The following pirates were popular during the Golden Age of piracy, more specifically the “Pirate Round”.
Blackbeard
One of the most famous pirates of all time, Blackbeard was the captain of the notorious Queen Anne’s Revenge. Fun fact, he named his ship “Queen Anne’s Revenge” because he had just served as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War.
After procuring the Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard sailed to the Grenadines where he and his crew defeated a French vessel. After their win, they sailed through the Bahamas and proceeded up the North American coast. In May 1718, the pirates arrived off Charleston, South Carolina, with Queen Anne’s Revenge and three smaller ships.
In perhaps the most brazen act of his piratical career, Blackbeard blockaded the port of Charleston for nearly a week. The pirates seized several ships attempting to enter or leave the port and detained the crew and passengers of one ship, the Crowley, as prisoners.
As ransom for the hostages, Blackbeard demanded a chest of medicine. Once delivered, the captives were released, and the pirates continued their journey up the coast. Their numbers and skills were increasing dangerously.
Soon after leaving Charleston, Blackbeard’s fleet attempted to enter Old Topsail Inlet in North Carolina. During that attempt, Queen Anne’s Revenge and the sloop Adventure grounded on the ocean bar and were abandoned.
Herriot, captain of the ship Adventure which was captured by Blackbeard, claims that Blackbeard intentionally grounded Queen Anne’s Revenge and Adventure in order to break up the company, which by this time had grown to over 300 pirates. Intentional or not, that is what happened as Blackbeard marooned some pirates and left Beaufort with a hand picked crew and most of the valuable plunder.
Blackbeard’s piratical career ended six months later at Ocracoke Inlet on the North Carolina coast. There he encountered an armed contingent sent by Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood and led by Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard.
In a desperate battle aboard Maynard’s sloop, Blackbeard and a number of his fellow pirates were killed. Maynard returned to Virginia with the surviving pirates and the grim trophy of Blackbeard’s severed head hanging from the ship’s bowsprit.
Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts
The most successful sea robber of his time and whose death signaled the end of the Golden Age of pirates. He later made FORBES list of top earning pirates!
Originally from Wales, Black Bart became a pirate pretty late in his life. He was 36 when he was captured by pirates and ended up becoming one of the most successful of his time. He was captured by Captain Davis who enlisted him as the ship’s navigator. After traveling with them for sometime, Davis decided to board at the Island of Princes where he was shot and killed. The crew, even though Roberts had only been there for less than 6 weeks, voted him Captain! This marked the beginning of Roberts’ vicious and victorious time during which he vowed to avenge Davis’ death.
Along the way, Roberts would collect ships. Him and his crew would spend the loot as if it were seawater. After deciding to head to Brazil and row to land, a majority of his crew was stolen by another pirate who made off with his ship and his crew. Therefore, he was left stranded on the coast with only a few men as his crew. He made new articles and had each of them sign it. This new collection of articles became known as the Pirate Code. This code included the following:
- Each man has an equal vote and equal share of treasure
- Lights and candles are to be put out by 8 o’clock
- Pistols are to be kept clean
- Desertion under battle is punishable as a capital offense
- Those who lose limbs are compensated and allowed to stay on board as long as they want (this was the first form of social security).
Other pirates began seeking Roberts out in order to work with him to see how he became so successful in the pirate business. His presence crippled seaboard trade in the West Indies.
Later, after just raiding a ship, another ship had crept up on him. Roberts died in battle. However, his death was a pivotal point in the war against pirates.
Anne Bonny
The illegitimate daughter of a lawyer and his house maid. She had red hair, a fiery temper, and by the age of 13 was known to have stabbed a servant girl with just a table knife. She met a small-town pirate named James and, because she was disowned for marrying a pirate, decided to set fire to her father’s plantation and left with the pirate to the Pirate’s Republic.
After frequenting pirate taverns, she met Calico Jack. She immediately fell in love with his red, snazzy outfits. Because of this, she became his lover and then had his baby. She divorced James and married Captain Calico Jack.
After sailing the seas for a while, Captain Calico Jack and Anne ran into another famous female captain, Mary Read. The three became close friends and continued on their piracy adventures together. One day, the trio and their crew were in a bar enjoying their new wealth when they were bombarded by British soldiers. The men, including Captain Calico Jack, cowered away and hid below deck. Mary and Anne were left to fight the soldiers themselves. However, after breaking away from the soldiers for a moment, the two women went below deck and began shooting into the group of men, killing and injuring several. They were all captured and sentenced to death. However, the women claimed they were pregnant in order to postpone their execution (Anne actually was pregnant with Captain Calico’s baby). Mary died in prison before she was executed, and Anne’s father bought her freedom after she gave birth.
How I Became a Pirate 