The most famous pirates. Famous pirates everyone should know about (6 photos) The most famous pirate captains

For a long time, the Caribbean islands served as a bone of contention for the great maritime powers, as untold riches lurked here. And where there is wealth, there are robbers. Piracy in the Caribbean has flourished and has become a serious problem. In reality, the brigands were much more brutal than we imagine.

In 1494, the Pope divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. All the gold of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans of South America went to the ungrateful Spaniards. Naturally, the other European maritime powers did not like this, and the conflict was inevitable. And their struggle for Spanish possessions in the New World (this mainly concerned England and France) led to the emergence of piracy.

Famous corsairs

At the very beginning, piracy was even approved by the authorities and was called privateering. A privateer or corsair is a pirate ship, but with a national flag, designed to capture enemy ships.

Francis Drake

As a corsair, Drake possessed not only their usual greed and cruelty, but was also extremely inquisitive, and, striving to visit new places, with great eagerness took up the fulfillment of orders from Queen Elizabeth, mainly concerning the Spanish colonies. In 1572, he was especially lucky - on the Isthmus of Panama, Drake intercepted the "Silver Caravan" en route to Spain, which was carrying 30 tons of silver.

Once, carried away, he even made a round-the-world trip. And he completed one of his campaigns with an unprecedented profit, replenishing the royal treasury by 500 thousand pounds, which was more than one and a half times its annual income. The Queen personally arrived on the ship to give Jack the title of knight. In addition to treasures, Jack brought potato tubers to Europe, for which in Germany in the city of Offenburg he was even erected a monument, on the pedestal of which is written: "Sir Francis Drake, who spread potatoes in Europe."

Henry Morgan

Morgan was a world famous successor to the Drake cause. The Spaniards considered him their most terrible enemy, for them he was even more terrible than Francis Drake. Having led a whole army of pirates to the walls of the Spanish city of Panama at that time, he ruthlessly plundered it, taking out huge treasures, after which he turned the city to ashes. Largely thanks to Morgan, Britain was able to seize control of the Caribbean from Spain for a while. King Charles II of England personally knighted Morgan and appointed him governor of Jamaica, where he spent his last years.

The Golden Age of Piracy

Beginning in 1690, active trade was established between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, which led to an extraordinary flourishing of piracy. Numerous ships of the leading European powers, transporting valuable goods, on the high seas became tasty prey for sea robbers, who bred in abundance. Real sea robbers, standing outside the law, who were engaged in outright robbery of all passing ships indiscriminately, at the end of the 17th century they replaced the corsairs. Let's take a look at some of these legendary pirates.

Steed Bonnet was quite a prosperous man - a successful planter, worked in the municipal police, was married and suddenly decided to become a robber of the seas. And Steed is just very tired of the gray days with an always grumpy wife and routine work. Having independently studied maritime affairs and became proficient in it, he bought himself a ten-cannon boat called "Revenge", recruited a crew of 70 people and set off to meet the wind of change. And his raids soon became quite successful.

Steed Bonnet also became known for not being afraid to argue with the most formidable pirate at that time - Edward Teach, Blackbeard. Teach, in his 40-gun ship, attacked Steed's ship and easily captured it. But Steed could not come to terms with this and constantly bothered Teach, insisting that real pirates did not do this. And Teach set him free, but with only a few pirates and completely disarming his ship.

Then Bonnet went to North Carolina, where he recently pirated, repented before the governor and offered to become their corsair. And, having received consent from the governor, a license and a fully equipped ship, he immediately set off in pursuit of Blackbeard, but to no avail. Of course, Steed did not return to Carolina, but continued to engage in robberies. At the end of 1718 he was caught and executed.

Edward Teach

An indomitable lover of rum and women, this famous pirate in the same wide-brimmed hat was nicknamed "Blackbeard". He did indeed wear a long black beard braided in pigtails with wicks woven into it. During the battle, he set them on fire, and at the sight of him, many sailors surrendered without a fight. But it is quite possible that the wicks are just fiction. Blackbeard, although he had a frightening appearance, was not particularly cruel, and took the enemy only by intimidation.

So, he captured his flagship "Queen Anne's Revenge" without firing a single shot - the enemy team surrendered only after seeing Teach. Teach landed all the captives on the island and left them a boat. Although, according to other sources, Teach was indeed very cruel and never left his prisoners alive. At the beginning of 1718, he had 40 captured ships, and about three hundred pirates were under his command.

