41
votes
Accepted
Why did piracy thrive in the late 17th and early 18th centuries?
The creation and expansion of European empires during the Age of Discovery resulted in the expansion of trade routes to new colonies and trading posts across the world. The vast areas of these trade ...
- 19.3k
28
votes
What ships did pirates use in ancient Greece and Rome?
I don't think that it is possible to generalise.
I don't doubt that ancient pirates did re-purpose civilian ships in most cases. Indeed, it is said that even sailors on merchant ships which had been ...
- 77.4k
12
votes
Was there a dry dock available to pirate ships during the golden age of piracy?
No. It's one thing to set up a pirates den with brothels, gambling and bars. Quite another to set up and run successfully a harbour with extended port facilities. Find a remote spot. Build some shacks....
- 20.9k
11
votes
Accepted
What date did Henry Morgan capture his most famous flagship, the "Satisfaction"?
Le Cerf Volant, a 14-gun warship, was probably captured in late December 1668 (New Style date) by Edward Collier while commanding the Oxford. Collier seized the French ship at Cow island while it was ...
- 108k
9
votes
Did a letter of marque give actual protection in the middle ages?
Like much legistation, the role of the letter of marque evolved from it's initial inception to it's eventual demise.
The original purpose of the letter of marque and reprisal (to use the full title),...
- 19.3k
9
votes
What ships did pirates use in ancient Greece and Rome?
Keep in mind that "heavy military ships" were rare -- most galleys were triremes or smaller designs -- biremes, penteconters, liburna. Their construction was well within the capabilities of small ...
- 503
8
votes
When was the last US letter of marque issued?
The last time the United States Congress issued a letter of Marque and Reprisal was during the War of 1812. The last time they considered it was during Andrew Jackson's administration. The Declaration ...
6
votes
What was the name of Captain Kidd's ship?
The 1701 court report Arraignment, Tryal and Condemnation of Captain William Kidd of Kidd's trial (cited by Kidd's Wikipedia page)
calls it "the Adventure Galley" (see the "The First ...
- 5,819
6
votes
Were there ever actual organizations of pirates?
The Victual brothers, a fourteenth and fifteenth century group first organised to aid King Albert when he tried to defend against Queen Margaret in a war for the Swedish crown. They can arguably have ...
- 5,671
6
votes
Accepted
Identify the caricatured countries in an illustration about the XYZ affair
The description of the print on the British Museum site includes the following explanation of that part of the picture:
The scene is on the coast near the Channel. Across the water is 'Shakespeare'...
- 77.4k
5
votes
What date did Henry Morgan capture his most famous flagship, the "Satisfaction"?
As near as I can find, the Cour Volant was captured by Edward Collier in December 1668 at the Isle à la Vache, off the harbour of Aux Cayes in Hispaniola. Collier was, at that point commander of the ...
- 77.4k
5
votes
Accepted
How many Manila Galleons were sacked and by whom?
Four. At least known captures, and these were by British privateers. The Dutch were also engaged with the Spanish treasure fleet at times (Battles of La Naval de Manila), but it appears these actions ...
- 38.7k
5
votes
What ships did pirates use in ancient Greece and Rome?
The pirates used the "same" ships as everyone else. Or at least similar types such as galleys.
In those times, there was (practically) no such thing as "heavy" or dedicated military ships. (OK, a few ...
- 104k
3
votes
Did pirates call themselves pirates?
De Americaensche zee-roovers
In 1678 Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin published "De Americaensche zee-roovers". A reprint of the original Dutch text can be found at The Digital Library for Dutch ...
- 3,177
3
votes
Has there been a recorded account of a cabin boy inspiring mutiny on board a ship?
Courtesy of a bit of a phase of mine where I was inexplicably interested in the topic of mutiny I've done a fair bit of reading on the subject and I have to say I'm not aware of this ever having ...
- 903
3
votes
When did Comino become depopulated?
I know this question is very old but I thought it deserved an answer because the speculation is quite inaccurate.
Comino was inhabited up till very recently, probably up till the early 1990s. People ...
- 31
3
votes
Were there ever actual organizations of pirates?
Some pirates came together and formed democratic nations as associations like the Republic of Pirates from 1706–1718. There were the Barbary states run by coastal pirates in Africa and the Regency of ...
- 803
2
votes
Did a letter of marque give actual protection in the middle ages?
A "letter of marque" protected a privateer only against his home state (the one that issued the letter). In effect, it was a "peace treaty" between the two; the privateer "lays off" the ships of his ...
- 104k
2
votes
Did a letter of marque give actual protection in the middle ages?
I only know about this for the late eighteen and early nineteenth centuries, when a letter of marque would usually give you protection from ships belonging to the country that issued it. Usually, not ...
- 31.4k
1
vote
Why did piracy thrive in the late 17th and early 18th centuries?
Prior to the invention of an accurate chronometer, a ship wishing to visit an isolated island would need to either sail to the correct latitude from a position known to be to the east of the island ...
- 131
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