 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
 
Welcome aboard Pirates and
Privateers, a site devoted to the history
of maritime piracy, privateering, and the sea
before the Age of Steam.
Within these pages you will find articles
dealing with the history and culture of these
topics from ancient times to modern day. Click
one of the links above or below to explore the
treasures within this website.
Each month, I send out a newsletter
about the latest article and reviews posted
here. I also include information that doesn't
appear at Pirates and Privateers, but is
still of interest to adherents of piracy and
maritime history. By subscribing to the
newsletter, you'll never miss out on the latest
happenings here at Pirates and Privateers.
As
always, if you have a question about pirates,
please write
and ask. If there is a particular pirate
or subject, you'd like me to write about, let
me know.
One cautionary note for those
seeking genealogical information: Historical
records about pirates are rare. Much of what
is known comes from government records,
newspaper accounts, and the few contemporary
accounts written during a particular period.
This information rarely contains details
pertinent to what you need to know to identify
an ancestor. The simple fact is that the vast
majority of pirates' names remain unknown. I cannot answer
genealogical questions. Instead, I recommend
contacting genealogical depositories and
websites, historical societies, and
national archives --
places where the librarians and curators are
better trained to assist in this type of
query.
A special note to teachers
and students: If
you need help with a project or
report, please contact
me. Should you use any of my
articles or reviews, please let me
know and remember to include the
proper citation. The majority of
material contained with this
website is copyrighted.
Fair winds and
following seas,
Cindy
(site last updated 28 April 2024)
Pirate Quote of the
Month
If any man
shall be assaulted within that
jurisdiction [the sea], and
his ship or goods violently
taken away without legal
authority, this is robbery and
piracy. If the mariners of any
ship shall violently
dispossess the master, and
afterwards carry away the ship
itself of any of the goods, or
tackle, apparel or furniture,
in any place where the Lord
Admiral hath, or pretends to
hath jurisdiction, this is
also robbery and piracy.
– Justice Sir Charles
Hedges, 1696
 May Article |
 May
Reviews |
Rules
Shouldn't Be Broken
Although
some might say the opposite, there are
times when rules are best heeded. For
example, not listening to those who
know better or have greater experience
can lead to all sorts of trouble. Just
ask Stede Bonnet.
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If
the Tide Turns
by Rachel Rueckert
Historical Fiction:
Pirates & Privateers
Sailing
the Graveyard Sea
by Richard Snow
History: Navy
The
Trafalgar Chronicle
New Series 8
edited by Judith E.
Pearson
and John A. R. Odgaard
History:
Navy
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Pirate & Maritime News
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Events & Activities
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Some pages remain in the
old style, while others are in the new
style. We apologize for this. After
twenty-two years, there are many pages
to overhaul and this takes time. We
appreciate your understanding and
patience.
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San
Salvador Sailing Adventure
Various Saturdays 2024
Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Tall
Ship Adventure Aboard Californian
Various Sundays 2024
Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Brixham
Pirate Festival
4-6 May 2024
Brixham, United Kingdom
Esquimalt
Buccaneer Days
10-12 May 2024
Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada
Billy
Bowlegs Pirate Festival
16-20 May 2024
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Pirate
Day in the Bay
17-18 May 2024
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Boarded!
A New Pirate Adventure
18 May 2024
13 July 2024
21 September 2024
19 October 2024
30 November 2024
28 December 2024
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Fresno
Pirate Invasion
18-19 May 2024
Fresno, California
Tennessee Pirate Fest
18-19 May 2024
25-27 May 2024
Harriman, Tennessee
Pirates
of the Nothe Fort
25 May - 2 June 2024
Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Blackbeard
Pirate Festival
1-2 June 2024
Hampton, Virginia
Pirate
Invasion of Long Beach
29-30 June 2024
Long Beach, California
Sail 250th New York
4 July 2026
New York City, New York
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The Rebel & the Spy
These
five people played roles in the War of 1812.
James Madison (far left) was president at
the time and, in my current
work-in-progress, he has a special
assignment for Lucas Burnett, one of the
protagonists in the novel. Jean Laffite
(beside Madison) operates a smuggling
operation, based on barrier islands
southwest of New Orleans. One of his
captains, is Dominique You, whose sister
Alexine has been raised in this nefarious
world of smugglers, pirates, privateers, and
cutthroats. Dolley Madison is the country's
presidentress (first lady) and plays a vital
role in preserving some of our national
treasures during the British invasion of
Washington City. General Andrew Jackson
(second from right) has no intention of
allowing the British to gain entry to the
United States through its back door (the
Mississippi). Governor William C. C.
Claiborne (far right) is Lucas's cousin and
a constant thorn in Laffite's side. They
come together within the pages of The
Rebel & the Spy, a historical
novel where it's not always easy to decide
who is the rebel and who is the spy.
The links below are to a gallery of places
depicted in my novel and a resource list for
those seeking information on the people
pictured above, pirates, ships in the age of
sail, the Battle of New Orleans, the
invasion and burning of Washington, the
bombardment of Fort McHenry, and much more.
(Please note that these pages are updated
from time to time, so check back to see
what's been added.) I hope you enjoy.
Pirates & Privateers
Newsletter
Each month I alert
readers to the posting of the
latest piracy article and book
reviews, new additions made to the
website, and interesting maritime
tidbits. If you would like to
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& Privateers Newsletter,
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Note to subscribers:
If you fail to receive your
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your e-mail provider returned it
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Contact me and we will try to
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If your newsletter bounces two
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conact me, I just delete you from
the subscriber list. You're
welcome to resubscribe if that
occurs.
Copyright ©2023 Cindy
Vallar
Click to contact me
Background image compliments
of Anke's Graphics |
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