The Battle of Cape Lopez: End of the Golden Age of Piracy.

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Because all good stories involve pirates. There have, on occasion, been true naval battles between pirate ships and naval men-of-war, and one notable example some have argued, marked the end of the golden age of piracy.
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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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All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #Pirates

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

To start comparing quotes and simplify insurance-buying, check out Policygenius: Policygenius.com/thehistoryguy. Thanks to Policygenius for sponsoring this video!

[@uraswami8077]

We no longer call them pirates, but we still have them with us today. They no longer say “Arrrrrr!” , but instead call you and say “Your warranty is expiring soon…”

[@thebigdog2295]

And now they've started making commercials as well. As if the phone calls weren't annoying enough.

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Auto Dealerships.. In northeast USA they are controlled by Italian Mafiosos. Italian Stealerships

[@terryburns8917]

Here I was thinking that you were going to mention our government and all their taxes.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

ROTFFLMFAO!!!

[@dashingrapscallion8812]

I was expecting a joke about politicians

[@JWSitterley]

History Guy: You come up with some great lines: “The black flag fluttered feebly across the body of a pirate”. Most eloquent alliteration if there ever was. 🏴‍☠

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Thank you, but that particular line was a quotation was from Aubrey Burl, “Black Barty: Bartholomew Roberts and his Pirate Crew,” Sutton, Alum Books, (2006) page 231.

[@dugroz]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel ARGHHHH!!!!

[@pamelamays4186]

Pirates became pirates by being on ships captured by pirates, whose ships that had previously been captured by pirates. A pirate pyramid scheme.

[@Daniel_Rood]

Pirates! Excellent!

[@nedludd7622]

Back in those times, being a pirate was a good career choice for most people.

[@irighterotica]

Yep. High risk, high reward.

[@scottabc72]

Daily life on a pirate ship was often better than on merchant ships or Navy ships, after all pirates typically elected their captains

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I think it was the best choice for some at some times, but for “a good career choice” it certainly meant a lot of drawbacks.

[@leonmusk1040]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Peter blake a Kiwi yachter of some renown was killed by pirates they're still a thing it's still a choice just saying :)

[@BigboiiTone]

​@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Correct.

[@padraicfarrell188]

Hooray for stories involving pirates

[@flkoolguy]

Your telling of these historical events is most entertaining. In fact, you could probably read a phone book and people would be riveted.

[@01nmuskier]

Those would become phone numbers that deserve to be remembered.

[@mikeoswald8053]

How fun! Thank you for the history lesson. While without crews or large ships, there were pirates still in the Caribbean in the late 1960's to early or mid '70's. One was a fellow of German heritage that would roam from the Columbian coast to the French Antilles. He would slip a sailboat off its moorings to haul his cargo (drugs or other contraband). A few days later, under the cover of darkness, he'd go into a harbor on one of the islands and board another boat, throwing over the side or killing the owner. He would then transfer his stuff to the newly taken hull where he would proceed on his way. The previous boat was left adrift or sometimes sunk. It seemed he had a couple of ports where he was free to live or anchor, while in other islands he was a wanted man.

[@pamelamays4186]

To have breakfast with the captain who's your prisoner is a smooth boss move.

[@tomalexander4327]

That is a mighty fine waistcoat!

[@roberttaylor7637]

All good stories contain pirates, but the best stories are all about them.

[@stephendavies6949]

I'm a regular viewer of your videos and enjoy the content, delivery and selection of topics, many of which recall the rise, zenith and fall of the British Empire and the handing of the mantle of "leader of the (free) world" to your country. Being a Welshman, I was pleasantly surprised to hear you reference WalesOnline. I often refer to this "newspaper" myself in order to keep abreast of news from the land of my birth, as I now live on the Suffolk/Norfolk border in England. Keep up the good work sir! Stephen

[@markloveless1001]

Thanks for making The Princess Bride connection explicit. I thought, aw, c'mon, that's got to be - it's just too perfect.

[@crustycurmudgeon2182]

Once introduced into the story-line, Roberts repeatedly reminded me of The Princess Bride. When you finally said what I was thinking, my face broke into a broad smile! As usual, professor, well done!

[@brecwilshusen9142]

That proves his statement…all good stories DO involve pirates. It’s not inconceivable at all.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

You called?

