Pirates Of America

In American history one is likely to find an overwhelming amount of history on the natives, such as the Incas and the Aztecs. However there is much more to the Americas than conquering the natives and stealing their bountiful gold and lands. In the deepest back ground lay the smaller people of history. Those who lived on a dare devils tight rope line throughout their days on a ship. American Pirates hold many disastrous deeds and adventures that many people back then knew of but dare not lose civilization by stepping onto one of those ships.
Edward Teach, a name that would make one think of a crooked old scholar, had an alias that seemed almost opaque for an honest sailing man. But Edwards’s true form showed soon enough on his pirates face. Blackbeard was a fearsome pirate. His ominous black beard covered most of his face and some would say that he burned terror into the minds of his enemy’s by twisting wicks covered with gunpowder at the ends, into his beard and light them. The shadowing effect made him seem almost monstrous. In later months of becoming a pirate Blackbeard met Bonnet who sailed the Revenge. After inviting the QAR (Queen Anne’s revenge, the ship which Blackbeard sailed) to sail along side the Revenge, Blackbeard soon found Bonnet a poor leader and an incompetent sailor. Soon after this discovery, Blackbeard forced Bonnet to be a guest on the QAR and appointed another captain to the Revenge. This didn’t last long because the ship crashed eight months later leaving Bonnet lost to the sea. During the time period of 1717-1718 the QAR and the Revenge sailed along the Caribbean taking prizes. Blackbeard also decided to keep two other smaller vessels by the spring of 1718 while sailing up the coast of North America, Blackbeard was in control of four vessels and over three hundred men. In late May, Blackbeard’s rein of terror landed on the town of Charleston. Sometime after that one-week blood battle on the Atlantic Blackbeard’s QAR was lost in the Beaufort inlet. Another of his smaller ships the Adventure was lost that same day apparently gone back to look for the QAR. Before leaving the Beaufort inlet Blackbeard marooned twenty five pirates on a deserted sandbar. Then he stripped bonnets revenge of her provisions and set them aboard his other small vessel and left. Bonnet later rescued the marooned men and sailed along his Revenge which he re-named the Royal James. Later Blackbeard sailed to the capital of North Carolina where they received pardons from the Governor, Charles Eden. In November of 1718 Governor Alexander Spottswood of Virginia sent a royal navy up north ward and killed Blackbeard, after knowing that Blackbeard continually took ships even with his pardons. During Blackbeard’s piracy he captured over forty ships, and his death greatly represented the end of the era of seafaring pirates. 1, 2
But of course what kind of amazing pirate has anyone seen or heard of that would surprise more if knowing the genders had somehow switched? Anne Bonny was the most notorious female pirates of her time. Born in Ireland, March eight, 1700, Anne was the illegitimate daughter to a lawyer and his wife’s maid. The scandal forced her father to flee to the Carolinas with her and her mother. There her father made a fortune by starting a plantation. At sixteen James Bonny married Anne an attempt to steal the plantation, but was thwarted when Anne’s father disowned her. Anne’s husband later took her to the pirate lair of New Providence, in the Bahamas where he coward under Governor Woodes Roger, accusing anyone he didn’t like or take a fancy too of piracy, just to claim a reward, uncaring of the amount. Anne’s dislike of her husband showed early on in their relationship, and soon she was seen kept mostly among the pirate elite, where her best friends consisted of the pirate ‘paramours and Pierre, a most famous homosexual on the island. She later caught the attentions of Chidley Bayard. Yet in order to keep him Anne fought in a battle to the death with his current lover, a Spanish maiden named Maria. Anne enjoyed using his money and traveling with him. However it all ended when she punched the sister-in-law of Governor Lawes of Jamaica at a ball. Bayard used his power to keep Anne from being punished but after the ordeal lost some interest in her and left her alone most the time. Just as Bayard’s interest in Anne sagged, Anne became increasingly bored with him and quickly caught the eye of Calico Jack Rackham a pirate of some renown. Bored with the shore life, Jack planned to go to sea again, and announcing his plan to Anne, she quickly stated that she would go with him. The sea life suited her and Anne could be seen wearing men’s garments as well as a pistol. However soon after setting sail Anne realized she was pregnant. She stayed on the ship in Jacks cabin until it became too apparent and Anne was left on shore for the remainder of her pregnancy. When on shore Anne was pleased about her pregnancy and was hoping for a baby girl. This joy soon ended when Anne gave birth two months early and her baby girl died within an hour of her life outside the womb. Anne went through a period of turmoil, weeping constantly, and believing that she had killed her daughter. When Jack came back and saw this new Anne he was shocked and took Anne back to New Province to recover. Shortly after her return Anne’s friend Pierre told her of a plot on Governor Rogers, and warned him in time to save his life. Rogers knew he owed Anne a debt for his life. Anne’s husband, angry at Anne for ‘flaunting’ their affair right under his nose, had Anne and Jack arrested and brought to trial in front of Governor Rogers. Knowing of his debt Rogers calmly went through the facts and suggested either a pay by divorce or a flogging from Jack. Disgusted with the scolding Anne and Jack disappeared into the night, stole a ship, and sailed away. Later they sailed on the ship Providence, where they met Mary Read, yet another female pirate. However the ship was captured and the crew and the two women arrested. When in trial Anne spoke for both herself and Mary pleading, “We plead our bellies, sir!” Both women were pregnant at the time. At Jack’s trial he pleaded for the life of the woman and was granted a special favor to see Anne on the day he was to hang. Where as Anne promptly said, “‘I'm sorry, Jack. But if you had fought like a man, you would not now be about to die like a dog. Do straighten yourself up!’” Mary was never hung as she caught a fever and died, along with her babe still in her womb. However Anne had surprisingly disappeared off the records. One story claims that Anne’s father forgave her and ransomed her back. Yet another tells of Anne being granted a pardon through a man named Dr. Michael Radcliffe, who was also the father of her babe. They were then apparently married and on their way onto Virginia and then heading westward with a group of pioneers and were simply lost in history anytime afterwards.  3, 4
These daring and adventurous two are the most notorious pirates from both genders who traveled the American coast line. Their flare for fun and dangerous tasks placed their names in history to be remembered forever.  Their fiery spirit and bloodying battles were both awed and repulsive to many.  They lived in the background of history, yet somehow made an irremovable mark on the timeline.