 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 April 2026)
Pirate Quote of the
Month
But who are these modern day
buccaneers who ply the East African coast
as well as waters in Southeast Asia? As
with their historical ancestors flying the
Jolly Roger, many are criminals of
convenience, who are hijacking ships to
gain ransom or plunder. While not
supported by any of the local governments,
they easily take advantage of the regional
chaos in Somalia, the lack of any lawful
presence on the high seas, and use forced
boarding to gain million dollar ransoms.
~ John J. Metzler, “Ahoy!
Pirates in Somalia’s troubled waters,” China
Post 3 May 2008
 April Article |
 April
Reviews |
Universal
Jurisdiction
Law & Order: Pirate Edition (part 8)
When crimes are committed
outside of any country’s borders, the
question of who has a right to prosecute
arises. Piracy is such a crime, because it
takes place on the high seas. Some crimes
are seen as so heinous that they must be
prosecuted, and “all states have the
obligation to prosecute offenders, even if
the offender is not a national of that
state and even if the crime was committed
elsewhere.” (United Nations Human Rights
Office) This concept is known as universal
jurisdiction and piracy is one of the
crimes that fall under this umbrella.
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Tampa's
Gasparilla Pirate Festival
by
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla
Miscellany
Diamond
Rock
by Paul
Weston
Nautical Fiction
The
Wreck of the Mentor
by Eric Jay
Dolin
Disasters,
Mutinies, & Shipwrecks
The
Devil's Own
Luck
by David
Donachie
Nautical
Fiction
|
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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.
|
Setting
Sail
9 March 2026 -
23 January
2027
Rosenberg
Library Museum
Galveston,
Texas
Pirate Fest
25 April 2026
Greenville,
North Carolina
Pirate & Boots Festival
25 April 2026
Houma Downtown
Marina
Houma,
Louisiana
The Navy and Painters Exhibit
13 May - 2
August 2026
Musée National
de la Marine
Paris, France
Legacy & Horizons
14
May 2026
Rededication
of Pride
II
Baltimore,
Maryland
Billy Bowlegs Pirate
Festival
14-18 May 2026
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Maritime Festival
6 June 2026
Port Angeles, Washington
Falmouth International
Sea Shanty Festival
12-14 June 2026
Falmouth, United Kingdom
Kingston Pirate Festival
13 June 2026
Kingston, Washington
Blackbeard Pirate
Festival
13-14 June 2026
Hampton, Virginia
Windjammer Days
21 June - 27 June 2026
Boothbay Harbor, Maine
Privateer Days
26-28 June 2026
Nova Scotia, Canada
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
receive the monthly Pirates
& 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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