The British seriously attended to his capture, a hunt was announced for him, which ended in success at the end of the year. In a fierce duel with Lieutenant Robert Maynard, Teach, being wounded by more than 20 shots, resisted to the last, killing many Englishmen. And he died from a blow with a saber - when his head was cut off.

British, one of the most cruel and heartless pirates. Not feeling the slightest compassion for his victims, he also did not take into account the members of his team at all, constantly deceiving them, trying to appropriate as much profit as possible. Therefore, everyone dreamed of his death - both the authorities and the pirates themselves. During the next riot, the pirates removed him from the captain's post and dropped him off the ship onto a boat, which was carried to an uninhabited island by the waves during a storm. After some time, a passing ship picked him up, but there was a man who identified him. Wayne's fate was sealed, he was hanged at the port entrance.

He was nicknamed "Calico Jack" for the fact that he liked to wear wide-leg pants made of bright calico. Not being the most successful pirate, he glorified his name by being the first to allow women to be on the ship, contrary to all maritime customs.

In 1720, when Rackham's ship met at sea with the ship of the Governor of Jamaica, to the surprise of the sailors, only two pirates fiercely resisted them, as it turned out later, these were women - the legendary Anne Bonnie and Mary Reed. And everyone else, including the captain, was drunk as a lord.

In addition, it was Rackham who invented that very flag (skull with crossed bones), the so-called "Jolly Roger", which now we all associate with pirates, although many sea robbers went under different flags.

A tall, handsome dandy, he was a fairly educated person, knew a lot about fashion, followed etiquette. And what is completely uncharacteristic for pirates - he did not tolerate alcohol and punished others for drunkenness. As a believer, he wore a cross on his chest, read the Bible and arranged services on the ship. The elusive Roberts was distinguished by extraordinary courage and, at the same time, was very successful in his campaigns. Therefore, the pirates loved their captain and were ready to follow him anywhere - after all, they were sure to get lucky!

In a short period, Roberts captured more than two hundred ships and about £ 50 million. But one day, lady luck still betrayed him. The crew of his ship, busy carving out the spoils, were caught off guard by the British ship under the command of Captain Ogle. At the first shot, Roberts was killed, a canister shot hit in the neck. The pirates, having lowered his body overboard, resisted for a long time, but were still forced to surrender.

From an early age, spending his time among street criminals, he absorbed all the worst. And as a pirate, he turned into one of the most bloodthirsty sadistic fanatics. And although his time was already at the sunset of the "Golden Age", Lowe in a short time, displaying extraordinary cruelty, captured more than 100 ships.

Sunset of the "Golden Age"

By the end of 1730, the pirates were finished, all of them were caught and executed. Over time, they began to be remembered with nostalgia and a certain touch of romanticism. Although in fact, for their contemporaries, pirates were a real disaster.

As for the well-known captain Jack Sparrow, such a pirate did not exist at all, there is no specific prototype of it, the image is entirely invented, a Hollywood parody of pirates, and many of the charismatic features of this colorful and charming character were invented by Johnny Depp on the fly.

Incredible facts

Blackbeard

Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, established a terror in the Caribbean that lasted from 1716 to 1718.

The sailor started out as a privateer, fighting for England during the War of the Spanish Succession, honing his skills as a sea robber before turning to piracy.

A fierce fighter, Blackbeard was known for both his distinctive style of capturing ships and his enormous mane of hair.

Anne Bonny

The most famous female pirate in history was as intimidating as her male counterparts, and she was also very intelligent and educated.

The daughter of a plantation owner, Anne left her arranged life in the early 1700s and went to conquer the seas.

They joined the crew of the Calico Jack Rackham ship disguised as a man, but legend has it that she was saved from death after the crew was captured because she was pregnant.

Captain Samuel Bellamy

Despite the fact that he died at a very young age (he was only 28 years old), "Black Sam" made a name for himself after capturing several ships, including Whydah Gally, a ship that was full of gold, silver and other valuable commodity. Bellamy made the ship his own in 1717, but he sank in a storm that same year.

Jin Shih

China was also involved in the golden age of piracy, and women on board or even at the helm were not uncommon.

