The 'Golden Age' of Piracy Explained: Privateers, Pirates and Blackbeard

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘pirate?’
You might imagine men who sail the high seas to rob and loot any ships that cross their path. After burying chests of gold in a secret location…they splash the rest of their cash in taverns on booze and women. With a groggy hangover, they return to their ship to continue their plundering.
But is there much historical truth in this idea of piracy? What’s the difference between a pirate, a buccaneer and a privateer? When did this age of piracy happen?
In this video Luke Tomes explores the Golden Age of Piracy - interrogating the myths, and uncovering what a life at sea was really like. Who were the famous real pirates? Was Blackbeard really that terrifying? Were pirates always drunk? Were females allowed to be pirates? We'll be answering all of your question!
If you want to know more, drop us a pirate question in the comments. And if this video gets 1 million views, then we’ll DEFINITELY be making more videos about pirates.
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#historyhit #piratesofthecaribbean #pirates
00:00 Introduction
01:18 What is a Pirate?
01:52 Golden Age of Piracy
03:05 Pirate Myths
05:09 Who Were Pirates?
07:36 Where Did Pirates Come From?
08:29 Famous Pirates
08:45 Captain William Kidd (1654 - 1701)
11:48 Pirate Treasure
13:25 Blackbeard (1680 - 1718)
16:36 More Famous Pirates
18:06 The 'Pirate Code' and Pirate Hierarchy
20:06 Diversity Aboard Pirate Ships
20:53 Life as a Pirate
22:52 Downtime and Sea Shanties
23:36 Were Pirates Always Drunk?
24:47 Female Pirates
25:35 Anne Bonny (1697 - 1724)
27:52 End of the Golden Age
29:20 Acknowledgments

[@jliller]

It seems like "Treasure Island" almost single-handedly created a very popular, very distorted idea of what pirates were like.

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

Yes, Robert Louis Stevenson, the illustrations by N.C. Wyeth, and Walt Disney's later adaptations, entrenched the stereotypical pirate image into everyone's minds.

[@NanaAmySpectreSeeker1111]

Media always exaggerates.

[@turtletube420]

No wasn't by any means a distorted picture it was a fictional book with real characters pirates of the Caribbean was a distorted picture everyone knows what a pirate was and is now some did it sanctioned and some not but during the golden age of pirating it was actual freedom and they all had a code some of them were actually honorable and some did it for adventure and to make a name I wish I could have been there in the golden age there's always something about saying FU and the middle finger to the British and Spanish empires

[@turtletube420]

​@@NanaAmySpectreSeeker1111with what you should always point out and give details when making statements like that your not wrong though

[@kev3d]

One thing that I don't think a lot of people consider is that insurance existed back then, as now, as a protection against loss. So when pirates boarded a ship they wished to capture, the crew would sometimes surrender with little or no resistance because their cargo was insured. To resist risked injury or death. Of course that doesn't mean that every ship that fell prey to pirates was insured, nor that every ship gave up without a fight, but it does add an interesting historical wrinkle that things were not always as they show in the movies.

[@ShadowXII]

The choice was simple, really: fight, and even if you win you'll be short men and possibly horribly injured. If you lose, you die and they take your stuff anyway. If you surrender, they take your stuff and you don't get hurt.

[@nemo6686]

Those ships that weren't formally insured were 'self-insured' - i.e. once an owner's fleet was large enough, the probability of total loss was diminished, and the ship-owner could reimburse traders for lost cargo. Insurance was more about customers' cargo than the vessels themselves.

[@turtletube420]

They actually did have insurance back than and you should always fact check yourself now is it the same thing as today by no means but they did have it. insurance during this time. Although the concept of insurance as we know it today didn’t exist, there were some practices related to protecting sailors and their well-being: Health ‘Insurance’ at Sea: Sailors faced various challenges, including wounds from battles, shipboard accidents, and illnesses contracted from unfamiliar places, people, and foods. The inhabitants of the Île d’Oléron, an island off the coast of France, created maritime laws in the 12th century. These laws influenced health care practices at sea during the golden age of piracy. The British Royal Navy also developed plans to protect sailors, which expanded in the 17th and 18th centuries. Pirates, having often served on naval and merchant marine ships, adopted rudimentary health care plans and modified them to fit their situation3. Cargo Insurance: As piracy increased along the Middle Passage (the transatlantic slave trade route), merchant vessel owners needed to insure their cargo. Not only was there a threat of natural disasters, but also the risk of plundering pirates4. Preserving a Race of Men: Josiah Burchett, writing about the navy, emphasized the importance of caring for sailors when wounded or sick at sea. He believed that preserving these men was crucial for the good of the country. Even merchant shipmasters aimed to maintain seamen’s health, recognizing that hungry, unhealthy sailors wouldn’t lead to successful voyages3. In summary, while formal insurance policies didn’t exist, efforts

