Corsairs of the Spanish Main

Among the earliest of quasi-official pirates were those known by the swashbuckling name of Corsairs. Europe was almost constantly at war during the sixteenth century, but instead of fighting a traditional war, France and England provided private ships with Letters of Marque to battle the Spanish in undeclared war. Watch to learn about this forgotten history and be sure to subscribe for more.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by JCG
#history #thehistoryguy #Pirates

[@presidentxijinpingspoxdoct9756]

Everyone loves a good pirate story.

[@HM2SGT]

One king’s pirate is another king’s privateer

[@johnvanlindingham9490]

piracy was not under a kings order

[@johnvanlindingham9490]

as being dutch I am also a huginot

[@judd0112]

Just have to make sure that you have aligned yourself with the correct king. Till it becomes time to switch

[@HM2SGT]

@@johnvanlindingham9490 What’s privateering to one King is piracy to another. All depends on your perspective based on which side of the conflict you serve. Ergo one King’s pirate is another King’s privateer.

[@rhuephus]

A privateer was a pirate with papers. They are one and the same

[@pamelamays4186]

All good stories include Pirates! 🖤💛

[@HM2SGT]

Reminds me of 1985 playing Sid Meier's Pirates! 😸

[@TheRiverPirate13]

I usually think of "Corsairs" as North African pirates vs French Privateers. The exact Execution site of the French shipwreck survivors of the French invasion fleet is unknown. The inlet to the Matanzas has moved south over the years so the site might be underwater now. One of the 501c3 Pirate krewe here in St Augustine called "The Matanzas Bay Buccaneer's". They are a Charity organization.

[@LucienSabre]

North African pirates were pirates, who by that time had been roaming roaming the Mediterranean - and later the coasts of Africa - since long before Rome started to become simply relevant, and plundering for themselves only. Corsairs only came to be in early XVth century…the term itself is synonym with privateer, both indicating all pirates who operated “legally” (kind of an oxymoron for a pirate LOL) under a sovereign’s protection.

[@judd0112]

@@LucienSabre and it sounds way more exotic

[@barrydysert2974]

The Silver Age of Pirates. i like it !:-) 🙏💜⚡️

[@grahamcann1761]

Did I miss it? Or did you not say, "and don't all good stories involve Pirates"? As always thank you so very much for the video

[@jackrice2770]

That is simply a given: All good stories involve pirates.

[@mattgeorge90]

Excellent episode. Always appreciate the hardwork you do for this show. Thank you! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@RDEnduro]

Sailed away with the port's cannons, awesome.

[@joshualeighton6883]

Thank you History guy for making our history understandable and comprehendable. You keep it real my bro. Solid

[@carrickrichards2457]

Elizabethan naval policy was driven by resource constraints. Private enterprise was encouraged to make up the deficit. These corsairs also fought the Armada but on their own terms (Drake's game of bowls). They famously refused to share their ammunition with the Royal Navy! Thank you for showing the Hugenot corsairs and covering more of the wars of Religion perspective.

[@nitrogasm]

Because don't all good stories involve pirates! Yes he's gotta say it!

[@Silkstep]

Loved the bubbles intro for a discussion of ships. :D

[@chocolatefrenzieya]

My Lutheran family are Americans thanks to the Huguenots. Their turmoil chased us out of France.

[@johnwilson2338]

Sir, you come up with some of the most obscure things....and I Love it! ❤️ Keep surprising us all!👍🤙🖖🤞✌️!

[@curtismcelhaney2512]

Good morning friends

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

Hey there!

[@stevens3158]

Good morning 🌞

[@johndilday1846]

I found your video incredibly fascinating due to the large role of the Huguenots in the telling. My father’s family has an unusual last name that I have been told is resulting from its origins on a French island off their sea coast. My father’s family supposedly fled France as Huguenot refugees from Catholic persecution, coming to America in the 1600’s after stopping off in Scotland and then even Northern Ireland for a time. There are some families in Belgium and even Germany with derivatives of our last name, possibly distant relatives from the diaspora of Huguenots fleeing the murderous Catholics of that era. Such historical info is very difficult to come by, and thus your video was most enlightening. Thank you, Lance! 👍👍👍

[@theoldgrowler3489]

What a good way to increase one's vocabulary.

[@blackmoonco]

Professor, what’s another word for pirate treasure? BOOTY!

[@HM2SGT]

Arr... Jimmy Buffett a pirate looks at 40. Don't all good stories involve pirates? Excellent start to the week!

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

Heck yeah!