Since 1801, her "career" has developed very rapidly, and she became one of the most powerful female captains, and, in the end, the commander of a fleet of 2,000 ships and 70,000 sailors.

It is believed that the key to Jin's success was the iron discipline that reigned in her courts.

Bartholomew Roberts

"Black" Bart Roberts was one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age, patrolling the waters off the coast of Africa and the Caribbean.

In less than four years, he captured 400 ships.

Bart was very cold-blooded and rarely left anyone alive on captured ships, so he was actively sought by the British authorities. He died at sea.

Captain Kidd

Pirate or privateer? Scottish sailor William Kidd is known for his high-profile lawsuits with the British government over his worst crimes and pirate attacks.

However, the veracity of this claim is still disputed. According to some modern historians, Kidd acted according to the privateer patent issued to him and did not attack the Allied ships.

However, he was hanged in 1701. Rumors of the whereabouts of the enormous treasures he hid still thrill the minds of many adventurers to this day.

Henry Morgan

So popular that rum was named after him, Captain Morgan first served as a privateer in the Caribbean, then became a pirate, and famously wreaked havoc on the golden Spanish colony of Panama City in the mid-1600s.

He is also known as one of the few pirates who managed to "retire".

Calico Jack

"Jolly Roger Flag Pioneer" Calico Jack Rackham was a pirate of the Caribbean who had several epic names but is known for his conducted association with Anne Bonnie as well as his classic pirate death.

Captured in Jamaica in 1720, Rackham was hanged, doused with tar and set on fire to show what would happen to each pirate. Now the place where this event took place is called Kay Rakham.

Sir Francis Drake

Noble to some and a criminal to others, Drake spent his time between the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588 and his voyage around the world, actively pursuing the piracy and slave trade in the Caribbean.

The seizures he made, especially the attacks on the Spanish colonies in Central America, were considered some of the richest in piracy history.

Brothers Barbarossa

Names like Aru and Khizir may not sound familiar to you, but the nickname given to Turkish corsairs by Europeans - Barbarossa (red beard) - probably conjures up images of tough and harsh sailors in the Mediterranean.

In the 16th century, using North Africa as a base, the Barbarossa brothers attacked several coastal cities and became some of the most powerful people in the area.

Edward Teach (1680-1718)

At the mention of the word "pirates", the plots of the trilogy about Jack Sparrow or about the heroes of the book "Treasure Island", read in childhood, immediately pop up in the memory. Naval battles, dangers, treasures, rum and adventures ... Over the centuries, the legends about sea corsairs or filibusters have gradually become overgrown with mystery, and now it is no longer possible to understand where is fiction and where is truth. But, undoubtedly, there is some truth in these legends! We will tell you about the most famous pirates in history.

Edward Teach (1680-1718)

One of the most famous corsairs in the history of piracy is Edward Teach, nicknamed "Blackbeard". He was born in Bristol in 1680. His real name is John. Teach became the inspiration for the pirate Flint in Stevenson's Treasure Island. Because of the beard covering almost the entire face, his appearance was terrifying and legends circulated about him as a terrible villain. Teach died on November 22, 1718 in a skirmish with Lieutenant Maynard. Hearing about the death of this terrible person, the whole world breathed a sigh of relief.

Henry Morgan (1635-1688)

Henry Morgan (1635-1688)

The English navigator, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica Sir Henry Morgan, nicknamed the "Cruel" or "Pirate Admiral", was considered at one time a very famous pirate. He became famous for being one of the authors of the "Pirate Code". Morgan was not only a successful corsair, but also a cunning politician and a clever military leader. It was with his help that England was able to control the entire Caribbean. Morgan's life, full of the delights of the pirate craft, flew by at a frantic pace. He lived to be old and died in Jamaica on August 25, 1688 from cirrhosis of the liver. They buried him as a nobleman, but soon, the cemetery where he was buried was washed away by a wave.

William Kidd (1645-1701)

William Kidd (1645-1701)

This is a pirate - a legend, after his death more than one century has passed, but the fame of him lives on to this day. His pirate activity took place in the 17th century. He was known as a despot and a sadist, but became famous throughout the world as an intelligent robber. Kidd was a fairly famous person, his name was known even in the British Parliament. There is information that he was rich, but no one knows where his treasures are hidden. They are still looking for the treasure hidden by Kidd, but there is no result yet.

Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Francis Drake (1540-1596)

The famous pirate of the XVI century, Francis Drake was born in 1540 in England in Devonshire, the son of a poor village priest. Drake was the eldest of his parents' twelve children. He learned sailing skills while serving as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. About him went the glory of a very cruel man, to whom fortune favored. We must pay tribute to Drake's curiosity, he visited many places where no man's foot has stepped. Thanks to this, he made many discoveries and corrections on the world maps of his time. Captain Francis Drake's crown of fame came at the end of the 16th century, but on one of his campaigns to the shores of America, he fell ill with tropical fever and soon died.

Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)

Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)

Captain Bartholomew Roberts is an unusual pirate. He was born in 1682. Roberts was the most successful pirate of his time, always well and tastefully dressed, with excellent manners, he did not drink alcohol, read the Bible and fought without removing the cross from his neck, which greatly surprised his fellow corsairs. A stubborn and brave young man, who set foot on the slippery path of sea adventures and robberies, during a short four-year career as a filibuster, he became a rather famous person of that time. Roberts died in a fierce battle and was buried, in accordance with his will, at sea.

Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)

Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)

On the path of sea robbery, Sam Bellamy was led by love. Twenty-year-old Sam fell in love with Maria Hallett, love was mutual, but the girl's parents did not marry her to Sam. He was poor. And to prove to the whole world the right to become a filibuster in the hand of Maria Bellamy. He went down in history as "Black Sam". He got his nickname because he preferred his rebellious black hair to a powdered wig, tying it, sits in a knot. At its core, Captain Bellamy was known as a noble man, black-skinned people served on his ships along with white pirates, which was simply unthinkable in the era of slavery. The ship on which he sailed to meet his beloved Maria Hallet was caught in a storm and sank. Black Sam died without leaving the captain's bridge.

Uruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)

Uruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)

Uruj Barbarossa was a Turkish pirate, had power among the corsairs, had great power over them. He was a cruel and ruthless man who was very fond of executions and mockery. He was born into the family of a potter. He participated in many naval battles, in one of them, fighting heroically along with his devoted team, he died.

William Dampier (1651-1715)

William Dampier (1651-1715)

And among the sea filibusters - robbers there were exceptions. An example of this is William Dampier, in his person the world has lost its explorer and discoverer. He never took part in pirate parties, and spent all his free time studying and describing his observations of sea currents in the ocean and the direction of the winds. One gets the impression that he became a robber solely in order to have the means and the opportunity to do what he loved. From the age of seventeen, Dampier served on an English sailing ship. And in 1679, being already twenty-seven years old, he joined the Caribbean pirates and soon became a filibuster captain.

Grace O "Mail (1530 - 1603)

Grace O "Mail (1530 - 1603)

Grace O "Mail is a lady of fortune. This fearless pirate woman could give odds to any man. Her adventures are a whole adventure romance! From a young age, Grace, together with her father and his friends, took part in the attack on merchant ships that passed off the coast After the death of her father, she won the right to be the leader of the Owen clan in battle. to love and be loved, she had four children from two marriages. Grace did not abandon her craft, and even at an advanced age continued to make forays. She was honored by the Queen and received an offer from her to serve, but the proud and freedom-loving Grace refused, for that she was arrested.

Pirates! Gentlemen of the sea. For centuries, their names have instilled fear in people. Captain Flint, Jack Sparrow, John Silver, James Hook ... The list of their names goes on for a long time! Thunderstorm of the Royal Navy, cunning and insidious, "people without honor and conscience", tireless adventurers. It is about such undaunted sea people that you can read below.

1 Jetrow Flint (1680-1718)

The famous Captain Flint starts our today's selection. Despite the fact that this is the name of a fictional character created by the thought of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, his mention is worthy of this collection. Flint was a merciless man. Confirmation of this is the famous pirate song, which contains the words - "Fifteen people for the dead man's chest, yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum." It was fifteen people who unwittingly witnessed the place where Flint buried his treasures. And with this they signed their own death warrant.

2 Henry Morgan (1635-1688)

The name of this pirate, we know from the film "Hearts of Three", based on the novel of the same name by Jack London.
However, unlike the previous member of our collection, Henry Morgan did exist. He was not only a pirate, but also the man who helped England gain control of the entire Caribbean region. For this he received the rank of Governor of Jamaica. However, the sea could not part with its favorite, and as a result of the earthquake, the cemetery where the old pirate was buried sank under the water. Morgan's cause of death was a liver disease caused by the irrepressible use of rum - the pirates' favorite drink.