[@tr1ck5h07]

Torrenting is the golden age of piracy

[@negativeindustrial]

Arrrrrrr

[@PaulShivery]

Hah. Just a bit.

[@Tryingcounts]

😅

[@allysmith2284]

*cough* Pirate Bay 😂

[@aaronstafford7462]

Sure not the controlling the seas and making gov’s sweat about their loot getting stolen

[@katherinebreeggemann6973]

Highly recommend the tv series “Black Sails” to anyone interested in a more accurate (but still dramatic) look at the lives of many of these pirates. Incredibly well done show, with great acting and storylines

[@Chris-cx8vr]

Yeah! Loved that show, amazing. Gritty realism as well.

[@Hesselgrenify]

Nah, looked like LARP people playing around on fake sets playing Pirates with their mates on the weekend. I managed 2-3 episodes.

[@tristanchristiansen9054]

great freaking show

[@Linsey009]

@@Hesselgrenify aw did the big words confuse you :(

[@sidneyblondell]

Capt Jake Steed -> Our Flag Means Death ☠️

[@fionasmith5078]

I would love more on pirates and sailors! How about a special on the day-to-day life of sailors? What they ate, how they slept, what their daily routines and duties were, what they wore, how they behaved in port, how they were recruited and retired? I've done a lot of sailing myself and would love to know what life was really like for them!

[@dcarson89]

I'm reading "the wager" at the moment, first book I've read that takes the glamour out of sailing at sea. Jesus christ the conditions described are dreadful. I've decided I'd have been like a short distance sailer/pirate! A weekend pirate if you will

[@fionasmith5078]

@dcarson89 Absolutely agreed, our little 25-foot sailboat sounds luxurious by comparison! If you read "The Sea-Rover's Practice" by Benerson Little (non-fiction about pirates and privateers etc.), the state of the bilge sounds COMPLETELY HORRIFYING. People passed out if they were down there too long from the fumes and noxious smells from all the fetid water polluted with urine and feces and god knows what else, YUCK.

[@wildchild3132]

@@dcarson89this sounds really interesting, i’m gonna check it out !!

[@FelixstoweFoamForge]

"And if you'd fought like a man, you'd not be hung like a dog!" Anne Bonny's words at their trial to Jack Rackham. Fearsome woman!

[@sneakysimian]

1650-1730 (or even earlier as the French Flibustiers had a stronghold on Tortuga in 1625) is more the 'Golden Age of Sea-Roving' rather than Piracy. Sea-Roving is a broader term (used by a top, reliable author of piratical books, Benerson Little) to cover the fact that it's it covers a few eras different piracy - Golden Age of Buccaneering (with piracy focused at the Spanish, mostly on Commisions) followed by the Golden Age of Piracy (which mainly gets kickstarted by the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet wrecks and the pirates who get wind of it). What's even more interesting is the periods inbetween the dying Buccaneering Age and the Golden Age of Piracy (and another instance when Nassau was reclaimed by the British), where basically Nations with overseas colonies wanted more order so came down hard on piracy. Piracy had dried up and unless you hired yourself out as Privateers for the upcoming wars, you were in a problematic career. The death nail on this was Port Royal and its pirate-friendly ways sinking into the sea during an earthquake that made many pirates say farewell and go on the Pirate Round - sailing from the Caribbean (and North America) to the Indian Ocean/Red Sea to prey on Arab and Mughal shipping, via West Africa and Madagascar.

[@ShadowXII]

Pirates didn't bury their treasure because they knew they probably weren't going to live long, so there was no point in having any kind of savings.

[@Ronnie28067]

This makes me want to rewatch Black Sails again 👏

[@turtletube420]

Good show they should have done a better job with making it more factual especially with some of the death's

[@marinav6503]

Love the channel but I’m super disappointed on you guys proudly using midjourney, which uses tons of artworks without authorisation from the artists to produce these images!