[@allendyer5359]

changes in latitudes, changes the attitudes. Nothing in Spanish-main's quite the same.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in the Saddle again Naturally

[@johnpreusser6740]

I've been watching your shows for years- big fan

[@chascoleman6689]

I would love a bibliography of this episode. I am a student of Nautical Archaeology and this time period in the Caribbean, especially the first ships sailing from Mexico with treasure and early artifacts of the Central American peoples.

[@Russia-bullies]

We now know that convoys existed in the 1520s.Thanks to this good show.

[@rhuephus]

were you there ??

[@theblackhand6485]

A lot of French Hugenoten came to the Dutch Republic of the 7 Provinces. To me not known, but if the Hugonoten were Protestants and seen as Lutherans, then they probable were expelled to the German kingdoms as well.

[@izzywatashi371]

Here we are 5 centuries later still fighting 'Wars of Religion'.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks all over again to THG🎀....... Shoe🇺🇸

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

😥 I deserve to be remembered too...

[@a15thcenturysuitofgothicarmor]

I empathize with the great service you did, and yet go unappreciated.

[@HM2SGT]

@@a15thcenturysuitofgothicarmor Your nom de plume brings back memories. I can’t remember the name of the tavern, someplace down by the river in Houston with a wall of beer taps. Renies would hang out there, always enjoyable with the Pipers playing penny whistles and the drummers bringing their bohdrans. Ah, The singing, dancing and camaraderie I enjoyed there 20 years ago. I can’t remember his name but there was this one cat that kept showing up in full plate.😅

[@kenycharles8600]

I remember you. You are the man who told Harriet Beecher Stowe that she is the one who started the War.

[@HM2SGT]

@@kenycharles8600 🤫 you shouldn't participate when you don't comprehend the conversation. Sit quietly and observe while the grown ups are talking, you might learn something.

[@kenycharles8600]

@@HM2SGT I was talking to Abraham Lincoln, not you. Back off.

[@frankmueller2781]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video as I am a bigger fan of the "Silver" Age of Piracy than of the "Golden" one. I find fascination in the French Wars of Religion, the 80 years war, the Wars of Swedish Succession, the Russian Time of Troubles, the 30 years War, the Franco-Dutch wars of Louis XIV, and of course Polish Hussars wherever I can find them.

[@frankmueller2781]

I forgot the English Civil War as well.

[@ghmead]

All good stories involve pirates!

[@HM2SGT]

🎼From the Halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli🎶🎵

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

We fight our countries battles in the air on land and sea🎵

[@HM2SGT]

@@abrahamlincoln9758 Rah. Not a lot of civilians know that the shores of Tripoli was part of a punitive mission against pirates.😄👍

[@shawngilliland243]

Arr! Even in the Silver Age of Piracy, there seem to have been more corsairs/pirates than at which any could shake a cutlass! Demanding to see Adam's will - that's hilarious.

[@Dislike_and_Unsubscribe]

I loved pirates of the Caribbean and this adds a whole new layer of interest and history to it. Thanks for sharing, I always appreciate a good history,

[@rhuephus]

that's about as "real" as Treasure Island

[@Dislike_and_Unsubscribe]

@@rhuephus I happen to know a little something about history, and what he described is very real.

[@marvwatkins7029]

Every good tale has pirates or at least privateers.

[@leadavis3924]

Love the tub bubbles ❤

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@nilo70]

LOVED THE INTRO ! Also , of course , the episode ! 🎉

[@winglessviper]

Nice to hear about the history of where I live, near Ft Caroline and St Augustine.

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@-jeff-]

TY THG! Of COURSE all good stories include pirates ☠️!

[@jmon4860]

Drawn to all your episodes. Sorry I am poor and not a paying customer. Grew up in North central Nebraska so now you know the rest of the rest of the story. Thanks for you.😁

[@JackLowry1313]

There's an excellent movie from 1994 about the St Bartholomew Day massacre called Queen Margot. I've been to La Rochelle as it's the site of one of my favorite scenes in The Three Musketeers.

[@bigsarge2085]

All good stories DO involve pirates!

[@davidmacesr.2557]

As always my friend my very thorough and interesting perspective of world history. Which could be summed up in one word trouble. Always appreciate your blogs opens my eyes and mind a bit wider. David

[@davidsorum1715]

Oh, poor Westley has a wee bit of a bend to his rapier!

[@howardjohnson2138]

Thank you

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey History Guy ,👋 🤓 I think the biggest bone head move that the Spaniards did was destroying all Codex that nearly lost all History of the Mayans and Aztec. I bet they would have told Fawcett exactly where Z was.

