtook their quarry, greeting them with a flourish of broadsides. The Santa Ana boasted over 150 men, significantly more than were aboard the two English ships. However, it was so full of cargo that it’s cannons were below the water line and therefore useless. It’s captain, Tomas de Alzola, armed his men with arquebuses, swords, and even large rocks in an attempt to repel the boarders. The battle was fierce, with both sides sustaining losses, but in the end Cavendish and his English privateers overtook the Santa Ana and the Spanish crew, despite their valiant effort, ultimately surrendered. After the battle, the Santa Ana was sailed to shore where Cavendish and his crew would spend several days sacking the ship. All told, Cavendish and his crew took between 400,000 and 800,000 pesos. It was the largest loss ever suffered by a galleon during the two-plus centuries of Manila-Acapulco trade. Afterward, they beached the Santa Ana and set it afire; it burned four days before dying out. Cavendish and his crew turned their attention West, setting a course across the Pacific toward the Moluccas. . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #pirates #privateers #gentlemenadventurers #elizabethanseadogs #seadogs #englishpirates #treasuregalleon https://www.instagram.com/p/CV47_NnLQB6/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 22 August • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1719, ‘Calico’ Jack Rackham commandeered the sloop William from Nassau harbor. Rackham and his small band of pirates - including Anne Bonny and Mary Read - had been living life ashore on Nassau after receiving a pardon by Governor Woodes Rogers for previous piratical actions in Cuba. Growing bored with their new life of normalcy, Rackham and his small crew snuck into the harbor late at night and stole a small, 12-ton sloop called William. They slipped out of port and headed toward the waters off Jamaica. For about three months they preyed on fishing boats and small, poorly armed merchant ships. They quickly earned a reputation for ruthlessness, particularly the two women. Bonny and Read could fight, kill, and curse as well as any male pirates onboard. . . . . . #piratehistory #pirates #piratesofthecaribbean #calicojack #pirateship #piratehistorypodcast #historyofpirates #historyofpiracy #piratescove #piratecore #piraterepublic https://www.instagram.com/p/CS44fnBlTyS/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 29 September • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1717, the pirate Blackbeard captured the forty-ton sloop Betty at the Capes of Virginia. Blackbeard was in command of Stede Bonnet’s ship Revenge, as Bonnet was bed-ridden and incapable of captaining the ship himself. They had left the Bahamas and were on their way north to patrol the entrance of Delaware Bay, through which all of Philadelphia’s commerce passed. On their way, they closed upon and took the merchant sloop Betty, which was loaded with Madeira wine and other provisions. By this time, Blackbeard had begun cultivating his infamous persona, wearing a silk sling over his shoulder adorned with pistols, and lit fuses beneath his cap that burnt wildly and dangled down on each side of his face. Being just a humble merchant ship that worked the wine trade from Madeira to Virginia, the Betty’s crew quickly surrendered when they saw Blackbeard and his crew, hollering obscenities while waving muskets, cutlasses, and primitive grenades. Blackbeard ordered his crew to transfer the Madeira wine, along with the best of her cargo, before transferring the captives over to the Revenge and scuttling the ship. . . . . . . #piratehistory #pirates #pirateship #pirateflag #piratehistorypodcast #historyofpiracy #historyofpirates #blackbeard #edwardteach #piratecore #pirate #privateer https://www.instagram.com/p/CUbi168jVCk/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 19 October • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1696, six members of Henry Every’s crew are tried for piracy. After the infamous looting of the Ganj-i-Sawai’i by Every and his crew aboard the Fancy, the pirates split up and attempted to disappear. Some were less fortunate than others, and ended up captured and imprisoned at Old Bailey in London, where they would await their fate. On this day, William May, John Sparkes, Edward Forsyth, William Bishop, Joseph Dawson, and James Lewes stood before the court and heard their indictments read for their “crimes against humanity.” A seventh name was read aloud that day - Henry Every would be tried in absentia alongside these unfortunate six. After the prisoners listened to the indictments against them, five would maintain their innocence. Only Joseph Dawson pled guilty. The jury was sworn in, and chief prosecutor Henry Newton began his opening statements against the accused, focusing on Every’s history of piracy, as well as the threat posed by these pirates on the burgeoning trade that England was attempting to establish with India. Witnesses were called, condemnations were read, and the pirates would speak in their defense - unfortunately, no trial transcripts have survived, so most of the trial proceedings are conjecture. In the end, the six ill-fated men - along with Henry Every, and despite the mounting evidence against them - were found not guilty. