it's a pirate's life for me

Is Jack Sparrow a good example of how pirates really were? Were they merely swashbuckling outlaws, only wishing for escape from a society that wanted to tell them how to live? Not quite.

The word “pirate” comes from the Greek word peiran, which means “to attack.” And attack they did. While Sparrow may not have resorted to violence to escape his situation, pirates were generally armed to the teeth and willing to use violence and to dole out death to steal and defend their lifestyle whenever they needed to. They attacked ships and stole its cargo, sometimes even the ship itself, purely for themselves. In order to succeed in their plundering, pirates depended on other ships being open to their attacks. Pirates in the 17th century were not the only ships on the sea— they plundered ships from other nations who were participating themselves in exploiting their colonial countries and trading the spoils. In fact, pirates would not have been able to exist if Europe had not actively participated in its own plundering, sending out ships to return home with their newly acquired goods. While pirates were known to attack many different kinds of ships, they often attacked merchant ships who were less armed and more full of goods that the pirates could then steal and sell.

Pirates should not be confused with privateers. Privateers were a kind of licensed piracy, hired by nations to attack and steal from other nations during a time when powerful countries were racing to gain possession of colonies. They were given letters of marque, which was the permission needed to plunder in the name of their sovereign. Privateers were ideal for nations, because it saved them the cost of building and maintaining a navy.

Anne Bonny and Mary Read are two of the most notorious and well-known female pirates. This is partly because they actively participated in piracy during the Golden Age of Piracy, which was right after the Spanish War when piracy was at its height. They met when the ship Mary was on was captured by Calico Jack, who was a pirate captain and lover of Anne. As there was more freedom on pirate ships, or perhaps because of her own adventurous spirit, Mary joined Jack and Anne. Mary was dressed as a man when she first joined, and so her gender was a secret. It is told that Anne began to fall for her, either in lust or in love, until Mary revealed her true gender. There is a lot of speculation as to whether or not Mary and Anne were lovers, and this speculation was created by Captain Charles Johnson, their unofficial biographer. However, it is nearly impossible to determine whether or not they were indeed lovers, as Johnson is our only primary source. Calico Jack was let into the secret, presumably to curtail his jealousy. Calico Jack, Ann Bonny, and Mary Read plundered the seas in the Caribbean during the 18th century together for two to three years, and their tales have helped the mythical image of the female pirate to endure to present times.

Mary and Anne were not marginalized by their crew members because of their gender. They were important members, and it is even argued that they were leaders, a feat that seems fantastic given the time period and how women were perceived. It is said that they won the respect of their crew members through violence, although it didn't hurt that Ann and Jack were lovers. The two women fought just as cruelly as the men, dispelling any conceptions that women were naturally delicate. They plundered the Caribbean together until they were declared pirates and enemies of the crown by the governor of New Providence, Captain Woodes Rogers, on September 5, 1720. They were later captured by Captain Jonathan Barnet. Both ships fired after one another, but it all ended when Jack's ship was disabled in the fight. Legend tells that only Mary Read and Ann Bonny offered resistance, but they failed to rally the crew, resulting in their capture. Click the following links for more information on each pirate.

Anne Bonny