[@HM2SGT]

Pleasantly surprised and mildly impressed by the most recent picture based on that legendary city.

[@jasonwhite1757]

Notice that in the 1495 Treaty of Tordesillas map has Newfoundland much closer to Europe to be on the side Portugal retained, this was because of the cod and other resources of the island.

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

And Brazil was discovered by a Spanish, not Vasco Da Gama as they lie always for centuries. But the Spanish saw it was a wet impasable forest and decided not to make any colonies there. The Spanish even navigated, and named the Amazon river too. The Portughese read about the bad area from the Spanish and sent Vasco to claim it for Portugal regardless, and built settlements. Year of 1494 i think.

[@jasonwhite1757]

@@emergencylowmaneuvering7350 in Newfoundland has many places with Spanish, Portuguese, Basque and French names, often next to each other

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

@@jasonwhite1757 The French went there later on and changed names of. Spanish didnt want those cold places and didnt go back to them.

[@JA51711]

Staten island NYC was settled by Huguenots. There's a town called Huguenot still

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

I read Drakes death from a tropical disease is a big lie. He died from battle wounds after attacking San Juan Puerto Rico. He was wounded in the Battle of San Juan in year 1595 along with Admiral Hemmins, which died by cannonfire on that battle and his mangled body had to be buried at sea quickly in front of San Juan. They lost the battle. Drakes was wounded and carried by the losing ships to try to reach their Panama base, but he died before. So 2 of the 3 most famous British Admirals presumed died in The Battle of San Juan in 1595. Not only Admiral Hemmings died in that battle, but Drake too. But the British empire was not going to admit 2 of their 3 most highest Admirals were killed in one battle with the Spanish.

[@garywagner2466]

I always learn something from THG. I did not know that “Hugen-ott” was an acceptable pronunciation of “Hugen-know.” Google doesn’t lie. Languages are fascinating.

[@oldfrend]

if there's a french pronunciation, there's for sure an american bastardization of it XD

[@Zorglub1966]

It's not so important if you are understood, “Huguen-know.” is quite good. The trick is to forget tonic accents, emphasis, long vowels, and not forget that most of the time the last consonnant is mute.

[@garywagner2466]

@@Zorglub1966, it’s not “important” at all. According to several online dictionaries, either pronunciation is acceptable. That’s unusual. It may be an American mispronunciation, which are not uncommon, or it may be something that evolved over time. I once knew a pompous Brit who pronounced all of the ‘ls’ in ‘tortilla,’ as in ‘gorilla.’ Still makes me laugh.

[@Zorglub1966]

@@garywagner2466 I'm not fluent enough in english to grasp the full comical aspect, (which is frustrating on an anglophone channel, lots of puns are lost to me), but i get your point!🙂 EDIT : To add confusion, people in the south of the Loire river often pronounce the las vowel!!

[@garywagner2466]

@@Zorglub1966, tortilla is Spanish. Two LLs are pronounced like a Y.

[@matthewpoplawski8740]

AS ALWAYS THE HISTORY GUY,AN EXCELLENT VIDEO!! Seems to me like I've learned more about history as an older man than I ever in elementary, high school, or college. I thank you AGAIN for these wonderful presentations. 👌👌👌🌞🌞🌞😎😎😎 I have a question about the pirate loot. What became of it AFTER it was seized? With the exceptions of museums such as Mel Fisher's in Key West, Fla., (where the ACTUAL TREASURE is on display), the treasure seems to have vanished. Those folks out on Oak Island on Nova Scotia STIL haven't found Captain Kidd's treasure, and, they've been looking for for over 20 years (just like Mel Fisher did). Maybe it's stored in some attic or dungeon of a long-forgotten castle. ✌✌✌✌

[@thaddaeusrobinson4239]

Ah all good videos involve pirates

[@peteengard9966]

More people have been killed for religious reasons than gold and treasure. The irony.

[@HM2SGT]

*MINE IS A GOD OF LOVE AND PEACE* , and he said I have to kill you because you don't have the same superstition I do. And it's got nothing at all to do whatsoever with your treasurer & my empty Treasury...

[@michaeldupree2502]

Grew up around Charleston and had seen a heugenot church and knew little of them but believe I must have connection since our family goes back 400 years in that area.

[@russcrawford3310]

The Corsairs were from Umbar ... and allied with Sauron during the War of the Rings ... those were the ships Aragon had them dead folks take over, so he could sail upriver and save Gondor ... oh wait, wrong history, sorry ...

