 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 20 September 2023)
Pirate Quote of the
Month
. . . being
informed of his valour, the
[Emperor] was desirous to make
use of his services in an
affair of high importance to
the good and welfare of his
state, and therefore offered
Iquan a general pardon and
indemnity for all that was
past . . . And that he would
not only receive him into
grace, but make him High
Admiral or Captain General of
all the sea coasts, give him
the office of Great Mandarin,
and abundantly shower upon him
favours and rewards. ~ Father
Palafox on Zheng Zhilong in Historia
de la Conquista de la China
por el Tartaro (History
of the Conquest of China by
the Tartars), 1671
 September Article |
 September
Reviews |
Merchant,
Pirate, Smuggler, Sea Lord
Part 5
Unswerving allegiance is a noble
intention until circumstances change.
Then, perhaps, it is better to rethink
one’s loyalty, especially when the
final outcome isn’t really in
question. Zheng Zhilong faced this
dilemma during his lifetime. But was
his choice the wisest one to make?
|
Armada
by Colin Martin & Geoffrey Parker
History
Treachery
by Julian Stockwin
Nautical Fiction
Clay
and the Immortal Memory
by Philip K. Allan
Nautical
Fiction
|
|
|
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-two years, there are many pages
to overhaul and this takes time. We
appreciate your understanding and
patience.
|
The Van
de Velders
Greenwich, Art and the Sea
2 March 2023 - 14 January 2024
Queen's House
Greenwich, United Kingdom
Monsters
of the Deep
1 April - 19 November 2023
The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Chatham, UK
Beaufort
Pirate Festival
22-24 September 2023
Beaufort, North Carolina
Pirates
of Emerson Haunted Themed Park
1 September - 31 October 2023
Pleasanton, California
Captain
Nemo's Adventure
1 October 2023
Waterfront Museum & Showboat Barge
Brooklyn, New York
Tybee
Island Pirate Fest
5-7 October 2023
Tybee Island, Georgia
Two
Harbors Buccaneer Days
6-7 October 2023
Catalina Island, California
Pirates
of the High Seas & Renaissance Fest
6-8 October 2023
Panama City Beach, Florida
Harwich
International Shanty Festival
13-15 October 2023
Harwich, United Kingdom
Space
Coast Pirate & Seafood Festival
20-22 October 2023
Melbourne, Florida
Boarded!
28 October 2023
25 November 2023
28 December 2023
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
160-Year
Birthday Celebration Sail
Star of India
11 & 12 November 2023
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Historic
Ships 2023
28-29 November 2023
London, United Kingdom
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
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& Privateers Newsletter,
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Note to subscribers:
If you fail to receive your
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your e-mail provider returned it
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they deem it to be junk mail; your
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Contact me and we will try to
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If your newsletter bounces two
months in a row and you don't
conact me, I just delete you from
the subscriber list. You're
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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