[@crustycurmudgeon2182]

@@capt.bart.roberts4975 Yes. Yes I did.

[@dirtcop11]

I was thinking that this was like the storyline of "The Princess Bride" when you said what I was thinking. I believe Cary Elwys is a Welshman, how appropriate. It's amazing to know that many pirates were Welsh or from Cornwall. Cornwall's contribution seems to be the speech of the pirates, thanks to Robert Newton. They spoke Ebonics before it became popular.

[@joellangenfeld1058]

random aside, the scots had "issues" with the crown as well. One notes that the revolutionary war hero John Paul (Jones) was a Scotsman.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

Most of the country at the bottom of pile had some issues with The King. Think of Tom Paine.

[@carywest9256]

@@joellangenfeld1058 Why would John Paul Jones have an issue with the crown? He had a decent job as a session man in London before joining Jimmy Page,Robert Plant and John Bonham to form Led Zeppelin. Playing at sea would have warped his bass guitar, not to mention what would happen to the piano, electronic organ and synthesizers. Just glad he was a land lubber! But l know of the other JPJ's, he even sunk a ship or two in English ports. HUZZAZ

[@shawngilliland243]

@TheHistoryGuyChannel - One of the more glorious pirate stories you've done. Many thanks for such a comprehensive account of Robert's final fight. It seems that being "pistol-proof" does not equate with being proof against grape shot. Such a death sure beats being hanged without a drop gate.

[@terryburns8917]

Terry’s son Wesley here. Love the tie Mr. History Guy, Looking snazzy. :)

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

"And don't all good stories involve pirates"? The History Guy.

[@xvsj5833]

Bringing back the golden age with words ❤️ Thank you

[@mcm95403]

I know @THG loves pirates, so I know this will be a great episodes.

[@Trilaan]

Nice job with the Westley and Inigo figures on the shelf behind you.

[@K8E666]

Excellent work - I’m Welsh and love pirates “because all good stories involve pirates” THG ❤

[@01nmuskier]

I'm glad he skipped the kissing scene.

[@beerdrinker6452]

Always interesting content. Thank you.

[@brentgranger7856]

One of the very few videos I already have learned about the story, but still learned something! Keep up the great work, THG!

[@notahotshot]

Rescued from slavery, pressed into piracy, rescued from piracy, pressed into slavery. "The Golden Age"

[@FallenAnvilForge]

Gotta say that I love the intro to this one

[@jake9705]

Video suggestion: Could you please do a review of California life AFTER the gold rush died down? The California Gold Rush was more like a California Gold Bust for the vast majority of prospectors who went out West. I'm sure there are some great stories there.

[@bigsarge2085]

Always learn something new!

[@byronlee8745]

Pirate history is one of my favorite history subjects! Keep it up! New subscriber here! 👍

[@vice6996]

a coworker tells the story of being on his honeymoon a few years ago at a resort in...Haiti or DR, and talking to a fellow tourist who was lounging on the beach a few days prior when all of a sudden she looked over and there were a handful of men in complete tactical gear and rifles walking out on the beach looking out over the water. She asked what was going on and one pointed to a tiny black dot on the horizon and said "pirates". She found out that just a week prior the resort had been attacked and the pirates run off by these guys. They still exist.

[@richb313]

Thanks for this entertaining history lesson.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@BasicDrumming]

I appreciate you, thank you for making content.

[@ikenosis8160]

Excellent video. Liked and shared. Great work.

[@pamelamays4186]

A great story that includes pirates!

[@RetiredSailor60]

Another great story involving Pirates!! Arrrr Matey!! 😅 Shiver me timbers, another pint of rum for the officers and grog for the crew.

[@debbieosburn3745]

Very good! Thank you.

[@honodle7219]

That was a good story. AND it involved pirates. :)

[@elanahammer1076]

@ The history guy, I sincerely hope you are right. Criminals are a kin to pirates. It would not surprise me if this part of history reinvents itself. Thank you 🤔❤🇺🇸

[@TheRiverPirate13]

You may want to reference Robert Jacob's book "The Pirate's Life in the Golden Age of Piracy" regarding Roberts mate. Roberts never signed his name "Bartholomew". He signed it "Batt Roberts" which indicates he was referencing nationality of Welsh not the name Bartholomew. A very complicated but colorful pirate of that time period! I often wondered what would have happened if his krewe was NOT drunk and how the encounter with HMS Swallow might have ended then? We pirates of the present age just sail the Caribbean for Rum and Sun! Raise the Black!