[@daviddevlogger]

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets

[@HM2SGT]

😹 you'll never get the Millennials and the Zoomers to believe it!

[@martind349]

Mind your own goddamn business Mason

[@tracyrreed]

There are enough struggles inherent in life without killing each other over imaginary friends. Nobody had it easy in the 1500s. In the time before vaccines or other modern medicine there was absolutely no risk of anyone being without sufficient struggles.

[@HM2SGT]

@@tracyrreed “I believe I’ve passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage, I found that just surviving was a noble fight. I once believed in causes too, I had my pointless point of view, and life went on no matter who was wrong or right.” ~ Billy Joel, turnstiles, 1976, ‘The angry young man’

[@judd0112]

@@tracyrreed considering you could die from simply shaving and nicking yourself a simple infection. Life expectancy was 40+/- im guesstimating in that. Broken bone could kill u. Sore throat will eventually kill you. Death was everywhere and everyone was flying blind. Unimaginable times.

[@forecon11]

Guy you really like pirates! 👍

[@notthefbi7932]

Every good stories involve pirates 😄

[@JackClayton123]

Always interesting!

[@jamesmathews9098]

Fascinating

[@BasicDrumming]

Great video.

[@mikemodugno5879]

Cool topic

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@trescatorce9497]

As for Corsairs' motivations= he who steals from a thief...

[@allendyer5359]

Aruggggg! History Guy's head bobbing around can't see behind him- do see part of blue wing, to counter that P-51 did he set a F4U back there? Vaught, I wouldn't call that sword hang'n a corsaire thar mate! Hue-go-naught into Silver Beetle Sea of holes again ayeeeeee.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Yes, there is a model of a Vought Corsair on set

[@allendyer5359]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel aye 'r be Enterprising enuff to gits one with Jolly Rodger markings of VF-17...or is it VMF-214 ole pappys?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

@@allendyer5359 no- it has no squadron markings. It is a vintage wooden model acquired second hand, much like the Mustang.

[@taboovsknowledge1603]

I Like The History Guy!

[@rickharold7884]

Cool story

[@jonathanperry8331]

You should do one about the plane. Shortest bombing run in history. The Japanese were so close to the airfield it dropped its bomb at 90 yards from takeoff. If you never seen one in person you should.

[@Rikki0]

What in the world are you talking about?

[@RDEnduro]

@@Rikki0 WWII Naval warfare and Corsair single engine plane. Nothing at all to do with this video:p

[@Rikki0]

@@RDEnduro Oh I understood the basics of what you were getting at. I was more talking about your allusion to a specific mission. I simply wanted to look it up if there was one that was historically classified as "the" shortest. And admittedly, I was a little curious as to why you would mention a tactical air support mission on a video about Corsairs. Np, though.

[@HM2SGT]

I remember that episode of Black Sheep squadron! That happened to TJ didn't it? Or was it Casey?

[@jonathanperry8331]

@@Rikki0 it happened on Saipan. They had just captured the runway and brought the planes in. The front lines are only about a football field away and during a counter attack one of them lifted off and dropped the bomb almost as soon as it was in the air. That's how treacherous it was. Forgive me for not having the reference I've watched so many freaking documentaries it's hard to remember which one it came from. I'm not just making this up. Please take my word for it it would take me days to go through every saipan documentary to find that one 30 second clip.

[@oldesertguy9616]

I just had visions of a flight of F-4U's flying over a fleet of Spanish galleons.

[@jeffbangkok]

Good night

[@donnyboon2896]

Yes

[@pauldefazio3480]

I have an idea for an episode for you Egmont Island at the mouth of Tampa Bay has a rich history there are old forts on the island and it was also used as an Indian jail the shells of several large buildings and Foundations still remain brick pathways on the island and even a small rail system I think your viewers and yourself would find it interesting

[@kennyhagan5781]

Without pirates, Robert Louis Stevenson would only have had mad scientists to write about.... That would have been bad.

[@bethanywicker8990]

Where's the cat? Because don't all good stories involve pirates and cats?

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I had to shut him out of the studio because he wouldn’t stop making noise.

[@joshuabessire9169]

Piracy, the Spanish Inquisition, Martin Luther, what a time to be alive... If you're in a Monty Python sketch. I think it would've been bloody awful for real people.

[@emergencylowmaneuvering7350]

Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition.. i could not help that... Sorrry..

[@joshuabessire9169]

@@emergencylowmaneuvering7350 I was expecting a Crimson Permanent Assurance reference, but I wasn't expecting THAT!

