Pirates were often friendly and collaborated, forming networks and even "families" of crews, working in consort to prey on merchant ships, but this camaraderie could quickly turn hostile due to greed, disputes, or power struggles, leading to internal conflicts, though outright war between pirate fleets was rare as they generally avoided fighting each other due to high risks. They established codes for fair sharing and protection but remained self-serving, sometimes joining forces or splintering, creating complex relationships.
It wasn't uncommon for pirates to team up to take on both sea and land based targets. There are only a handful of times pirates attacked each other and even those were very restrained. If pirates actually did attack each other regularly, the pirate strongholds throughout the world wouldn't have worked.
Edward England is known today as one of the more humane pirate captains of the Golden Age of Piracy.
B. R. Burg argued in Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition (1995) that in the male-dominated world of piracy, homosexuality was common. A union such as matelotage may have acted as a manner of validating relationships that would otherwise have been considered against contemporary societal norms.
Think of the first mate as the chief operating officer of the pirate ship. They are responsible for the day-to-day management of the vessel, overseeing everything from navigation and maintenance to training and discipline.
While on the outset this appears to be a purely economic relationship, matelotage has been compared to marriage. Fortunately, we have written evidence of a matelotage agreement between two known pirates- John Beavis and Francis Reed.
Throughout history, there have been dramatic tales of women sailing the oceans. Many of these stories begin from the Golden Age of Piracy (1650 to 1720), but there are accounts of female pirates dating back thousands of years.
Oil, lubricant, and soap were all derived from whale blubber, something pirates may have seized or made themselves on board. However, making soap out of whale blubber was incredibly unpleasant.
Forty-two percent of LGBTQ adults identify as people of color, including 21 percent who identify as Latino/a, 12 percent as Black, two percent as Asian, and one percent as American Indian and Alaska Native.
Those who did not recant their heresy would be severely punished. Officials saw a break in moral and religious views because of homosexuality. Thus, it was seen as a pagan view; those considered guilty would be charged with capital punishment.
The Queen's favourite pirate
Born in Tavistock, Devon around 1542, Francis Drake was a noted Elizabethan seafarer. But as one of the central English commanders who fought against the Spanish Armada, Drake is probably better known as a privateer, or pirate.
The role of Jack Sparrow was turned down by Christopher Walken, Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Jim Carrey, and Robert De Niro, either due to scheduling difficulties and/or because they thought the movie would flop.
Edward Low
He was one of the most brutal men to command a pirate ship. During the 1720s he plundered ships on both sides of the Atlantic and became notorious for his savage cruelty. He took a sadistic pleasure in cutting off the noses, ears and lips of his victims.
During the 1720s, pirates were increasingly hunted down, bringing the 'golden age' to an end. Naval power was deployed to intercept pirate ships and bring crews to harsh justice. Amnesties or pardons were also granted, allowing pirates to renounce their criminal past in return for freedom from prosecution.
In 1720 Rackham and his entire crew were captured and executed—except for Bonny and Read. They said to the judge: “My Lord, we plead our bellies.” Both Bonny and Read were pregnant, and they were sent to prison instead. Learn more about Pirates of the Golden Age.
Initially, their relationship was loving, with Calypso assigning Jones the duty of ferrying souls lost at sea, providing him the Flying Dutchman for the task. She vowed to meet him after ten years, but her failure to do so led to Jones feeling betrayed and becoming antagonistic.
The three countries at the other end of the Rainbow Map scale are Russia (2%), Azerbaijan (2%), and Turkey (5%). Romania now sits at the end of the EU ranking with 19% points, followed by Poland (21%) and Bulgaria (21%).
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Gallup's latest update on LGBTQ+ identification finds 9.3% of U.S. adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual in 2024. This represents an increase of more than a percentage point versus the prior estimate, from 2023.
Cartogram of U.S. states showing the share of adults who identify as LGBT from an analysis of survey data conducted 2020-2021. Overall, 5.5% of the U.S. adults identify as LGBT. D.C. has the highest share, at 14.3%, while Mississippi and West Virginia are tied for the lowest, at 4.1%.
That maybe where the name Ships Head originated. Instead of Toilet Paper there was a long, poo-smeared rope that snaked through the hole in the Seats of Ease. The frayed end of the rope dangled in the sea and could be hauled up and used to wipe oneself clean.
Rum, which was distilled from sugar, became a primary export. As a result, many of the ships on the waters that pirates attacked were filled with it. Crews tended to drink much of the liquid loot they found. However, rum was also used as a currency and often traded for goods.
The head is the bathroom, and the term comes from the fact that in old square-rigged sailing ships, the wind was almost always from astern (Connell and Mack). Therefore, Sailors would go to the "head" of the ship so as to not relieve themselves "into the wind."
NO WOMEN ALLOWED were most Pirate code, of not all. It was forbidden for the crew to seduce a woman, sneaking her on board the ship and taking her out to sea. This offense was punishable by DEATH. Bartholomew Roberts' Articles were similar (but not identical) to those of his former Captain, Howell Davis.
Mary Read (died April 1721), was an English pirate who served under John Rackham. She and Anne Bonny were among the few female pirates during the "Golden Age of Piracy". Much of Read's background is unknown.
Other areas where piracy has taken place include the Gulf of Guinea, Strait of Malacca, Sulu and Celebes Seas, the Indian Ocean, and Falcon Lake. These modern pirates target the largest trade routes in these areas in hopes of amassing materials, money and valuable cargo to fund their lifestyles.