 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
 
Welcome aboard Pirates and
Privateers, a site devoted to the history
of maritime piracy, privateering, and the sea
before the Age of Steam.
Within these pages you will find articles
dealing with the history and culture of these
topics from ancient times to modern day. Click
one of the links above or below to explore the
treasures within this website.
Each month, I send out a newsletter
about the latest article and reviews posted
here. I also include information that doesn't
appear at Pirates and Privateers, but is
still of interest to adherents of piracy and
maritime history. By subscribing to the
newsletter, you'll never miss out on the latest
happenings here at Pirates and Privateers.
As
always, if you have a question about pirates,
please write
and ask. If there is a particular pirate
or subject, you'd like me to write about, let
me know.
One cautionary note for those
seeking genealogical information: Historical
records about pirates are rare. Much of what
is known comes from government records,
newspaper accounts, and the few contemporary
accounts written during a particular period.
This information rarely contains details
pertinent to what you need to know to identify
an ancestor. The simple fact is that the vast
majority of pirates' names remain unknown. I cannot answer
genealogical questions. Instead, I recommend
contacting genealogical depositories and
websites, historical societies, and
national archives --
places where the librarians and curators are
better trained to assist in this type of
query.
A special note to teachers
and students: If
you need help with a project or
report, please contact
me. Should you use any of my
articles or reviews, please let me
know and remember to include the
proper citation. The majority of
material contained with this
website is copyrighted.
Fair winds and
following seas,
Cindy
(site last updated 21 July 2024)
Pirate Quote of the
Month
The commander
went at the head, with about
20 other pirates, with their
black silk flag before them,
with the representation of a
man in full proportion, with a
cutlass in one hand, and a
pistol in the other, extended;
as they were much wounded and
no care taken in dressing,
they were very offensive, and
stunk as they went along,
particularly Line the
commander; he had one eye shot
out, which with part of his
nose, hung down on his face.
– Boston
Gazette, 1726
Description of Captain
Philip Lyne and his men as
they walked to their trial
in Barbados
 August Article |
 August
Reviews |
Consequences
of Temptation
When someone strays from the straight
and narrow, it’s a good idea to think
of the consequences. Because no matter
what action one takes, there will be
ramifications. These may be good or
bad, but for pirates the consequence
usually falls under the latter
category, especially if they’ve riled
the authorities one too many times.
Blackbeard and eleven of his crew were
killed during a fierce battle with two
sloops of the British Royal Navy at
Ocracoke on 22 November 1718.
Afterward, fifteen suspected pirates
were arrested and taken to
Williamsburg to stand trial for
piracy. The ultimate fate of those men
has been incorrectly described in
books and articles, and these
inaccurate depictions continue to be
recreated and retold at historical
sites and museums. The commonly
accepted belief is that all but two of
those pirates were executed at
Williamsburg. The only source for this
version of the pirates’ fate is a book
written in 1724. However, when
examining the written records of the
arresting naval officers and
government officials such as
Lieutenant Governor Spotswood and
Anthony Cracherode, a completely
different outcome emerges.
|
Shanghaied
by Jon Howe
Nautical Fiction
Pedro
the Pirate
by Ciara O'Neal
illustrated by Antonella Fant
Books for Young
Pirates
Left
for Dead
by Eric Jay Dolin
History:
Maritime
Girl
Before the Legend
by S. K. Minnis
YA
Historical Fiction
The
Cursed Shore
by J. D. Davies
Nautical
Fiction
The
Arkanaut's Oath
by Guy Haley
Futuristic
Fiction
|
|
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Pirate & Maritime News
|
Events & Activities
|
Some pages remain in the
old style, while others are in the new
style. We apologize for this. After
twenty-four years, there are many
pages to overhaul and this takes time.
We appreciate your understanding and
patience.
The Pirate
Republic: Africa Gambit is now in the
"Late Pledge" stage of their
Kickstarter campaign. If you'd like
more information, click this link.