[@missmelodies52]

Even worse, the comment “why use (historical art) when you can use (shitty ai art)”

[@agtom1329]

Great video as always! Well done HH!

[@kelseylogas1580]

This guy is fine, pretty good actually. But seriously, where is Iszi Lawrence? She was amazing!! And this is her wheelhouse! Great video!

[@54mgtf22]

Only 990000 more views for your million! Love your work 👍

[@pbure94]

Really good video. Cheers

[@chappellroseholt5740]

Good evening from the beautiful SF Bay Area. What a hoot and a load of fun. I always enjoy a good pirate video. Thanks!

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting

[@mjinba07]

Black Sails is an excellent TV production, a prequel to Treasure Island. It mixes historic characters in with the story. Btw, I question whether the Spanish were mining gold and silver in the new world as much as "mining" the native peoples of those lands who'd been digging it out of the earth for centuries.

[@joshs4405]

I was hoping someone had commented about Black Sails. It’s a fantastic show and really flew under the radar when it came out

[@nemo6686]

Pretty sure all the mining phase was already done and _New Spain_ was entirely the pillaging phase.

[@Joe___R]

Having women on board a ship would likely lead to many fights between men. Ruining crew moral and making the likelihood of mutiny much higher. This is the likely reason women on ships was considered bad luck.

[@reaperx2657]

Great video! Crossing my fingers for a million views.

[@matthewwilson5548]

awesome, I learned alot, very interesting

[@Juggtacula]

Definitely should've talked about Zheng Yi Sao, the Chinese Pirate Queen who had one of the largest fleets ever known.

[@animatorofanimation128]

Zheng Yi Sao had no actual connection with the Golden Age of Piracy, so it would have been totally unrelated. Honestly lumping the two types of piracy together is super misleading anyways. Chinese Pirates functioned more like cartels and businesses, unlike the Caribbean more "rogue" type of pirates, who started off as government agents and then behaved like Guerrilla fighters who's main aim was to get rich and survive. They aren't really comparable

[@vblack5034]

no shanks ?

[@arakhneweaving]

What a brilliant history video 👏👏👏

[@ChrisLawton66]

3:40 seemed quite conclusive when they did it on Myth Busters

[@TheFishermansJourney]

Yeah I agree, I have even done it myself when I get up in the middle of the night. I’ll close one eye so when I turn a light on and am finished what I was doing once the light goes off again I can walk back to bed in the dark. Not only that but if buried treasure wasn’t a thing why are people finding buried treasure? Not only that but it’s not like pirates could just walk into a bank and make a deposit… they would hide it somewhere if they had a large sum of valuables and just come back and dip into it when they needed.

[@mattfrancis4569]

UK HERE, love this channel learn more than at school im 38

[@annaschwirian7548]

Would love a video on pirate women going into the full history.

[@susanellis8067]

The handful of women pirates looked and acted like men women wouldn’t even be allowed on board were considered unlucky

[@katherinecollins4685]

Great video

[@jaym1301]

Corsairs were pirates predominantly from Northern Africa that used to raid shipping on the Mediterranean. There were also Malay and Arab pirates in the South China and Sulu Sea regions of SE Asia who used a type of small sailing and rowing vessel, the prau, and raided coastal towns and villages, taking everything of value including women and children to sell as slaves, and killing and destroying absolutely everyone and everything else. This branch of piracy went on until the mid-to late-19th century. Regarding the Caribbean pirates in the video they also plundered Indian vessels so they weren't limited to the Atlantic coast and Caribbean in their range, they were global.: They even had a stronghold in Madagascar back in the day (18th century.)

[@rachelkristine4669]

Ok. Great. But WHY is the rum always gone?! 😕

[@NanaAmySpectreSeeker1111]

Good video. ❤

Piracy, Pirates, Wisdom and Love.

[@suecrowhurst4393]

Love the history

[@pacmonster066]

"Not much conclusive evidence for wearing an eyepatch helping with adjusting to changing light levels above and below deck" The Mythbusters would like a word with you. As they pretty conclusively found that an eyepatch does in fact do that. They ended up ruling the myth plausible because as you said, there was no evidence that pirates used them specifically for that purpose. But the science behind it is actually irrefutable.

[@skepticalbadger]

Not only is there no evidence for pirates wearing eyepatches for that reason, there's no evidence of pirates per se wearing eyepatches. It's a movie trope. The fact that it somewhat works is irrelevant.