[@frankgulla2335]

Nice, job, THG Great tale of telling.

[@patrickfreeman8257]

One story I heard about Roberts, just before going into battle he would say to his first mater, "Fetch my red coat", which he would wear throughout the battle, then take it off later. One time his mate asked him why he did this. Roberts explained that he wore red so that, if he were wounded in battle, his men couldn't see the blood, lest they should get scared and lose their nerve. Just before on particular rough battle, facing 20 ships, he said to his first mate, "Fetch my brown pants!"

[@carywest9256]

Was he wearing a diaper under those brown pants,it would help seeing how the drizzle could run a leg!

[@VarnerRuth]

Great informative video. 😀

[@tcaldwe]

A few years ago I asked if you would do an episode on the history and origin of insurance, and now you have a sponsor that would be a great fit to that end. Love to know why health insurance is a benefit at work, and what the largest insurance payment was. Lots of history in that topic.

[@callenclarke371]

You hope I enjoyed this episode of the History Guy? I did! Well done!

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Many thanks to THG🎀because your fine History video's make this old mans day a little better 👍 From an Old Navy Flying Shoe🇺🇸

[@PaulKettlebones]

As awesome as always. 😄

[@joellangenfeld1058]

The "refusal meant death" when "recruited" should be taking with a grain of salt. It was believed that "fearing for your life" would be a defense, should the later be tried for piracy.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Correct, and more than half of Robert’s men who were captured were acquitted as having been forced to act against their will.

[@joellangenfeld1058]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Meant to add .... this often led to a perfunctory "threat" to all recruits - including the willing & enthusiastic.

[@williamroe5158]

Have you thought of a story on the beret. It would be a large topic, but enthralling!

[@mrstude]

My wife is disappointed, you did not say your famous line about " don't all great stories involve Pirates ! 😂😂😂😂

[@ChiefMac59]

had to get your pirate story in!

[@soundknight]

We are on the good side like to call them cowards cos it's the only way we can half explain their actions. In reality they were not cowards they were merely being practical as they knew there was no point fighting a battle they could not win ,, do not forget it was not that long in terms of being at sea during this period that if they faced off with one ship they may be facing off against enough more to capture and hang then. That is a very 'practical' result to piracy

[@jbtownsend9535]

I can certainly relate to raging against the poop deck 🏴‍☠️

[@dem0nchild610]

Every good story involves pirates

[@ken0272]

Great job!

[@MrBelmont79]

Piracy is still practiced today in a great scale off the coast of Somalia in Eastern Africa and in and around Indonesia , Philippines…in Africa it’s ransom for the ships and captives. In the Pacific Ocean, pirates are after fishing boats, and recreational vessels 🚢✋🏻

[@tonydagostino6158]

I never knew that the "Dread Pirate Roberts" of Princess Bride fame was a real person!

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@waynesbeenthere9681]

had to like just because of the vest and bow tie. In good buccaneer fashion.

[@ChadwickVonGriffindorIII]

"The Dred Pirate Roberts"

[@valeriehowden471]

Would make a great movie... over 25 years ago.

[@timwodzynski7234]

Great video 👍

[@theMemo-1]

Pirates! Love it!!!

[@MrHandy1]

ARRRGGG, Good story matey

[@schroedingersdog7965]

This was a good story!

[@megupdike1414]

Love your vest

[@fredherfst8148]

Ahhh…pirates and meteorology…👌

[@pamelamays4186]

Your vest looks like something a pirate would definitely wear.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

That it does. There is some Bartholomew Roberts fashion in that waistcoat.

[@MarkLeinhos]

DAMN that's a good looking vest.

[@Coolingfin]

John Roberts? THE Dread Pirate Roberts? Now he wants to be called Bartholemew? Holy SPACEBALLS! When did he comb the desert?

