historical
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Christopher Condent
Christopher Condent was an English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, capturing a rich Arab trading vessel near Bombay in 1720 that reportedly made him and his crew wealthy. Unlike many contemporaries, he successfully negotiated a pardon from French colonial authorities on Réunion Island. He is reported to have settled into legitimate…
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James Plantain
John (James) Plantain was a pirate who, after raiding shipping in the Indian Ocean with Edward England’s crew, settled at Ranter Bay in Madagascar and established himself as a local ruler over the surrounding population. He built alliances and conflicts with neighboring Malagasy groups during nearly a decade in power. A revolt by those under…
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Abraham Samuel
Abraham Samuel was a pirate shipwrecked near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, around 1697, where local Antanosy royalty identified birthmarks that led them to declare him a long-lost prince. Backed by armed fellow pirates and hundreds of Antanosy soldiers, he ruled the region as a king until his death in 1705. His story illustrates the unusual pirate-run…
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Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan was a Welsh privateer who led major English raids against Spanish colonial holdings in the Caribbean, including the sack of Panama City in 1671, under commissions from English colonial authorities. Though his actions were often piratical in nature, he operated with official sanction for most of his career. He was later knighted and…
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Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake was an English privateer and explorer who raided Spanish colonial shipping and settlements under the sanction of Queen Elizabeth I, and became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe (1577-1580). Spain regarded him as a pirate and called him ‘El Draque.’ He later served as a vice admiral against the Spanish Armada…
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William Dampier
William Dampier was an English buccaneer, explorer, and naturalist who circumnavigated the globe three times and was the first Englishman to explore parts of Australia. He sailed with buccaneer crews that raided Spanish shipping in the Pacific before later commanding Royal Navy exploration voyages. His detailed published journals influenced navigation, natural history, and literature, including…
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John Hawkins
Sir John Hawkins was an English naval commander and one of the pioneers of the English transatlantic slave trade, later serving as treasurer of the Royal Navy. He led early English trading and raiding voyages against Spanish colonial interests in the Caribbean. He died during a joint naval expedition with Francis Drake against Spanish territories…
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Piet Pieterszoon Hein
Piet Pieterszoon Hein was a Dutch naval officer and admiral of the Dutch West India Company, famous for capturing an entire Spanish treasure fleet near Cuba in 1628, the only time such a fleet was fully captured intact. He had earlier been enslaved as a galley rower after capture by Spanish forces. He was killed…
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Woodes Rogers
Woodes Rogers was an English privateer captain who commanded a circumnavigation voyage (1708-1711) during which he rescued the marooned sailor Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. He later became the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas, tasked with suppressing the pirate haven at Nassau, offering the 1718 royal pardon and driving out or capturing…
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Laurens de Graaf
Laurens de Graaf was a Dutch-born buccaneer who became one of the most feared raiders of Spanish shipping and settlements in the Caribbean, including participating in the sack of Veracruz in 1683. He later entered French colonial service, receiving a naval commission and eventually helping found the French colony at present-day Biloxi, Mississippi. His marriage…