In the Caribbean and beyond, pirates will live in history on the waves of bravado - whether because of power, inappropriate glory or cruelty. Everyone enjoyed a certain period, usually short-lived, of success in their waters. Shrouded in tradition and mysticism, the pirates gained a cruel reputation due to their adventures that took place on the high seas.
They regularly raided and seized merchant ships, robbed at every opportunity and led a laid-back lifestyle, which included many good parties.
However, everything did not always go as planned, and countless pirates died due to their chosen profession, and everything from illness to battle posed a threat to their existence. Although their success was sometimes short-lived, the attractiveness of the free-roaming pirate's lifestyle is something that many people still crave. Below is a list of the ten most famous pirates in the history of oceans.
10. Ms. Zheng (Madame Shi)
At the dawn of the 19th century, a former prostitute from a floating brothel in the city of Canton was married to Zheng I, a formidable pirate who operated in the South China Sea in the Qing Dynasty.
Although the name by which we now know her, Zheng Shisimply means "Zheng's widow," the legacy she left far exceeded that of her husband. After his death, she succeeded him and commanded over 1800 pirate ships and approximately 80,000 souls.
For comparisonThe famous Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates in one century.
As a result, Zheng Shi is known as one of the most successful pirates in history.
9. Barbarossa
From his base in Algeria (North Africa) Hayreddin Barbarossa oppressed the western Mediterranean in the first half of the 16th century. He fearlessly hijacked ships and plundered ports, loading his pirate galleys with huge reserves of treasures and prisoners doomed to slavery.
Yet Barbarossa was far more than a soldier of fortune. He was a skilled warrior with a political instinct that led him to create a prosperous kingdom, in alliance with the Islamic Empire of the Ottoman Turks, he actively challenged one of the most powerful monarchs of Christian Europe, the Spanish emperor Charles V.
8. William Kidd
Now a famous Scot who was an activist in New York and even participated in the construction of the Trinity Church, captain William Kidd began his career as a privateer, originally authorized to rid the sea of pirates. Reluctantly, he crossed the line of piracy (having been chosen by his team as captain), although his very piracy may be dubious, since his exploits could be sensational.
His great misfortune was the raid on the ship of the East India Company. When he learned that he was being persecuted for this crime, he buried part of his treasure on the island of Gardiners, relying on him as a decisive factor for negotiations. But, caught in Boston with his wife, William Kidd was eventually sent to England for trial.
He was sentenced to death (some said it was unfair) and suffered a terrible execution - the beam on which the noose for hanging was hung, broke twice, and after he was killed on the third attempt, his body was doused with resin and hung on chains along the river Thames.
7. Henry Morgan
Captain Morgan - One of the most high-profile pirates who intimidated the Spanish Caribbean colonies in the late 1600s. Morgan became the head of the Jamaican fleet and brilliantly undermined Spanish rule, interfering with a measured life in the West Indies. He may have robbed more than 400 ships in his entire pirate career.
His main achievement was to capture the very wealthy Panama City with thirty ships, meaning his biggest robbery. Because of this raid on Panama City, he was arrested and returned to England, but the struggle between England and Spain resumed at that time, and King Charles II knighted Morgan and granted freedom as deputy governor of Jamaica. There he lived a very respected figure until his death.
6. Francis Drake
The most famous privateer of his time, captain Francis Drake He fired the Spanish army many times, often on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I. Spain, his longest and most powerful enemy, suffered repeated destruction because he ruthlessly plundered Spanish cities off the coast of Florida.
He also went to North America and demanded new land on the Pacific coast for Queen Elizabeth, becoming the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world. He even saved the unsuccessful English colonists of Roanoke Island off the Carolyn coast and gave them passage to England on his ship. After a celebrated career, Drake died of dysentery.
5. Anne Bonnie
It's hard to separate the legend from the facts of life Anne Bonnie. The only thing we can be sure of is that Anne Bonnie was a strong, independent woman who was far ahead of her time. The 18th century was still a time when a man made all the important decisions, a time when women had few rights. In this masculine world, Anne Bonnie found it difficult to become an equal crew member and a respected pirate.
With the help of her good friend, Pierre, the famous homosexual who ran the famous women's establishment, Anne left her husband. She fled with Caliko Jack Rackam, a romantic pirate captain who even offered to buy her from her husband. Jack Rackam was a typical little pirate who usually attacked coastal shipping. He was not very successful as a pirate, but he knew how to spend money with style. The love affair between Anna and Kaliko was not public, but on the ship everyone knew that Anna was "the woman of the captain."
4. Lanky Ben (Henry Avery)
Henry Avery was a pirate with many aliases: John Avery, Lanky Ben and Benjamin Bridgman. He was so popular that many books and plays were written about him and his adventures.
The most famous play was The Successful Pirate. This is a story about a pirate who allegedly retired after one year of piracy and lived the rest of his life under the false identity of a rich man.
Henry Avery was one of the scariest pirates of the Red Sea. His reputation gave him the opportunity to organize a pirate fleet. Famous pirate captains such as Thomas Tew, William White, Thomas Wake and William May, sailed under his leadership. With five ships, he was strong enough to attack even well-armored ships with treasures that sailed between India and the Middle East.
3. Black Sam (Samuel Bellamy)
He is believed to be the richest pirate ever to exist: he accumulated treasures worth hundreds of millions in today's money before he died at sea with his ship.
CaptainBlack sam» Bellamy and his crew were aboard Whydah Gally when he encountered one of the strongest storms ever recorded in New England in 1717, and sank, killing the majority on board and putting treasures to the bottom of the ocean.
2. Black Bart (Bartholomew Roberts)
Command Black Bart admired his boldness as an adventurer, calling him "weapon proof" - although he was forced to engage in piracy, being once an officer aboard a ship hijacked by a pirate Howell Davis.
Roberts' navigational skills, charm and bravado awarded him a golden halo in the eyes of his people. He robbed more than 400 ships, a grand record.
He died in an energetic battle with the British captain Chaloner Ogl; his death pushed the ground from the feet of many of his loyal followers and fans. Even the Royal Navy itself was stunned.
1. Blackbeard (Edward Teach)
Extremely skilled in hijacking and plundering prey, pirate Black beard inspired fear in the hearts of New World sailors - and today it is undoubtedly the most famous pirate of all time.
You can find Blackbeard statues in North Carolina and the US Virgin Islands. In honor of him was named a brand of male hair dye. And the city of Hampton, Virginia, hosts an annual pirate festival in his honor.