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Pirate Punishments in the Golden Age of Piracy
Pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730) both dished out and received a wide range of imaginative punishments. Victims of piracy endured torture, floggings, and ceremonies of humiliation, but when...
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Treasure & Booty in the Golden Age of Piracy
During the Golden Age of Piracy (1690-1730), pirates were first and foremost after gold, silver, and jewels, but if these could not be grabbed, then a ship’s cargo would be taken for resale at a pirate haven...
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Francis Drake's Circumnavigation of the Globe
The English mariner, privateer, and explorer Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596 CE) made his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580 CE. Only the second to achieve this feat after the expedition of...
Article
Pirates of the Mediterranean
The pirates of the ancient Mediterranean were not, for the most part, the outsiders who knew no country's allegiance and were the enemies of civilization as they are frequently depicted in novels and other media. They...
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The French Exploration of New Zealand
The French exploration of New Zealand has been overshadowed by the achievements of British navigator Captain James Cook (1728-1779), but French navigators who visited Aotearoa's (New Zealand) shores named over...
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The Capture of the Treasure Ship Madre de Deus
The treasure ship Madre de Deus (aka Madre de Dios) was a Portuguese vessel carrying hugely valuable cargo from the East Indies which was attacked and captured by a fleet of English privateers in the Azores...
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Ming Taxation & the Silver Economy
The rulers of China's Ming dynasty (1368-1644) acquired an insatiable desire for silver in the 16th century, largely to pay for huge prestige projects like building the Forbidden City in Beijing and repairing the...
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Captain Kidd Portrait
An 18th-century portrait often attributed to James Thornhill of the Scottish privateer turned pirate Captain Kidd (c. 1645-1701). William Kidd was found guilty of piracy and hanged in 1701.
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Captain Kidd Burying His Treasure
A late-19th/early-20th century illustration by Howard Pyle showing the Scottish privateer turned pirate Captain Kidd (c. 1645-1701) burying his treasure. William Kidd was found guilty of piracy and hanged in 1701...
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Francis Drake by Hilliard
A c. 1581 CE portrait by Nicholas Hilliard of the English mariner, privateer and explorer Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540-1596 CE).