[@davidwong9230]

Because all good stories involve pirates 🏴‍☠️

[@mikepette4422]

would be interesting to know how big the cannons were on Royal Fortune though did we hear Swallow had 32 pounders

[@Dave_Sisson]

From my memory of watching Drachinifel videos, 32 pounders might be a bit big for a fourth rate?

[@johngregg5735]

Robert's last words were 'Arrgh they got me'

[@matthewmoeller6766]

Helluva vest!

[@mvlazysusan]

Thanks for the content you produce, and glad you inform about the service of Policy Genius. Can you produce some content about a fiat currency collapse and it's effects on the population? Given the current banking crisis and the de-Dollerization policy a lot of countries are now embarking on.

[@randb4865]

You mean like Germany after WW1?

[@jasonwhite1757]

Lots of Piracy in Conception Bay, Newfoundland... Black Bart included!

[@avnrulz8587]

THE dread Pirate Roberts!?

[@keithswindell6212]

So there was a real "Dread Pirate Roberts"! Who knew?🤷‍♀

[@Dave_Sisson]

The controversial British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was rather old fashioned, so she changed her name when she got married. But she was originally Margaret Roberts. Left wing people in Britain would happily call her a pirate.

[@capt.bart.roberts4975]

"On the razzle..." Not a vernacular I thought I'd hear you say!

[@01nmuskier]

Roberts was unable to use the Bonetti defense, given the lack of rocky terrain.

[@edschermerhorn5415]

All great stories DO involve pirates!

[@aegisofhonor]

wrong comment before, sorry, great video once again.

[@golf2actual375]

I kept waiting for it, but in vain: "Don't all good stories involve pirates?"

[@PeterOkeefe54]

wonderfull

[@gregb6469]

What Randolph Scott movie did you get those clips from? He is one of my all-time favorite movie stars.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Captain Kidd, (1945.) Thankfully for me the studio never renewed the copyright and it is now Public Domain.

[@bill5982]

Most pirate ships were small, fast sloops that could quickly dash into inlets where larger naval ships could not follow. These small ships were incapable of taking on larger, heavier gunned and trained crews of warships. There also was no profit but a lot of risk in taking on a warship. A pirate crew had no motivation in getting killed, wounded or captured fighting a warship.

[@biscuitninja]

Hummm... this sparks an idea. Have you ever read about wow Hawaii came to have Mexican Cowboys and and the Paniolo? Might be worth a read.

[@mellissadalby1402]

So there really WAS a "Dread Pirate Roberts" as referred to in the movie "Princess Bride"?

[@andyharman3022]

History Guy didn't say it in this video, so I will: DON'T ALL GREAT STORIES INVOLVE PIRATES!?

[@bill5982]

The Swallow did not mount 32 pound guns. The largest guns were 22 (11 per side) 18pdr guns along with 9 and 6 pdrs. 3rd rate, 64 gun ships of the line (the Swallow was a 50 gun, 4th rate) didn't mount 32pdrs either, mounting 24pdrs as their largest guns.

[@madzen112]

At best, the pirates had converted merchantships as vessels and they just couldn't stand up to the regular ships of the navy in combat, so the outcome was often given beforehand.

[@HarryWHill-GA]

Don't all good stories involve pirates? FWIW - my family used to own the property diagonally across Bath Creek from the house of Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard.

[@ericwarmath1091]

How about the history of Lebanon Illinois?

[@ruxrox]

But! What about Jeffersons war against the pirates of north Africa?

[@rhuephus]

THAT was the birth of the US NAVY ...

[@jeffbangkok]

Good evening

[@DeconvertedMan]

Good story! (contains pirates)

[@rabbi120348]

Definitely a "good story"!

[@CFITOMAHAWK]

Yes, Pirates were Fancy Dressed Criminals.. Like to see them been blasted by canon fire.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey Playboy, 🤓👋why does PolicyGenius requires your phone number to fill out the online application even before you get a probable quote?

[@nedludd7622]

Always consult internet for evaluation of anything advertised on a site. HG has had at least one dodgy sponsor in the past.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@nedludd7622 Like the Artful Dodger?

[@ephektz]

Because it’s a scam, like most KZbin sponsors. 🙃

[@rabbi120348]

They need to call you to let you know when your warrantee expires.

[@herrunsinn774]

After all, don't all good stories involve pirates? 😉