Were there ever actual organizations of pirates?

Where are there real pirates ever?

Though pirates have existed since ancient times, the Golden Age of piracy was in the 17th and early 18th centuries. During this time more than 5000 pirates were said to be at sea. Throughout history there have been people willing to rob others transporting goods on the water.

Did pirates work together?

Unlike the Mafia, pirates were not bound by ethnic or family ties; crews were as remarkably diverse as in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films. Nor were they held together primarily by violence; while pirates did conscript some crew members, many volunteered.

Do real pirates exist?

They were very real back then and although it might be hard to believe, they are still very real today as well. They simply don’t look the same as they used to. Modern-day pirates come from all over the world, scouring the waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the coasts of Africa.

Are pirates still a thing in 2021?

In 2021, there was a decrease of pirate attacks against ships worldwide compared with the previous year. While 195 ships were attacked by pirates in 2020, the number of ships attacked dropped to .

Is Jack Sparrow based on a real pirate?

John Ward was the inspiration for the character of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Ward’s nickname was ‘Sparrow’ and he was known for his flamboyant style – much like the Hollywood icon.

Was Jack Sparrow a real pirate?

The character is based on a real-life pirate known as John Ward, an English pirate turned Muslim, famous for his expeditions.

Were there any good pirates?

These men were called “privateers,” and the most famous examples were Sir Francis Drake and Captain Henry Morgan. These Englishmen never attacked English ships, ports, or merchants and were considered great heroes by the common folk of England.

Did real pirates fight each other?

There are only a handful of times pirates attacked each other and even those were very restrained. If pirates actually did attack each other regularly, the pirate strongholds throughout the world wouldn’t have worked. Even pirates needed a safe place to unwind, repair, heal, and resupply.

Who was the last pirate?

Bartholomew Roberts. He was the last great pirate of the golden age who plundered more than 400 ships.

Was Hector Barbossa a real pirate?

Captain Barbossa



A fictional pirate featuring prominently in all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Barbossa was reportedly inspired by Hayreddin Barbarossa, an Ottoman naval captain operating in the 1500s.

Who is the oldest pirate?

MANATEE COUNTY — Juan Gomez, or John, as he was known locally, was a famous pirate rumored to have lived a life that spanned three centuries.

Who is the most feared pirate?

5 Most Terrifying Pirates Ever

  • 1 – Blackbeard. Easily the most famous buccaneer on the list and possibly the most terrifying pirate of all time, Blackbeard had a reputation of horrific magnitude in his day. …
  • 2 – Zheng Yi Sao. …
  • 3 – Black Bart. …
  • 4 – Ned Lowe. …
  • 5 – Francois L’Olonnais. …
  • References:


What was a female pirate called?

18th-century pirates

Name Life Culture
Ingela Gathenhielm 1692–1729 Swedish
Anne Bonny born Anne Cormac, aliases Ann Bonn and Ann Fulford, possibly also Sarah Bonny 1698–1721(disappeared) Irish
Mary Read, alias Mark Read c. 1690–1721 English
Mary Farley, alias Mary /Martha Farlee / Harley / Harvey Irish

Was there ever a pirate king?

Although Every’s career as a pirate lasted only two years, his exploits captured the public’s imagination, inspired others to take up piracy, and spawned works of literature.



Henry Every
Piratical career
Nickname Long Ben The Arch Pirate The King of Pirates
Allegiance None
Years active 1694–1696

Who is the most famous real pirate?

Blackbeard

Blackbeard. Blackbeard is probably the best-known pirate in history, even though his life is shrouded in mystery. Much of what we know about him and other pirates of his time comes from a 1724 book, published under the name Capt. Charles Johnson, called “A General History of the Pyrates (opens in new tab)”.

How did the pirate age end?

The Golden Age of Piracy ended because colonial authorities began to use more men and ships to hunt down pirates. Punishments were more severe than previously, and many of the most notorious pirates were hanged.

What nationality were most pirates?

Most pirates were English (35%), but other nationalities were also represented: colonials from America-25%, colonials from the West Indies-20%, Scots-10%, Welsh-8%, and Swedish/Dutch/French/Spanish-2%. A fair number of blacks also joined the pirates.

What did pirates fear?

Sailors and pirates tended to be very superstitious – that is, they had a fear of the unknown and used it to explain misfortune (bad things that happened). Living and working on a ship in the middle of the seven seas was a very dangerous job.

Are pirates still a thing?

Piracy in the 21st century (commonly known as modern piracy) has taken place in a number of waters around the world, including the Gulf of Guinea, Strait of Malacca, Sulu and Celebes Seas, Indian Ocean, and Falcon Lake.

How long does a pirate live?

Often their families never knew what had happened to them. Life was hard for the sailors who were beaten and threatened with death on a daily basis. Life expectancy for men pressed into service was no more than two years. Many crews mutinied against their officers or just surrendered when threatened by pirates.

How did pirates bathe?

Pirates Had No Option But to Bathe With Seawater



But bathing didn’t involve freshwater; that was saved for cooking. When it came time for pirates to clean themselves, they most likely jumped into the ocean. Despite the abundance of seawater, bathing wasn’t a common occurrence amongst the pirates.

Was there a pirate code?

A pirate code, pirate articles, or articles of agreement were a code of conduct for governing pirates. A group of sailors, on turning pirate, would draw up their own code or articles, which provided rules for discipline, division of stolen goods, and compensation for injured pirates.

What do pirates do for fun?

Play Board Games



While pirates didn’t have our modern board game options, they had dice, coins, cards, chips, and a lot of imagination. As a result, pirates made up and modified a wide array of various board games to amuse themselves, playing with all kinds of complex rules and interesting ideas.

What did pirates drink?

Grog, Beer and Rum



Because of this, many seamen drank grog, beer or ale as opposed to water. Fresh water on board would often become tainted by green scum and slime, so a small amount of alcohol was often added in order to improve the bad taste of old water. This water and alcohol combination is better known as grog.

How do you become a real life pirate?

What was a pirate's life actually like you asked well in some ways being a pirate was actually pretty progressive pirate ships were pure meritocracy.

What type of gun did pirates use?

Heavy cannons, muskets, pistols, cutlasses, and grenades were just some of the weapons pirates employed to wreak havoc on the High Seas.

What do pirates see far?

A spy glass is typically composed of a metallic or wooden cylindrical casing, which contains lenses that magnify images from distances that may be hard to see from the human eye itself. Pirates often used a spyglass to spot land or an incoming ship in the distance.

What did the pirates eat?

Dried food, such as beans, pulses and sea biscuits were the main staple on long voyages as well as salted meat and pickled vegetables and fruit. Because the supply of fruit and vegetables lasted such a short amount of time, pirates would frequently suffer from malnutrition caused by lack of vitamin C.

Where are modern pirates?

One of the most notorious places that you’ll find modern pirates is off the Somali Coast, between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in the Gulf of Aden. Other piracy hot spots include East Africa, the South China Sea, certain coastlines off South America, and in the Caribbean.

Is being a pirate illegal?

According to international law, piracy takes place outside the normal jurisdiction of a state, without state authority, and is private, not political, though acts of unlawful warfare, acts of insurgents and revolutionaries, mutiny, and slave trading have been defined as piracy by national laws of various countries or …

Do pirates still exist in 2022?

Possible developments in 2022



In Asia, maritime piracy is likely to remain at the same level as in 2021 if there is no specific response (on land and at sea) from the nations of the Singapore Strait region.