[@pacmonster066]

@@skepticalbadger Somebody didn't read to the end of what I said. I was not disagreeing with the assertion that there's no evidence that pirates wore eyepatches for that reason. As I said in my original comment, that was the reason why Mythbusters found the myth plausible but not confirmed. I was disagreeing with the initial statement the host said that there was inconclusive evidence that an eyepatch can even be used to improve eyesight in differing light conditions. That's the one thing an eyepatch absolutely can help with.

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

"The only rules that matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do." -- Jack Sparrow

[@derekdreke4990]

The drake 👎's down part killed me

[@DJL78]

Luke has a voice for podcasts and a face for videos. So why not give him both? 😊🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@Animalover205]

Missed a chance to take about Meave Reed as well

[@ahnraemenkhera7451]

My favorite parts were the brief clips of the guy in the costumes!! He was riveting! 😃😄😁😃 The stories were well-told, & the details were interesting, but I would’ve wanted more specifics from pyrate to pyrate, if possible. Why were women & children forbidden on-board, but boys able to enlist in the navy? Did the families ashore know when their sons were tried or were they mostly all tried by courts-martial? How much of piracy involved trafficking slaves through the Caribbean triangle? Who taught navigators how to steer the ships, & what types of craft were used most often? How many crewed on the vessels, & where was there to sleep? Pirate stories are usually lively & more adventurous than many histories. These were, too! But why do Caribbean islanders so often have Scottish-sounding accents to this day, as well as surnames? Why haven’t the British ever upgraded their Commonwealth to modernize & improve their PR with former colonies or even beyond, on better & more Just & Economic terms for their future?? Do they already have all the treaties & trade they can handle currently? Why have they not circumvented some of the suffering on the planet by cornering markets in healthcare systems, water filtration & plumbing systems, educational systems, bridge-building, oceanic shipping & other infrastructures they’re world-famous for having done domestically? That could have gone a long way to make amends for the Golden Age of Piracy worldwide if they had, imo. Not that they “owe” anybody that, per se. But if they did so, many other nation-state concepts would follow the example, just because they’re British/English, if for no other reason. And I doubt the returns on the investments would be harmfully abused-not for a good while, anyway, given diligence & disciplined restraint. 🎆❄️💂🏾🇬🇧💷🪷

[@pheart2381]

The gold earrings. Did they have them? You answered...aagrrrhhhh!!!

[@streetcop157]

A young boy with a lisp dressed as a pirate captain for Halloween… someone asked where his buccaneers were…. He replied “ on my buccan head”

[@derekdreke4990]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SCaRsILove]

Lmao I looked at the thumbnail and thought "Ryan Gosling talks about pirates?! Cool!" 😂

[@garydslug3209]

Please make more I'm writing a pirate fiction lol

[@joshuasill1141]

No mention of another illness that swept through the ranks of pirates and sailors alike: VD aka STD aka STI? It is thought that Blackbeard was suffering the effects of late stage syphilis near before he was captured.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Attractive work about pirates ☠️... Maybe they were Sea mercenaries of British against the Spanish Empire Fleet .

[@thecreweofthefancy]

1- Dutch sailors, who could also be pirates at the time, wore earrings as a fashion. 2- Corsair/Filibuster generally refers to the French. Zea Roover (sp?) refers to Dutch, that said both the French and Dutch would join English Buccaneers depending. 3- Kidd was not reknown, his crew mutineed against him during the 9 years war, he was considered to be an awful leader. He was good at talking to rich backers, that was about it....until he wasn't and then danced the Tiburne Jig. 4- Piracy was already considered a crime before Kidd. Henry Every was already being documented before Kidd. The manhunt was for him... Actually this caused me to stop watching and do a rebuttal....

[@thecreweofthefancy]

@@TheOldBreed I was trying to watch some good quality stuff on pirates while cooking dinner and instead I found this.

[@lindacarlton3154]

It was my understanding they wore earrings believing it helped with seasickness. This was a very disappointing documentary. Cheers.

[@thecreweofthefancy]

@@lindacarlton3154 the issue is there are soooooo many myths that it's tough to sift through them all. As far as I've found they just thought they looked cool. Dutch sailors tended to be extremely stylish with lots of crazy patterns and sashes. In many ways they fit our modern image of pirates.

