Pirates have existed for over 2000 years, with the golden age being between 1620-1720. While many pirates were criminals who attacked ships, some acted with government authorization to target enemy nations. Punishment for piracy was often death. Though rare, some women also became pirates by disguising as men. Life as a pirate was attractive due to freedom from rules and shared treasure, but it was also dangerous with threats of injury, disease and death. While legends of buried treasure are popular, pirates generally preferred to spend their loot. Modern pirates still operate off the coast of Africa using sophisticated technology to hijack ships.

1. PIRATES
A brief history of piracy

2. Did pirates really exist?
Pirates are real! They are sea
robbers.
Piracy began over 2000 years
ago in Ancient Greece.
But the golden age of piracy
was between 1620 and 1720.

3. Were all pirates criminals?
Some pirates were authorized by their government
to attack and ships of enemy nations.
An example is the famous pirate
called Francis Drake. In the 16th
century he attacked Spanish
treasure ships
and he shared
his treasures
with Queen
Elizabeth I.

4. Those pirates had to be
careful. The punishment for
piracy was death by public
hanging.
Sometimes their bodies
were left at the entrance
of a city as a warning to
other pirates.

5. Were there any women pirates?
There weren’t many women
pirates because seamen
believed that it was unlucky to
have women on ships. So if a
woman wanted to be a pirate,
she had to dress like a man.
However, there were some
very powerful women pirate,
such as, Anne Bonney and
Mary Reed.

6. Why did some people want to
be a pirate?
Life on a pirate ship
appeared attractive because
they didn’t follow the rules,
they were treated better than
normal sailors and booty was
shared equally.

7. Were there any rules on a
pirate ship?
When you became a member
of a pirate ship you had to
follow the rules of the ship.
These rules were often strict
and if someone broke the
rules they were punished,
they were killed or
abandoned on a deserted
island.

8. What is a ‘Jolly Roger’?
These flags used symbols
of death and destruction
to cause fear into their
victims’ hearts so they
would surrender without a
fight.
The ‘Jolly Roger’
is the pirate flag.

9. Did pirates have parrots as pets?
When you think of a pirate, you
imagine him with a parrot sitting on
the shoulder shouting ‘pieces of
eight’!
Exotic pets were popular amongst
sailors because they could sell them
at a very high price!
But probably pirates didn’t have
pets on board. Parrots are dirty!
What might happen to the poor
parrots when pirates are hungry
and there is no more food?

10. Did pirates have wooden legs
and hooks instead of hands?
A lot of pirates lost legs or hands in
fights. Peg legs and hook hands
were not uncommon.
If a pirate was
injured in the leg
or in the hand, amputation would be
the only way to save him. Then they
used any material on the ship, such
as a long piece of wood or iron as a
substitute for the missing leg or
hand.

11. Did pirates bury their
treasures?Historically, the practice of burying treasure was not a
common one. Unless there was a good reason for
keeping the treasure hidden, it wasn’t necessary to bury
it. Pirates preferred to spend it!
Besides, most pirate booty consisted
of things they could sell, like silks,
tobacco, spices, weapons, clothes
and slaves.

12. Historians think that this
legend comes from the
pirate William Kidd. He was
a wanted man and he knew
they were going to arrest
him.
When they arrested him he said
that he had buried his treasure on
different islands. People found
£14,000 which was only a fraction
of the £400,000 that was Kidd’s
treasure!

13. Was life easy on a pirate ship?
No, it wasn’t!
It was boring. They drank a lot
(and not water). They fought a
lot.
It was difficult to preserve food
and water.
Rats and cockroaches were
everywhere.
There were too many people
onboard.

14. a pirate could fall while
working the sails up high
There were many dangers on the ship:
he could fall overboard, in which case
the ship didn’t return for him and not
many sailors could swim
there were sharks in tropical waters
a pirate could die in fights,
shipwrecks, accidents, natural
disasters or disease!

15. Did pirates wear earrings?
It is not clear if pirates
wore earrings.
They might be to pay for
their funeral in case they
died.
Or they might be because
it was fashionable!

16. Do pirates still exist?
Off the coast of West Africa
pirates continue to sail the high
seas. These pirates are modern,
sophisticated and smart. They
don't rob towns or bury treasure.
These pirates use 21st century
equipment. GPS systems,
satellite phones, nightvision
googles, and many other
elements are part of a pirate
equipment. They often check
different blogs online to locate
shipping routes.

17. Now, answer the questions!!