 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 24 May 2023)
Pirate Quote of the
Month
Japanese
pirates repeatedly plunder
areas along the coast,
separating men from their
wives and children and
destroying property and lives.
. . . If there are those who
nonetheless continue to engage
in piracy, I will be compelled
to order naval officers to set
sail for Japan. – Zhu
Yuanzhang, first Ming emperor
of China, to Japan, 14th
century
 June Article |
 June
Reviews |
Merchant,
Pirate, Smuggler, Sea Lord
When the winds of change
blow, some people
build
walls and others build windmills.
~ Old
Chinese proverb
A merchant buys and sells goods to
make a profit. A pirate commits
robberies at sea. The former is a
legitimate operator who works hard to
make a living. The latter is a thief
who prefers to illicitly profit from
others’ labor. Normally, the two are
diametrically opposed to each other.
When the merchant’s business involves
importing and exporting goods and the
winds of change blow, the merchant
faces a conundrum: build a wall, or
build a windmill. One man chose to
build a windmill, forging a new path
that merged legal with illicit. His
name was Zheng Zhilong.
|
All
Hands on Deck
by Will Sofrin
Ships & Sailing
Dark
Voyage
by Christian McBurney
History
Prisoners
of the Bashaw
by Frederick C. Leiner
History
The
Punishment of Pirates
by Matthew Norton
History
Silver
Bounty
by Victoria McCombs
Fantasy
|
|
|
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
Pirate
& Fairy Celebration
27 May 2023
McKee Botanical Garden
Vero Beach, Florida
Tennessee Pirate Fest
27-29 May 2023
Harriman, Tennessee
Cape
Cod Pirate Festival
3-4 & 10-11 June 2023
West Yarmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth
International Sea Shanty Festival
16-18 June 2023
Falmouth, United Kingdom
Boarded!
28 October 2023
25 November 2023
28 December 2023
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
|
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:
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If your newsletter bounces two
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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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