[@thecreweofthefancy]

@@TheOldBreed I feel bad for Rebecca Simon, her and I were just talking the other week about the Netflix travesty. It's like these hosts and editors have no concept that all the information we give as historians is relevant and that they shouldn't mess it up for entertainment. We want to teach, not be a part of something that perpetuates BS that we then get our names attached to.

[@monkstery]

Thanks for saving me from wasting my time on another poor YT pirate documentary

[@Lucius1958]

What: no mention of Sam Bellamy and the _Whydah_ , one pirate ship that was actually excavated with treasure?

[@michaelwilts5349]

Most people think that 'R' is a pirate's favorite letter, but it's actually the 'C'...

[@zolacnomiko]

27:26 You're talking about the crew of "Revenge", but I believe that's an error...Rackham, Bonny, & Read were on the sloop "William", I think? "Revenge" was Stede Bonnet's ship.

[@Ulfhednir9]

As a relative of Mary Read Thank you for this video :)

[@marianparoo1544]

Wow!

[@BrianHartman]

You never did address the parrot thing, did you? :)

[@tristanchristiansen9054]

not just an investor but his biggest investor

[@edu5591]

Cool to see all of the Assassin's Creed: Black Flag characters in here as who they really were.

[@davidsullivan7743]

while undoubtedly financial rewards were better for crews on pirate vessels, it's not accurate to state that they received no share of the spoils serving in the navy. In the navy, all ships captured were considered as "prize" and either bought by the Royal Navy in the case of ships of war or sold in prize courts. All the proceeds would be divided among all crews who participated in their capture, with those of higher rank receiving a larger share

[@gunengineering1338]

"You shall be flogged.......WITH A GEODUCK!" 😁

[@Styphon]

For that clammy feeling

[@gunengineering1338]

@@Styphon 😄

[@msmlolmanpolybrige0335]

4:20 i don’t think it is unlikely that earrings were a thing, let’s not forget that even in the napoleonic period, gold earrings for soldier were somewhat common

[@Styphon]

My favorite pirate is Yellowbeard.

[@wearegeek]

24:18 Although the majority of pirates in history have been men, there are around a hundred known examples of female pirates, about forty of whom were active in the Golden Age of Piracy. Some women have been pirate captains and some have commanded entire pirate fleets. Among the most powerful pirate women were figures such as Zheng Yi Sao (1775-1844) and Huang Bamei (1906-1982), both of whom led tens of thousands of pirates. What you probably mean is that no you couldn't take your partner with you, unless they signed up as well.

[@NarutoUchiha585]

Like nami 😂

[@tristanchristiansen9054]

not to mention the soooo many known and respected women pirates who became super powerful . let's get an all female pirate show . main characters i mean

[@luisaymerich9675]

Other female pirates include Jeanne de Clisson or Belville, and Grace O'Malley.

[@HarleyQuinn62]

Kinda ironic using Midjourney, which steals from artists, on a video about pirates.

[@Jinh0_89]

Precisely. "Why use pics like this..." Because they haven't harvested the work of artists to generate the image

[@monkstery]

Imagine my shock to see zero sources posted, the pirate history side of KZbin continues to disappoint outside of maybe 2 channels

[@13o.o]

What channels? Didn't even see there were no sources. Disappointing

[@donalfoley2412]

Even if Treasure Island is historically incorrect, it’s still a great story. A bit like Ivanhoe. Every boy should have a chance to read them. Girls too, if they feel like it.

[@BlueMasteress2012]

You should specify that this is created for children. Contents and presentation is perfect for pre-teens.

[@suecrowhurst4393]

Interesting tho

[@WhoShortsVids]

should have used that react woman for this video

[@TheRiverPirate13]

Speaking as a humble pirate myself, being on the Account was an effectively a full commission pay job for the krewe! You had to go find our own "Sail" leads! 🤣 Of course there is always an exception such as Major Stede Bonnet who provided a base pay plus commission for his krewe! I enjoyed the video. Some of the information you provided in the video is based on conjecture rather anything that is definitive about Pirates of the Golden Age. The reality is the only real records regarding pirates themselves are from testimony in the trials and the naval military records. I personally think some of the "myths" about pirates have some basis in fact. Thankfully pirate shipwrecks that have been discovered recently such as the Whydah, Queen Anne's Revenge and the Golden Fleece help with learning what these Pirates were really like!

