History of Piracy                    

            The history of piracy goes all the way back to ancient times, the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Around 500 BC pirates attacked the many cargo ships that sailed the Mediterranean Sea. Early Greek pirates used small, fast ships that had a shallow bottom. These ships were called triremes and had great maneuverability which allowed the pirates to escape into bays and channels were the larger ships could not go. A famous Roman leader was captured by pirates when he was 25. Can you guess who he was? This historic leader was none other than Julius Caesar. He was released and then his troops caught and killed the pirates who had captured him. 

            Most of the pirates who sailed the Mediterranean Sea were called corsairs. Most corsairs were Muslims and they enjoyed plundering Christen ships. Corsairs weren't your typical pirates. They weren't after treasure, they were after people. Pirates held rich people for ransom and ordinary people were used as slaves or the pirates forced them to work on their galleys (the ship). The corsairs' galley had a ram in the front and they would crash it into their opponents. Then people called janissaries jumped onto the other ship and captured it. Corsairs' ships were armed with cannons and they used scimitars (curved swords), muskets, and ornate swords and daggers in hand to hand combat. Corsairs didn't just attack cities and ships in the Mediterranean, they also attacked up north. One pirate sailed all the way to ICELAND!

            Piracy didn't only occur in the Mediterranean Sea, it happened in Northern Europe as well. Pirates up in Northern Europe were called Norse Riders or Vikings. The Vikings traveled across the North Sea so that they could raid British settlements. They usually carried two-edged swords and axes. They sailed in swift longships. These ships were flat-bottomed and could travel up river. This allowed the Vikings to attack inland villages.  This was the very beginning of piracy. 

          With the discovery of the New World, pirates began to move closer to the Caribbean. These pirates were drawn to merchant ships known as galleons which carried huge amounts of treasure. These ships were slow and heavy. Pirates could easily take them down. This area around the Caribbean was called the Spanish Main. The first real place that the pirates could stay without any one bothering them was a tiny, rocky island named Tortuga. This island was close to the main shipping route and it had a sheltered harbor. At Tortuga, the pirates built a fort which was heavily armed. It had 24 cannons facing the sea. 

           The next pirate hangout was at Port Royal. Port Royal was owned by the British and they didn't interfere in the lives of the pirates. It was filled with runaway slaves, pirates, drunkards, and pickpockets. The port also had good night-life. There were at least 44 bars at Port Royal. The harbor was guarded by a fort. At the docks pirates could fix their ships and trade their stolen goods. Then in 1692, Port Royal was destroyed by an earthquake and the giant wave that followed it. About 4,000 people died because of the earthquake. Most pirates saw this as punishment from God for their wrong-doings.

          Soon the Europeans began to get fed up with all of the pirates. Nations began to build bigger fleets and stronger navies. During this time, countries were experimenting with steam powered ships. Steam powered ships were much faster than the old ones, which depended on the wind. With these new ships, the they were able to chase down and capture most of the pirates. The pirates just couldn't out run these powerful new ships.  A handsome reward also inspired many people to help capture these pirates. 

            If a pirate was captured they were either pardon or sent to prison in England. The pirates who were  given a free pardon were the younger ones and those who agreed to certain terms. An exampple of such a term would be that he (the pirate) had to give up crime and be a model citizen for the rest of his life. Those who were sent to England usually didn't make it that far. Generally they were sent to the nearest American port and were executed there. If they made it to England they usually went to Newgate Prison in London. Newgate Prison was a dirty and foul place to be. Many prisoners died from diseases before they could ever executed. 

            If a pirate made it to a trial, they were quick to be condemned. The judges wanted to show  other pirates who were still at large, what would happen when they were caught. They also stressed that capture was unavoidable. When a pirate was condemned to die, it usually meant that they would be hanged. After the hanging they would leave the body until the tide came in or they would sometime put the body in a metal cage. This was basically the end of "ancient piracy".  

            Piracy still continues today. The only difference is that modern day pirates use high-tech gadgets and rely on stealth rather than brute force. Modern day pirates usually plunder a ship in the middle of the night and climb ropes to get on to the deck. It only takes them a few minutes to scourge a ship and take all of the valuables. Then they go back into their boats and disappear into the darkness. Most of the weapons modern pirates use are speed boats, automatic rifles, and machine guns. All of their plans are made by computers and by contacting each other with radios.