3 Francis Drake (1540-1596)

Despite the fact that Francis was born into a family of a priest, he was not an exemplary Christian. This was facilitated by the blessing of the Queen of England, who was ready for anything, if only the Spaniards were not the leading power in the world. At 18, Drake becomes the captain of a pirate ship that loots and destroys Spanish property. In 1572, he took part in the capture of the Spanish "Silver Caravan", thanks to which he brought the treasury 30,000 kg of silver. In addition, with the desire to visit unknown countries, Drake was a participant. Thanks to her, the treasury of England received income three times the size of its annual budget. In addition, the British got acquainted with the then exotic vegetable - potatoes. For this, Drake was knighted and received the rank of admiral.

4 William Kidd (1645-1701)

His fate became a reminder to all pirates of imminent punishment. By the verdict of the court, he was executed, and his body was placed on display in a metal cage in London for more than 23 years. The reason for this was Kidd's pirate antics, which was a real disaster not only for the French, but also for the British.

5 Grace O'Mail (1530-1603)

This name is forever included in the annals of piracy. The life of this girl is a continuous series of amorous and adventurous adventures. Initially, she pirates along with her father. Then, after the death of her father, she herself becomes the leader of the Owen clan. With a saber in her hands and her hair loose, she made her enemies tremble. However, this did not stop her from loving and being loved. The mother of four, even at an advanced age, continued to raid. However, she rejected the offer of the Queen of England to enter the service of Her Royal Majesty.

6 Olivier (François) le Wasser (1690-1730)

One of the most famous pirates, whose homeland was France. Without taking a direct part in pirate raids against the British and Spaniards, Wasser, meanwhile, received the lion's share of all the booty. The reason for this was the island of Tortuga (present-day Haiti), which was turned by this talented engineer into an impregnable fortress and became a haven for pirate elements. Legend has it that over the years he ruled the island, he has amassed over 235 million pounds. But his character deteriorated over time, played a cruel joke with him, as a result of which, he became food for sharks. Gold, however, has not been found so far, remained hidden somewhere on the islands in the middle of the world's oceans.

7 William Dampier (1651-1715)

Despite the fact that piracy was the main occupation of William Damir, he is also considered the father of modern oceanography. This is because he not only pirated, but also described all his travels and what was associated with them. The result was a book called A New Journey Around the World.

8 Zheng Shi (1785-1844)

The "night butterfly", who first became the wife and then the widow of the famous pirate Zheng Yi, after the death of her husband, she inherited more than 400 ships that were the threat of the Chinese merchant fleet. The strictest discipline was imposed on the ships, putting an end to such pirate liberties as the robbery of allies and violence against prisoners. In addition, Zheng Shi is known in history as a brothel keeper and patroness of gambling.

9 Uruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)

The son of a potter. His homeland was the island of Lesvos. Probably because he did not find his great love on it, or maybe because of the capture of the island by the Turks, Barbarossa becomes a pirate at the age of 16. After 4 years, he concludes an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, according to which he can create his base on one of the islands, and in exchange, he shares a percentage of the profit. He soon becomes the Sultan of Algeria. However, as a result of a clash with the Spaniards, he was killed. He was succeeded by a younger brother known as Barbarossus II.

10 Edward Teach (1680-1718)

This name did not frighten the British and French governments for nothing. Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Teach soon became one of the most feared pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 people were fighting under his leadership. Enemies were horrified by the face of Teach, almost completely covered by a black beard, in which the wicks woven into it smoked. In November 1718, Teach was overtaken by the English lieutenant Maynardt and, after a short trial, was hauled up on the yard. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jetrow Flint, from "Treasure Island".

Exactly 293 years ago, on November 17, 1720, one of the most famous pirates, Jack Rackham, died. The filibuster, along with the entire team, was sentenced to be hanged by the Board of the Admiralty. The English Themis of that time did not know the word "pardon" and was not inclined to forgive the sea robbers. At the very coast of the sea, in Port Royal, Jamaica, the sentence was carried out.

We decided to talk about the seven great pirates whose fame surpassed the notoriety of Rackham.

