What did pirates really want?

Emeralds and pearls were the commonest gems from America, providing rich plunder. However, pirates did not only seize precious cargoes like these. They also wanted things they could use, such as food, barrels of wine and brandy, sails, anchors and other spare equipment for their ships.

What did pirates fear the most?

Sailors and pirates tended to be very superstitious - that is, they had a fear of the unknown and used it to explain misfortune (bad things that happened). Living and working on a ship in the middle of the seven seas was a very dangerous job.

What did pirates steal and why?

What Did Pirates Steal? as rice and fish, so that they didn't go hungry. Pirate ships were well-used, so pirates would sometimes raid other ships for materials such as ropes, wood and sails to carry out essential repairs. In addition, they stole other useful items like candles, soap and cooking pots.

Why did pirates did what they did?

Many pirates came from poorer urban areas in search of a way to make money and reprieve. London in particular was known for high unemployment, crowding, and poverty which drove people to piracy. Piracy also offered power and quick riches.

What did pirates like to do for fun?

Play Music and Sing Songs

Pirates were famous for creating and singing songs as they sailed. Captains often encouraged this, because it kept morale up and helped the sailors focus on their work.

Pirates, What Were They Really Like? | Tales of Earth

What did pirates suffer from?

Scurvy, a disease caused by lack of vitamin C, sickened sailors who had no access to fresh food supplies, and killed more than 2 million sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries alone.

How often did pirates bathe?

Pirates Had No Option But to Bathe With Seawater

Despite the abundance of seawater, bathing wasn't a common occurrence amongst the pirates. They felt leaving the ship was dangerous and saltwater irritated their skin.

What alcohol did pirates drink?

Pirates would ration out the clean water to stay hydrated and mix it with rum. It was the drink of choice, and it flowed freely on pirate ships.

How did pirates punish each other?

A common punishment was to be flogged on board a single ship or sent around all the ships in the port and flogged at each one of them (a punishment also used in the Royal Navy). In the Indian Ocean, pirates were so numerous that those captured were often branded with a letter P on their foreheads using a red-hot iron.

Why did pirates go extinct?

The era of piracy in the Caribbean began in the 1500s and phased out in the 1830s after the navies of the nations of Western Europe and North America with colonies in the Caribbean began combating pirates.

Why did pirates bury gold?

While there are a couple examples of pirates burying their gold and silver to avoid it being captured by other pirates or foreign governments, they were far more likely to spend their plunder than save it responsibly for the future.

What crime did pirates commit?

Piracy, Hijacking, and Kidnapping

Modern pirates typically commit robbery by boarding ships through force, stealing vessels, or holding cargo and crews for ransom.

What was valuable to pirates?

The most precious prizes were chests of gold, silver and jewels. Coins were especially popular because pirate crews could share them out easily. Emeralds and pearls were the commonest gems from America, providing rich plunder. However, pirates did not only seize precious cargoes like these.

Who was the kindest pirate?

Edward England is known today as one of the more humane pirate captains of the Golden Age of Piracy.

Who was the most loved pirate?

Blackbeard

Blackbeard is possibly the most famous pirate in history, but his life is shrouded in mystery.

Who was the meanest pirate?

Edward Low started his piratical career in 1721 in the Caribbean. Over the next few years, Low blazed a path of destruction, becoming, according to one contemporary account, “the most noted pirate in America” – and certainly the most vicious. He seemed to relish torturing and killing his victims.

What are the three pirate rules?

Every crew member must keep his own weapons clean. No women or children allowed on board the ship. Any crew member bringing a woman or child on board (even in disguise) will be killed. Any crew member who cowardly abandons the ship in times of battle will be punished with death or marooning.

Who hunted down pirates?

Rogers commissioned Hornigold to hunt down any and all recusant pirates, including some ex-comrades such as his former lieutenant, Teach (Blackbeard).

Who betrayed the pirates?

At his trial, Bonnet downplayed his own authority over his pirate crew. He told the court that his crew engaged in piracy against his will, and said he had warned them that he would leave the crew unless they stopped robbing vessels.

Why do pirates say Arrr?

We answer this burning question with help from National Geographic and American Profile. Pronounced also as “Yarrr!” and “Arg!”, the word “Arrr!” is traditionally said by pirates when responding "yes" or when expressing excitement.

Why did sailors drink rum instead of water?

A gallon of beer was the original rationed drink for sailors, but it too could spoil easily at sea. Around 1655, many ships switched over to rum rations instead. It didn't rot inside barrels and also didn't take up as much room as beer, freeing precious space for cargo.

Why do pirates have parrots?

A colourful talking bird would have been expensive, so pirates probably stole them along with other valuable cargo. The crew on a pirate ship may have been glad to have these intelligent birds onboard to entertain them on long, dull voyages.

Did female pirates wear pants or skirts?

Like other 17th-century seamen, Caribbean pirates wore loose pants cut off just below the knee, woolen stockings, and a thigh-length blouse or coat. Many wore “petticoat trousers.” Very full and open at the bottom, these resembled a divided knee-length skirt or the garment called culottes.

How did pirates keep their teeth clean?

The toothbrush as we know it, with easy to clean nylon bristles, was invented less than 100 years ago. Even toothbrushes with animal bristles weren't easily available until a century after pirates sailed the seas. If pirates brushed at all, they probably used rags or twigs with frayed ends to clean their teeth.

Did female pirates wear pants?

There were two infamous female pirates: Anne Bonny and Mary Read (d. 1721), and both wore the trousers and shirts typical of male mariners when in battle. Alternatively, short billowing trousers known as 'petticoat breeches' were worn which could be tied at the knee.