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #pirates #piratesofthecaribbean #pirateking #piracy #historyofpiracy #piratetrial #oldbailey #henryevery https://www.instagram.com/p/CVN-yJfluZE/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 27 July • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1719, Bartholomew Roberts captures the Experiment, a merchantman out of London captained by Thomas Grant. Bartholomew Roberts had been elected captain of the Royal Rover shortly after Howel Davis - it’s previous captain - was killed in an ambush at Principe, West Africa, less than two months prior. Roberts’ first order of business had been to avenge the death of Capt. Davis, and he did so by returning to Principe in the dark of night, killing a large portion of the male population, stealing anything that could be carried away, and then burning the town to the ground. Several weeks later, off the coast of Cape Lopez, Roberts and his crew took their first prize in a Dutch merchant ship, followed two days later by English merchant ship Experiment. In a report to Admiralty officials, the ship’s captain, Thomas Grant, gave a detailed account of the capture. The ship had surrendered at the first sight of the black flag, and Grant had been brought aboard the Royal Rover. The pirates looted the Experiment of 50 ounces of gold, sixteen Portuguese moidores, ten guineas, and additional prizes and valuables that Capt. Grant had in his cabin. Afterward, Roberts’ mate, Walter Kennedy, persuaded his shipmates to burn the Experiment, and Thomas Grant would remain a prisoner aboard the Rover for over four months. . . . . . . #piratehistory #pirates #pirate #piratesofthecaribbean #privateer #pirateship #piratetreasure #piratehistorypodcast #bucaneers https://www.instagram.com/p/CR1wCi8jIDY/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 8 August • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1721, Bartholomew Roberts captures the 26-gun Royal African Company ship Onslow. The Onslow had made an unofficial stop so that it’s captain, William Gee, could indulge himself in private trade. It was riding at anchor when Roberts’ Royal Fortune came upon it, and the majority of it’s crew were ashore. The Onslow surrendered meekly, and the pirates began plundering it of its £9,000 worth of goods, cannon, gunpowder, pewter crockery, textiles, and copper and iron bars. As Roberts surveyed the cargo he realized that the real prize was the Onslow itself. The Royal Fortune had become “leaky and crazy,” a term used to describe an old and decrepit ship. They exchanged it with Captain Gee and began making alterations. They knocked down the bulkheads and removed the quarterdeck, making it sleek and streamlined and easy to move around in times of battle. They mounted it with 40 guns and decided to keep the name Royal Fortune. . . . . . #piratehistory #pirate #pirates #piratesofthecaribbean #piratehistorypodcast #bartholomewroberts #royalfortune #pirateround #blackbart https://www.instagram.com/p/CSU1nkrl6rK/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 26 July • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1718, Charles Vane escapes Nassau harbor during the arrival of new Royal Governor, Woodes Rogers. Woodes Rogers and the HMS Rose had arrived outside the harbor of Nassau the day prior, and Charles Vane had greeted him with three shots from his 24-gun French merchantman. Realizing he was quickly being boxed in, Vane transferred his guns and cargo to two smaller ships. Then, at midnight, he set his ship alight and sent it drifting toward Rogers’ ships, which had arrived and anchored at the harbor. As the burning ship bore down on the English vessels, they quickly cut their anchors and set their topsails, narrowly escaping the fire ship. By morning, as they were making their way back into the harbor, Charles Vane was quickly making his way out of and away from Nassau as quickly as possible. With his two shallow draft boats, he was able to escape through the narrow channel at the eastern end of the harbor. By the time the sloop Buck and another had been dispatched to track him down, Vane was well on his way. The sloops followed Vane out to sea but had to abandon chase, as Vane’s ships were simply much too quick to catch. . . . . . . #piratehistory #pirates #pirate #piratesofthecaribbean #buccaneers #nassaubahamas #nassauharbor #charlesvane #woodesrogers #pirateship #fireship #piratehistorypodcast https://www.instagram.com/p/CRy8vljjHzr/?utm_medium=tumblr

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 30 October • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1697, Captain William Kidd strikes and kills one of his own crewman aboard the Adventure Galley. William Kidd had accepted a privateering commission from William III of England to seek out and attack pirates, including such familiar names as Thomas Tew, William Mays, John Ireland, and Thomas Wake. When the voyage got off to an inconceivably slow and unsuccessful start, many members of the crew aboard Adventure Galley became rightfully disgruntled, as they had agreed to be paid by the prizes they captured. It wasn’t long before many of them became vocal about mutiny and going “on the account” as pirates. Many more of them openly pressured Kidd to take any prizes they came across, despite the stipulations outlined in the commission. On the morning of the 30th, a Dutch ship appeared on the horizon. Kidd’s gunner, William Moore, was on deck sharpening a chisel when the potential prize was spotted. Moore openly urged Kidd to attack the Dutch vessel, an act that would have been considered outright piracy. Kidd refused, calling Moore a lousy dog "If I am a lousy dog, you have made me so; you have brought me to ruin and many more,” the gunner retorted. In a fury, Capt Kidd heaved an iron-bound bucket at Moore, striking him in the head and fracturing his skull. William Moore would die of the injury the very next day. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #redseapirates #captainkidd #adventuregalley #piratesvoyage #pirates #historyofpiracy #privateer #thisdateinpiratehistory #piratelife https://www.instagram.com/p/CkWn33Npc5P/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 25 August • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1688, after a long battle with his failing health, Sir Henry Morgan succumbed to dropsy at the age of fifty-three. Sir Henry Morgan had been the most successful privateer of the Buccaneering Era, with his raids on Portobello, Maracaibo, and most famously Panama acting as the watermark upon which all other pirate raids would forever be measured. His successful actions against the Spanish would not only become legendary, but they would make him extremely wealthy. After his attack on Panama, Morgan retired from the privateering life and settled down as a wealthy landowner, purchasing several sugar plantations in Jamaica. Morgan’s steadfast loyalty to the English crown earned him the Lieutenant Governorship of Jamaica, and he was tasked with hunting down those same pirates that had accompanied him on so many of his privateering adventures. As he grew older, so too grew his penchant for entertaining his close group of friends over rum, punch, and fine Madeira wines. Indeed, Morgan settled into a life of excess, but it would be these excesses that would slowly cause his health to deteriorate. Toward the end of his life, his limbs began to swell with bloating and his belly distended until it outgrew his waistcoats. Nonetheless, Morgan continued to disregard his doctors and, although he eventually chased alternative medicines, he could no longer escape his fate. The news of Morgan’s passing swept across the Caribbean, and the Governor of Jamaica even issued a twenty-four-hour amnesty for anyone wishing to attend the funeral. Soon, ships from all over carrying grim, scar-faced men began arriving in the harbor to pay their respects to the man who had built Jamaica. Sir Henry Morgan was buried at Palisadoes Cemetery in Port Royal, accompanied by a twenty-two gun salute from the ships that were moored in the harbor. The great earthquake of 1692 sank the cemetery into the sea, and Morgan’s body has never been recovered. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #buccaneers #brethrenofthecoast #captainmorgan #portroyal #jamaica #piratelife #piracy https://www.instagram.com/p/Chr1yxfLo_E/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 8 June • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1708, the 64-gun Spanish galleon San José sank in battle off the coast of Cartagena, laden with gold, silver, emeralds and 600 people. The San Jose was part of the Spanish treasure fleet during the War of the Spanish Succession, and sailed as the flagship on its final voyage. On 8 June, the fleet encountered a British squadron patrolling off the coast of Columbia, and engaged in a battle known as Wager’s Action. During the battle, the San Jose’s powder magazine exploded, sending the ship and its cargo of Potosi gold and silver to the bottom of the ocean. Of the 600 people aboard, only eleven survived. The value of the wreck is estimated at $14.4 billion dollars. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #piratelife #spanishgalleon #cartagena #colombia #shipwreck #shipwrecktreasure #wrecktreasure #navalbattle #sunkentreasure https://www.instagram.com/p/CejShbzLQJm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 22 May • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1718, Blackbeard began his infamous blockade of Charleston. Blackbeard’s pirate fleet arrived off Charleston Bar, nine miles south of town, and seized the pilot boat before it could sail to town and raise an alarm. Then, they fanned their four vessels out across the approaches to the bar and waited for unsuspecting ships to sail into their trap. Within the first few days they captured at least five vessels: two outbound to London, two inbound from England, and a tiny sloop, the William, headed home to Philadelphia. The first of these captures, the 178-ton Crowley, had been headed out of the river, bound for London carrying some of the most distinguished citizens of Charleston. Blackbeard had them transferred over to the Queen Anne’s Revenge. They were interrogated thoroughly and then returned to the Crowley, where they were locked into the ship’s hold to await their fate. Blackbeard and his crew convened and decided that they would request a ransom for their captives. If they were refused, they threatened to not only kill all the captives and burn their vessels, but also to sail into Charleston harbor, sink all the ships there, and attack the town itself. Blackbeard sent a small group of pirates with their ransom request: a chest containing a list of medicines drawn up by their surgeon, with a total value of £400. With the captives in the hold of the Crowley and several captured ships at anchor amongst the pirates, Blackbeard and his crew would now wait to hear whether the town would agree to his demand or be destroyed. . . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #piratesofthecaribbean #pirate #blackbeard #edwardteach #charleston #blockade #queenannesrevenge #pirateship #historyofpiracy #piratelife https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd3xqHSJqiX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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#Repost @thisdateinpiratehistory ・・・ • 28 April • On #thisdateinpiratehistory in 1721, pirate Mary Read dies in prison. Mary Read was born in England in 1685, and began dressing as a boy at an early age. Initially encouraged by her mother in order to receive inheritance money, and then as a teenager to join the British military. After the death of her husband around 1715, she moved to the West Indies where she met “Calico” Jack Rackham and, dressing as a man, joined his crew. Her time as a pirate was short lived, however, as she was arrested for piracy in 1720 along with Rackham and Anne Bonny. While Rackham was executed quickly, both Read and Bonny “plead their bellies” (claimed they were pregnant), which delayed their execution. Read’s reprieve was brief however, as she caught a violent fever, likely due to complications from her pregnancy, and she died in prison. . . . . #piratehistory #piratehistorypodcast #pirate #piratesofthecaribbean #maryread #femalepirate #caribbean #historyofpirates #thisdateinpiratehistory #portroyal #jamaica https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc-u5ZFLn4r/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=