Without a husband at sea - not a foot. Alvilda Gotskaya

She was the queen of the pirates. Alvilda plundered the waters of Scandinavia during the early Middle Ages. According to legend, this princess, the daughter of a Gothic king (or a king from the island of Gotland), decided to become a "sea Amazon" in order to evade the imposed marriage with Alf, the son of a powerful Danish king. Having gone on a pirate voyage with a team of young women dressed in men's dress, she has become the number one "star" among sea robbers. Since the dashing raids of the "girl with the sword" posed a serious threat to merchant shipping and the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Denmark, Prince Alf himself set off in pursuit of her, not realizing that the target of his pursuit was his beloved. Having killed most of the sea robbers, he entered into a duel with their leader and forced him to surrender. How surprised the Danish prince was when the pirate leader took off his helmet and appeared before him in the guise of a young beauty, whom he dreamed of marrying! Alvilda appreciated the persistence of the heir to the Danish crown and his ability to swing a sword. They got married, and she vowed never to go to sea again ... without a spouse.

German "Robin Hood". Klaus Stertebekker

According to one of the legends, Klaus Störtebeker got his name for his remarkable ability to drink (“Stürz den Becher” - “drink to the bottom”). But this is not what he became famous for. The famous pirate knight was a brave warrior and navigator who entered German folklore, becoming something of a Baltic Robin Hood. Klaus was born in 1360 in Wismar or Rothenburg. He entered the vitalier community - that was the name of the corporation of robbers operating in the North and Baltic Seas, where the most important routes of the Hanseatic trade union passed. With Hanza, Klaus fell out. His intense activity in the pirate field almost became the reason for the curtailment of all trade communication between cities, including, by the way, ancient Novgorod.

On April 22, 1401, the Hamburg fleet defeated the vitalier squadron. And six months later, the captured Stertebekker was executed along with the team on the Hamburg square. It is not clear why, but in German folklore he forever remained in the image of a "noble robber".

Spilling in honor of myself, my beloved. Francis Drake

The name of this man at one time thundered on the seas and coasts of Europe and the New World. In honor of him, a strait was even named, which, to give the pirate his due, he discovered, passing between Antarctica and the southern tip of Latin America. Drake was not actually a pirate, but rather a corsair, a man acting on the communications of hostile powers by special permission. Drake received such permission from Queen Elizabeth herself.

Needless to say, having equipped his ship "Golden Hind", Drake thoroughly gutted the coasts of Central and South America, returning to his foggy homeland, as they would say now - an oligarch ...

The following expeditions only increased his wealth. The apotheosis of Drake's service was the Battle of Gravelines - the British fleet under his command utterly defeated the Spanish Great Armada, battered by a storm. Since then, in the English navy, one of the ships has always been named after Francis Drake.

Henry Morgan, alias "The Cruel"

Henry Morgan was born in Wales to Robert Morgan, a landowner. In his youth, Henry was hired as a cabin boy on a ship going to the island of Barbados. Upon the arrival of the ship at its destination, the boy, as was often the case then, was sold into slavery. Without hesitation, Morgan got out of the situation and moved to Jamaica, where he joined a pirate gang. For three or four voyages, he accumulated a small capital and bought a ship in shares with several comrades.

Morgan was chosen as a captain, and the very first independent trip to the shores of Spanish America brought him the glory of a successful leader, after which other pirate ships began to join him. On January 18, 1671, Morgan set out for Panama. He had thirty-five ships and thirty-two canoes, in which there were one thousand two hundred people. The garrison of Panama was about 2,500 people, including cavalry and artillery units, but by evening the pirates captured the city and exterminated all resisting. On Morgan's orders, the pirates set fire to the plundered city, and since most of the two thousand houses were wooden, Panama turned into a heap of ash.

Soon after returning to Jamaica, Morgan was arrested (during his campaign, England and Spain concluded a peace treaty) and, together with the recalled governor Thomas Modiford, who actively contributed to his predatory campaigns, was sent to England.

Everyone thought that the royal court would hang the pirate on the gallows for all sins, but the court could not forget the services rendered to them. After the mock trial, the decision was made: “Guilt has not been proven”. Morgan was sent back to Jamaica as Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of its naval forces.

