Pirates
Pirate life What was it like to be a pirate? Find out here
Pirate Rules By: Jack A. Mahony Pirates were extremely organized. This may be surprising but to be successful the pirates had to function like mini societies. There was a code of conduct that was strictly enforced by the captain and his officers. The punishments included decapitation hanging, keel hauling (dragging a person under the boat for long periods of time this may not seem bad until there are barnacles under the boat. The code of conduct included who was in charge, the rights of the crew, and any other laws the captain saw fit to add. Pirates lived a hard life; they were often low on food so the code of conduct also included ration Painting of pirate ship off the shore of land
Guidelines. You had to be strong to survive on a ship but the Code helped maintain order. Pirates were under strict rules when they were on the ship but on shore they could do whatever they wanted. This is where most pirates used up there earning on alchol and gambling. Another suprising thing about pirates was they were employed by governments to fight for them in wars. If pirates did this they were given full pardons and some even become naval generals. Pirates were masters of the sea. The only prolem with employoing a pirate was they were open to bribary and you
never knew where there loyaltys lie.
Amount of Pirate ships 45,000 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000
Amount of Pirate ships
20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0
1600
1700
1750
Pirate Relics: By: Jack A. Mahony
Many interesting things have been found on pirate ship wrecks that give us clues on how they lived, such as weapons and food. Surprisingly against conscious belief not much treasure has been found. This is because when pirates stole treasure they would divide it up to the crew. Money was spent quickly and usually not wisely. Pirates had to deal with horrible food and old water. On board the ships there was little food after being at sea for month’s usually stale bread and a jam made from mosquitos was all you were going to get. Pirate’s lifestyles were very different than ours. Relics from Pirate ship queen annes revenge this was blackbeards sip
Pirates had to be strong to survive there are many stories of the horrible things pirates had to eat and drink when food and water ran out. One story says that a pirate crew had to eat bilge rats and drink stale water than had parasites growing in it. Another states that a cre had enough water but ran out of food after a few days they were forced to eat leather satchels and belts. This was the closest thing to food they could find. Pirates also had horrible times if they were marooned on desert islands with nothing to eat or drink
Pirates Life By: Jack A. Mahony
Pirates lived a dangerous life, so many of their careers were short. Pirates faced danger from other pirates, starvation, the elements, and finally the biggest threat being captured by the various countries around them. Pirates were fierce fighters they would rather be killed than captured. Pirates did however prefer to not fight because than they wouldn’t damage any of the merchandise on the targeted ship, but sometimes they had to fight. Pirates getting judged in front of a jury in England 1800s Pirates first engaged with cannons than they attached there ship to the enemy and entered brutal hand to hand combat. The pirate’s weapons included clubs, pistols, cannons, cutlass, axes, and an array of daggers. The Caribbean was the best place for pirates. In the seas around the islands there were basically no laws. The islands offered the pirates many hideouts and strongholds. Pirates had to deal with little or no medical care wounds would quickly become infected which is why so many died even if they weren’t mortally injured.
The Golden age of Pirates By: Jack A. Mahony
The golden age of pirates was from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. This is when pirates like Blackbeard sailed the high seas. This is the time when pirating was the biggest. Ships crossing the Spanish Main were open targets no ship was safe from these terrors of the seas. This time was the golden age, because so many trading ships were traveling unprotected. Piracy was a better occupation than most at the time. there was a chance to make a fortune which wasn’t available at that time. Not all pirates were low level scum, pirates came from all walks of life from slaves to royalty. Piracy slowly died down after about 1720. Laws were more strictly enforced and sea weaponry was advancing. Many Pirates were captured and killed even the mighty Blackbeard was defeated. Piracy still exists today but it is not nearly as common. Pirates were most successful in the Caribbean so that’s where the most amounts of pirates were. The pirates actually ruled Nassau.
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthewater/exhibition/1_5.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/photogalleries/blackbeardartifacts/photo3.html
Mariners, the Western. "National Museum of American History." Home. National History Museum of American History, 12 Mar. 2000. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=pirate+ship+paintings&qs=IM&form=QBIR&pq=pirate+ship+p& sc=813&sp=3&sk=IM2#view=detail&id=EF1D6F47A4CC9B0530F20A6621977B197AA0BD48&selectedIndex=0