 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 20 October 2025)
Pirate Quotes of the
Month
Clerk of the
Court: What hast thou say for
thy self, why thou shouldest
not die according to Law?
William Kidd: I have nothing
to say, but that I have been
sworn against by perjured and
wicked People.
Judge: You shall be taken from
the Place where you are, and
be carried to the Place from
whence you came, and from
thence to the Place of
Execution, and there be
severally hanged by your Necks
until you be dead. And the
Lord have Mercy on your Souls.
Kidd: My lord, It is a very
hard Sentence. For my part, I
am the innocentest Person of
them all, only I have been
sworn against by perjured
Persons.
~ Tryal of William Kidd, 9 May
1701
 October Article |
 October
Reviews |
The Evolution &
Suppression Continues
Law & Order: Pirate Edition (part 3)
Each ruler had his or her own
agenda, which was influenced by national
and international events. Even pirates and
piracy could be affected by this list of
priorities. The effectiveness of each item
was a matter of debate, and the manner in
which one ruler affected change differed
greatly from one country to another, from
one reign to another.
|
The
Pirate Rabbi
by David Sherrin
illustrated by Barbara DiLorenzo
Picture Book
Charles
Johnson's General History of the
Pyrates and Global Commerce
by Noel Chevalier
Art, Music, Poetry
& Stories
History: Piracy
Captain
Ogle's Cup
by Robert Blyth &
Helen Mears
History: Navy
(United Kingdom)
History: Piracy
Buried
Treasure
by Robert Blyth
History: Piracy
|
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Pirate & Maritime News
|
Events & Activities
|
Some pages remain in the
old style, while others are in the new
style. We apologize for this. After
twenty-four years, there are many
pages to overhaul and this takes time.
We appreciate your understanding and
patience.
|
Pirates
29 March 2025 - 4 January 2026
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich, United Kingdom
Vikings
Before Vikings
11 April - 30 December 2025
Vrak -- Museum of Wrecks
Stockholm, Sweden
Pirates of Emerson
Haunted Themed Park
23-26 October 2025
30 October - 2 November 2025
Pleasanton, California
Pirate Invasion
31 October - 2 November 2025
Cedar Key, Florida
Beaufort Pirate Invasion
14-16 November 2025
Beaufort, North Carolina
Boarded
A New Pirate
Adventure
29 November
2025
27 December
2025
Maritime
Museum of San
Diego
San Diego,
California
Sail 250th New York
4 July 2026
New York City, New York
|
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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If you're not sure,
here's a sample
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you enjoy!
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to subscribers: If you fail
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it's possible that your
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If your
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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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