Henry Morgan died on August 25, 1688 and was solemnly, with ceremonies befitting his dignity, buried in Port Royal in the church of St. Catherine. A few years later, on June 7, 1692, there was a strong earthquake, and the grave of Sir Henry Morgan disappeared into the depths of the sea.

Eaten by savages. Francois Olone

The most brutal of pirates, François Olone was born in France, presumably in 1630. At the age of twenty, the guy was hired as a soldier in the West India Company, to see the world, to show himself. Soon he decided to change his occupation - on Tortuga, in this pirate nest, Olone was able to enlist the support of the governor and get the ship.

The most famous operation of the brave pirate is the capture of the Spanish colony of Maracaibo. At the end of April 1666 Olone and his flotilla of five ships and 400 crew members leave Tortuga. Maracaibo is located on the shore of the lake of the same name, connected to the sea by a narrow strait, at the entrance to which there were two islands - forts. Well-armed pirates, after a three-hour assault, took possession of the fortress, after which the ships calmly entered the lake and captured the city. A lot of booty was taken - chased silver for 80 thousand piastres, linen - for 32 thousand livres.

Here François became famous for his cruelty. Even among his sailors, he was considered the most terrible of pirates - the monster of the human race. Olone tortured and killed his victims sadistically, for example, by inserting fuses between their toes. Fate took revenge on the brave but bloodthirsty Frenchman. An unsuccessful campaign in Nicaragua soon followed. Not far from Cartagena, the pirates were shipwrecked.

But trouble does not come alone - the filibusters who landed on the shore were attacked by the Indians. The few survivors were able to tell that those whom the Indians did not kill in battle (including the captain) were torn to pieces and eaten by savages.

A pirate against his will. Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd is known as the storm of the seven seas. But is he a pirate? The results of the trial of the sailor are disputed to this day - many historians agree that he acted strictly within the framework of a privateer patent issued to him by the New England government ...

As a young sailor, Kidd, after a shipwreck, ends up in Haiti, where he joins a gang of French pirates. During one of the raids, the filibusters were smart enough to leave the ship under the protection of 12 British and 8 French. The first cut out the last and slowly weighed the anchor. Kidd was elected captain.

Soon the sailor settles in New York. Funds for the equipment of a new expedition against pirates and the French (with them there was a war) Kidd was allocated by the most senior statesmen of New England. Soon Kidd's frigate "The Brave" sailed to the Cape of Good Hope. The enterprise turned out to be unprofitable, the team rebelled, it was necessary to gut any merchants along the way.

Soon, luck turned away from Kidd - he met the ship of another pirate captain at sea - Calliford, his old acquaintance, a former chief mate. The crew revolted again and betrayed the captain, who had to flee with a few trusted men on a newly hijacked merchant ship. In the nearest port, Kidd learned that England henceforth considered him a pirate. William Kidd voluntarily surrendered himself to the hands of justice, hoping for the protection of the Lords employers and a privateer patent, which no one canceled. All in vain. The "reluctant pirate" was hanged in London in 1701.

It is interesting that his posthumous fame surpassed his lifetime. He is still revered in the United States as one of the first North American naval sailors ...

70 thousand pirates of Madame Shi

This pirate is the most formidable and lucky in history. In her youth, she worked in a brothel, where she met her future husband - one of the pirate leaders. After the death of her beloved husband in 1807, the lady inherited his business and his flotilla. The robbery was carried out on a grand scale, and there was no shortage of victims.

Judge for yourself - Madame Shi's pirate squadron consisted of two thousand ships, seventy thousand fighters were on her salary, but the sea traffic in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam was such that there was enough work for all of them. Madame Shi introduced draconian discipline on her ships. For example, an ear was cut off for being absent from a ship, and for robbery in fishing villages allied to pirates, death was as painful as it could be for a sophisticated Chinese.

According to legend, the Chinese bogdykhan, hearing about the sea robber, sent a whole fleet against her. However, on the first day, the battle did not take place - the imperial and pirate ships maneuvered for so long to choose the best attack position that by evening they fell into complete calm. Two armadas froze opposite each other at a distance of no more than a kilometer. When Madame Shi ordered an attack, discipline prevented the pirates from disobeying her. Tens of thousands of corsairs, holding long knives in their teeth, rushed into the sea and swam to the enemy ships. The brutal boarding battle ended in victory. The losses were great, but the trophies were also great - two and a half thousand magnificent warships.