Once there was a time when danger lurked over the misty waters of the high seas as dangerous, ruthless men
sailed in search of treasure. In many cases these unsavory characters rose to fame. Some of the famous pirates
are Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Captain Avery, and Captain Morgan.
The period in our history from 1680 - 1730 is called the golden age period for piracy. During this time, many men
were engaged in privateering, often under orders from Britain to attack Spanish ships.
Many times the privateers ignored the letter of marque or orders from Britain and attacked other unfortunate
ships sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. The privateers usually didn't attack their own country's ships because this
would have been high treason.
When a ship was sailing under a letter of marque, they were usually given safe harbor by the nation granting them the
order. Many times the privateers went beyond the scope of the marque and did what they pleased, robbing the ships of
their treasure and tormenting its passengers.
When the golden age of piracy ended, privateering ceased to exist and men who still wished to rob at sea were pirates.
These men had to operate without the protection that the marque provided and thus the number of pirates dwindled.
