LOS CURSOS DE INGLES
GRATIS PREFERIDOS POR LOS HISPANOHABLANTES
PIRATES
OF THE CARIBBEAN
Throughout
the centuries pirates
have captivated imaginations
as no other figures from history could
Throughout history
pirates have terrorized the world's seas. The 1600's and early 1700's
were known as the Golden Age of Piracy. Ships loaded with goods such as
gold, tobacco, silks and spices, would be sailing back to Europe.
Pirates could not resist the temptation to rob these ships. The Islands
Of The Bahamas made an ideal home base for pirates and privateers. The
numerous islands with their complex channels provided excellent hiding
places for the plundering ships. And since The Islands Of The Bahamas
were close to well-travelled shipping lanes, it gave the buccaneers
plenty of opportunities to steal from merchant ships.
The distinction
between privateers and pirates is not easy to explain. True pirates
stole from anyone. They were criminals and if caught, faced certain
death. Most British pirates were hanged. Their bodies were then chained
by the River Thames as a warning. Buccaneers acted during the 1600's and
were a group of runaway men (slaves), criminals and refugees who were
living in the Caribbean. Mainly Dutch, English and French, they hated
the Spanish, who ruled much of the Caribbean at that time. They enjoyed
attacking the Spanish ships and did so whenever they could.
Privateers were
sponsored by their government and had permission to rob ships. They had
Letters of Marque (an authority formerly given to
fit out an armed ship and use it to attack and capture a merchant ship)which could save them from punishment. The
most clever of all was a privateer Capt. Henry Morgan, famous for his
exploits against the Spanish. Morgan was born about 1635 in
Glamorganshire, Wales. History has it that Morgan was the nephew of
Colonel Edward Morgan who looted and captured St. Euststius and Saba
Island. These two small islands are just south of the US Virgin Islands
and west of St. Martin.
One of the most dreaded
pirates of all was Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. To make
himself look terrifying during a raid, he used to braid lit hemp fuses
into his hair and beard. The same kind of fuse to light cannons. These
fuses burned slowly and smoked so he looked like he was on fire. The
sight of this smoke was enough to make many merchantmen surrender before
any shots were fired. If they gave up without a fight, Blackbeard would
confiscate their valuables and weapons, letting them sail away without
bloodshed. However, if the crew showed any resistance, he would either
kill or abandon them on a desolate island. Some time about 1716-1718, Blackbeard attacked many ships and it was the governor of Virginia
who sent two Navy ships to capture him. After a long battle, Blackbeard
was decapitated and his head displayed on the ship. Although
his pirating career only lasted about five years, it is believed that
Blackbeard captured 40 ships and his legend lives on today.
Pirates in the
West Indies were the first to fly red flags to let everyone know who
they were. The skull and crossbones was popular with Pirates, it was the
symbol for death. Pirates created their own flags, or Jolly Roger as it
was called. Blackbeard added an hourglass to show that time was running
out and death was coming soon.
Throughout the centuries pirates have captivated imaginations as no other
figures from history could, and the fact that some pirates were women
has astonished and intrigued people even more.Anne Bonny and Mary Read –both disguised
as men- were two of the most notorious female pirates and were as brave and daring as the men who
fought beside them. In 1720, Captain Burnet, a pirate-hunter
commissioned by Royal Governor Woodes Rogers, attacked their ship. The
crew, which was drunk at the time, huddled in the hold while the two
women repelled the attackers. They were unsuccessful and everyone was
tried for piracy and sentenced to death.
Claiming pregnancy, Anne and Mary avoided
an immediate hanging, although Mary eventually died in her prison cell
from a fever. Anne gave birth to her baby and, for some reason, was
granted a reprieve. She disappeared and was never heard of again.