[@rhuephus]

ha ha ... or a time to die

[@Jbot123]

Buckets of ducats!

[@Oldtimeytools]

Do the jenkins ear ear 💪

[@ggravett]

The T is silent in Huguenot, but I think that is english english and not american english though.

[@rhuephus]

yeah .. and why it "phonetic" not spelled "fonetic" ??

[@InnerProp]

The French Corsairs were primarily protestant, huh. That's funny. Can't wait to tell Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, IL about their mascot. They are called the Corsairs (or could they be named after the so-called Turkish Corsairs, nah).

[@rhuephus]

maybe the mascot was named after the Corsair company that makes computer memory

[@rhuephus]

ha ha A pirate would be the perfect mascot for the entire catholic mythological organization. After all, they did murder and plunder most of the "new world" peoples.

[@ScoundrelSFB]

I would love to scuba dive to a sunken ship, and I would probably get in trouble poking my nose inside looking for a jewel or dabloon.

[@arthurschipper8906]

Pirates come cloaked in many forms.

[@oldfrend]

you've done a video on pirates. now you've done a video on corsairs. next you have to do a video on buccaneers. and i don't mean tom brady's football team XD

[@skybluskyblueify]

Are there ways to test gold and jewels to see where they originated? Seems to me all of this should be returned to the people that were robbed.

[@rhuephus]

ha ha ... a few hundred years too late. Besides most of those people were KILLED because of the gold and silver. In case you missed history in grade school.

[@FunnymanAintAfrican]

9:05 LOL what's up with his face!?

[@schlirf]

Yarr!

[@willyeverlearn7052]

Wonderful as usual... But could you slow down just a bit? I had to re-listen 3 or 4 times just to hear everything...

[@cee8mee]

Did you know you can slow the replay down?

[@rhuephus]

just change the "playback" speed

[@TripleCrossProduct]

History of French/French Pirate helping in our Revolutionary War.

[@HM2SGT]

I think you are confusing Jean Lafitte with someone else. He wasn't born until after the American revolution, and he was instrumental in the War of 1812.

[@jonathanperry8331]

Lot of talk of Brazil today. Go watch The last week Tonight with John Oliver there at the verge of civil war.

[@CwL-1984]

👍👍

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

🍔🍔🍔🍔

[@patrickdurham8393]

The privateers were pirates because ...

[@rhuephus]

M O N E Y

[@jackmason5278]

I have no concept of what a duckit is worth (maybe 1¢ or perhaps $100,000). It would be nice if you would translate some such terms into 2022 dollars.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Fair point. It is difficult to translate currency from 500+ years ago. Assuming the Venetian ducat, at 3.54 grams of gold, 150,000 ducats was the equivalent 531,000 grams of gold. Today gold values at $52.95 a gram, so roughly $28,116,450.00 in value of the gold.

[@rhuephus]

umm ..ever think to do your OWN research ?? or just too lazy

[@tiffanyannhowe1712]

Aaaaaaaaarg!

[@tomtheplummer7322]

🏴‍☠️🏁🚩🏴

[@DeconvertedMan]

Histroy get!

[@lisahinton9682]

@Deconverted Man What does that even mean?

[@abrahamlincoln9758]

@@lisahinton9682 If you don't already know, he'll histroy you.

[@HM2SGT]

@@lisahinton9682 indeed. My iPad offered to translate that to English…🤔😉

[@lisahinton9682]

@@HM2SGT I love your user name. I am not sure I understand it, though. It's 5 AM here and I am awake because I dreamed that I lived out my life and so did my boyfriend (who in the dream was my husband). We both reincarnated - him as a cute little boy and me, as his dog. Your user name made me remember this dream. Because, in the dream, tomorrow was indeed wonderful. 🙂

[@HM2SGT]

@@lisahinton9682 my nom de plume is part philosophical, part social commentary, & part sentimentality & nostalgia; when I was a kid there was a group called the waitresses that had two hit songs; I know what boys want, & Christmas wrapping. The title of their album was “wasn’t tomorrow wonderful?“.😄

[@rawcado]

Hi

[@dr.froghopper6711]

What? No cats?

[@stevecannon1774]

San German is pronounced San Hairmon. I used to live in Puerto Rico. It’s Spanish. G=h, E=A, a=ah, I&y=E

[@merlinwizard1000]

79th, 26 September 2022

[@korbell1089]

I imagine this is what Florin looked like when he opened up the holds on those two ships. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHvanJSCqZ6jnJo edit: wrong clip