Pirates were thieves by designation, murderers when the job called for it, and often slave traders. Yet, they’re widely portrayed with much affection in contemporary culture. By what twists of fate...

Many unique features make up the attire of a pirate in most people’s imagination. These include hooks, wooden legs, a red bandana, and, more recently, dreadlocks. But are dreadlocks based on a...

Across the ages, pirates have many names, including privateers, buccaneers, and corsairs. However, one moniker has become more popular than others—the term “motley crew,” which applied to the...

Pirates existed outside mainstream society and often created a world of their own. For example, pirates had cities and towns in the British Caribbean they essentially ruled, allowing them to create a...

The Golden Age of Piracy spanned from approximately the 1650s to the 1730s. However, piracy declined steeply during the 1720s and 1730s to the point where it died a seemingly natural death. But why...

Piracy still exists, but modern pirates don’t look like their fictional, often comical counterparts. They don’t have wooden legs or bury treasures full of gold, but the essence of the crime...