[@derekdreke4990]

So my thoughts as i have stated before is the best ships where the one's that worked together ! Being lazy is probably what got some of them caught ie jack rackum etc ! I feel some of them had it figured out pretty good and worked great just like any team should. Unfortunately the navy eventually came around and that was the end of it as well as hunting down the rest

[@billybonesthepirate2025]

Billy bones the pirate: you weren’t about pirates right check this out, mate.

[@marianparoo1544]

I love the accounts of the Jewish and Muslim pirates who took revenge on Spanish ships after the Inquisition

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

I ❤ only the almighty Allah!

[@naomiseraphina9718]

I'm sold entirely! Let's put a crew together and head to sea! Anybody out there fancy becoming pirates along with me?

[@a123464]

Which pirate should we start with

[@jonathanwright3049]

One of the best HH videos, this format works very well.

[@KernowekTim]

Who were the biggest pirates in history? For me; The English and their 'Great Heathen Armies'. They learned from the Scandinavian Vikingr: and took it to extremes of rule, under whip and steel.

[@farmrgalga]

Re earrings. It's not quite true they were seen as effeminate, that's probably only the very shiny and ornate ones. In the Netherlands even to this day there is a tradition of fishermen wearing earrings. They serve as identification. Whatever markings or bangles on it are related to the place and the family they come from. They did this in case of death at sea, especially shipwrecks. Tattoos were used for the same purpose, but if a body is in the water for a longer time, tattoos are not a reliable identification any more. I know this was done along most of the North Sea coast, all the way up to Norway... so it would surprise me if this was not shared by a lot of others who also ended up in the Caribbean

[@bigbywolf586]

Hmmm, see I don’t think of Drake as the most well known privateer, mainly because most people don’t know that he sailed with letters of mark on occasion and think he was a member of her majesty’s navy. I have always thought the Henry Avery was not only the most well known privateer and certainly one of (if not THE most) successful and wealthy pirate.

[@russellmaroonshoatz9938]

With all due respect THANK YOU!!!! For this video... Yet so many facts that are unknown... From my research most pirates were at war with the colonial forces/the state and slave owners. Black Bart was actually a Black free man/navigator from Europe. Most history about pirates excludes slave ship rebellions. Its not a mutiny these slave /pirates have stole a colonizer's ship and without question are some of the bravest of all pirates. The freedom fighter "Pro Se" lawyer Sengbe Pieh (Cinque) of The Amistad uprising(1839) Stole the ship went to the supreme court WON and returned to Africa. The little George uprising of (1730) was well documented by the captain who speaks about the pirates/slave ingenuity...

[@mentallychallenging]

"i dont think buried treasure actually exists" history begs to differ lady. it might not be huge hauls but pirates absolutely did bury things to come back for later. she even said it herself, treasure was just valuables, couldve been a cask of rum, could have been some sugar loaves and salt. its still valuable

[@dastankuspaev9217]

Ho ho ho and a bottle of rum😂😂😂

[@uniquerebel385]

Playing Plunder Pirates

[@nem447]

Arrr, Arrgh, Yarr, Gar

[@DRSHANKER]

You spelt colour wrong

[@tylerminty1777]

The eye patch was real

[@aabe8303]

Why only European pirates in this video?

[@tomi_9212]

There's an channel called: Gold and Gunpowder. videos of pirates

[@OldPirate1718]

As one can see by the dates of each pirate shown, none got past their 40s

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Interesting fact we have no record of Blackbeard before the battle in which he died, ever k illing anyone, it seems he used his image to scare people more than his ruthlessness.

[@adam_p99]

Sorry but this isn’t true. I’ve read about William Teech or Thatch and quite a lot is known

[@Eric_8724]

@@adam_p99 It was worded a little weirdly but Alex was saying that there's no record of Blackbeard actually killing anyone until his final battle

[@adam_p99]

@@Eric_8724 oh yes I see that now. Thank you

[@roseannecomaskey6890]

Why don't any programmers ever include Grace O'Mally of Ireland? 🏴‍☠️🇮🇪🏴‍☠️🗡🏝⛵️👩‍🦰

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

She was in the pirate era before the Golden Age, known as the Sea Dog era- also when Drake was around... Despite vaguely implying it, when talking about pirate history- it's rarely gone into in any depth - there's also the era known as 'The Pirate Round'/ Buccaneer era, which succeeds the Sea Dog era & precedes the Gold Age- & is also an era of the most famous Barbary Corsairs...

