This is one of my all time favorite topically! Pirate history has always been a love of mine. We did some numbers in the podcast but I wanted to share some other things in this post.
One thing is one important word. Many people mix up “pirate” with a more accurate term “buccaneer.” Buccaneers are people from a certain era called the “golden age of piracy.” This period ran from the late 1600s to early 1700s. Blackbeard was the star of the show.
The word “buccaneer” is a French derivative and means “eater of pork.” Why? The men stranded on the island of Tortuga only had pigs to eat. These men became the first buccaneers as they escaped the island and began to live the lifestyle we know as what a pirate would live.
Privateers” were legalized pirates. Please keep in mind that they were only legalized by the country giving them a letter of marque. Other countries did not recognize this therefore the buccaneers were guilty of piracy. . .not being pirates. Not all pirates are buccaneers but all buccaneers are pirates. You could be a privateer in your country where it was legal but that was pointless since the high seas was a cutthroat place in the “Golden Age.”
Here’s the link to “The Death of Blackbeard” I hope you enjoy it! Leave a comment, subscribe, and share!
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