Late Pledges is active until 15
December 2024.
|
San
Salvador Sailing Adventure
Various Saturdays 2024
Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Tall
Ship Adventure Aboard Californian
Various Sundays 2024
Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Voyage
to the Deep
Underwater Adventures
through 2 September 2024
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, Connecticut
Bald
Head Island Pirate Invasion
2-4 August 2024
Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Pirate's
Plunder Game Night
3 August 2024
Palm Coast Community Center
Palm Coast, Florida
Ontario
Pirate Festival
3-5 August 2024
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Vault
to Vessel Tour
5 August 2024
USS Constitution Museum
Charleston, Massachusetts
Outer
Banks Pirate Festival
7-8 August 2024
Nags Head, North Carolina
Pirate
Festival
9-11 August 2024
Brookings, Oregon
Pirates
& Wenches Weekend
9-11 August 2024
Rock Hall, Maryland
Pirate
Weekend
9-11 August 2024
Bisbee, Arizona
Grain
d'Pirate
10-11 August 2024
Binic-Etables-sur-Mer, France
Pirate
Festival & Carnival
15-18 August 2024
Lake Chelan, Washington
New
London Pirate Night
17 August 2024
New London, Connecticut
Pirate
Festival
23 August 2024
Naoussa, Paros Island, Greece
Pirate
Viking Summer Festival
24-25 August 2024
Edgewood, New Mexico
Eastport
Pirate Festival
6-8 September 2024
Eastport, Maine
Maritime
Festival
13-15 September 2024
Ocean Institute
Dana Point, California
Feast
of the Pirates Festival
14 September 2024
Belville, North Carolina
Northglenn
Pirate Festival
20-21 September 2024
Northglenn, Colorado
Marcus
Hook Pirate Festival
21 September 2024
Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Boarded!
A New Pirate Adventure
21 September 2024
19 October 2024
30 November 2024
28 December 2024
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Beaufort
Pirate Invasion
22-24 November 2024
Beaufort, North Carolina
Sail
250th New York
4 July 2026
New York City, New York
|
The Rebel & the Spy
These
five people played roles in the War of 1812.
James Madison (far left) was president at
the time and, in my current
work-in-progress, he has a special
assignment for Lucas Burnett, one of the
protagonists in the novel. Jean Laffite
(beside Madison) operates a smuggling
operation, based on barrier islands
southwest of New Orleans. One of his
captains, is Dominique You, whose sister
Alexine has been raised in this nefarious
world of smugglers, pirates, privateers, and
cutthroats. Dolley Madison is the country's
presidentress (first lady) and plays a vital
role in preserving some of our national
treasures during the British invasion of
Washington City. General Andrew Jackson
(second from right) has no intention of
allowing the British to gain entry to the
United States through its back door (the
Mississippi). Governor William C. C.
Claiborne (far right) is Lucas's cousin and
a constant thorn in Laffite's side. They
come together within the pages of The
Rebel & the Spy, a historical
novel where it's not always easy to decide
who is the rebel and who is the spy.
The links below are to a gallery of places
depicted in my novel and a resource list for
those seeking information on the people
pictured above, pirates, ships in the age of
sail, the Battle of New Orleans, the
invasion and burning of Washington, the
bombardment of Fort McHenry, and much more.
(Please note that these pages are updated
from time to time, so check back to see
what's been added.) I hope you enjoy.
Pirates & Privateers
Newsletter
Each month I alert
readers to the posting of the
latest piracy article and book
reviews, new additions made to the
website, and interesting maritime
tidbits. If you would like to
receive the monthly Pirates
& Privateers Newsletter,
send
me an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in
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If you're not sure,
here's a sample
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you enjoy!
Note
to subscribers: If you fail
to receive your newsletter,
it's possible that your
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If your
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in a row and you don't contact
me, I just delete you from the
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welcome to resubscribe if that
occurs.
Copyright ©2023 Cindy
Vallar
Click to contact me
Background image compliments
of Anke's Graphics |
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