[@roseannecomaskey6890]

Thanks, why couldn't he have mentioned that? 😂 I do admire Bold Grace as she was well able to go to toe with an enemy monarch ie. Elizabeth 1st. Thanks again for the info it's always good to learn something new.😂

[@suecrowhurst4393]

Pirates were always supposed to drink rum , or was that a myth too

[@Eric_8724]

No, that isn't a myth, they absolutely did

[@kev3d]

Often true, but not always. Pirate Bartholomew Roberts allegedly disliked rum, preferring tea. But it should also be noted that rum, while popular with pirates was a very popular drink at the time. Rum is made from sugar cane or molasses which were produced in the tropical parts of the new World. Lots of sugar meant lots of rum. It would keep on long voyages, add much needed calories to one's diet and, at least according to some, tasted good.

[@pacmonster066]

​@@kev3dAs Kev said, it wasn't that they had to or it was the only thing to drink. Anything that keeps well while out at sea for long periods of time would do. Rum was readily available from all the ports pirates typically operated out of so it was the most common liquor picked.

[@lifeschool]

Distilled spirits were used by many naval vessels on sea voyages, not just pirates. Rum was mostly favoured by the Spanish. British sailors got a very watered down rum called Grog; although it came from Dutch sailors.

[@blockmasterscott]

I would imagine they did because national navies did too because alcohol did not go bad like water going……I know there’s a term for water going bad but I cannot remember it. Is it tepid?

[@christinemcdonald8705]

Well based on the views, it doesn’t look like more pirate episodes will be forth coming anytime soon.

[@rudymental5676]

the crimson pirate is not real?

[@federicoguolo8128]

You mean red hair pirates?😂

[@suecrowhurst4393]

Ah they did drink rum , always drunk I should imagine

[@russvhill2]

Why doesn't History Hit show the names of its presenters?

[@WhoShortsVids]

Most of them do in some form

[@goaliemask1119]

Ditch the music and then I will watch this video

[@indradhanush5444]

I want a time machine

[@Gettingbento]

For me I wasn’t a fan of how you incorporated new/modern photos with learning and history. I know who Drake is. Thanks for the vid! I’m still subscribed!

[@learn905]

then what did pirates do with their money. if they sold goods and took treasure where did they store it was there some pirate reserve.being pirates they likely couldn't use the banks of the colonies nor of Europe like with kidd his crew didnt spend 70k back then very quickly that would be a huge sum of money along with money from other prizes. i think some did bury gord or other commodities they could turn their gold into but id be like a single guy burying a savings not like the crew burying a fortune.

[@donovanmedieval]

I was told that the purpose of the gold earring was that if he could use it to pay for a ticket home if he wanted to retire from piracy before being caught and hung.

[@ShanGamer1981]

Yargggggg

[@08mlascelles]

Despite committing undeniably awful crimes (though hardly any worse than those of any major navy of the time) I still think many of these pirates were pretty cool. Fairer distribution of wealth, far better treatment of crew members, far less discrimination based on race, gender and even sexuality. If you were good at your job and didn't get killed, you'd probably do great! Compared to the cruel, underpaid and seemingly worthless life you'd endure in the Royal Navy, not to mention the appalling life you'd live as a slave, you can't blame them for turning to piracy! Better a dangerous, short, relatively free and well paid life, than one of servitude to a system dictated by class hierarchy /racism.

[@captainjackkenway9606]

As a fine pirate expert of my time, this video has high inaccuracies. Where was Holly for this? Kinda left out the expert.

[@acastadayfishing7100]

as a 5th generation south florida native,I find pirates fascinating

[@Rc-Adventurers]

What was a real pirate ship like? Are the any ships similar to a pirate ship still afloat today that u can explore on video??

[@lifeschool]

I think a pirate ship was just a normal ship, with a freelance captain, and the crew were all assigned normal duties. As outlaws, they were forced to move about more, and were less welcome in ports. Back then, highway robbers and sea robbers were just an accepted job, and not necessarily a filthy and rotten one. Drake was a pirate.

[@thecreweofthefancy]

You should check out Gold and Gunpowder, he does a lot of videos focused on life on ship.

[@mitchellplaice7673]

Asif the authorities would allow reports in papers saying pirates steal loads of gold. It be nothing but a recruitment advert for the pirates loool