Looking for Connections
To reach the answer of how pirates have impacted North Carolina and its history we have to take a walk back through the history of pirates who came ashore in North Carolina. There are lots of facts to explore and questions to answer. At what time in history were these pirates ruling North Carolina shores? What areas of the North Carolina coast did they call home? What infamous characters can we find in the pages of North Carolina history? Were there any changes in government, law or societal beliefs due to the actions of these privateers taking solace in the coast towns of North Carolina? Exploring all these subjects and questions will lead to the impact pirates have had on North Carolina.
Pirate Facts
Pirates have been around since virtually the beginning of recorded history. With records of buccaneers being present in the world from ancient Greece in the Aegean Sea until modern day pirates today(Zepke, 2005, p. 144). The question lies in this tie between when they ruled the seas of the North Carolina Coast. There is a lot of documented history about pirates all around the world, but at the same time there are a lot of stories and folklore that authors have most likely taken creative liberties when writing about these criminals and scoundrels of the seas. It is important to research and use valid references with facts instead of stories of legend about pirates.
The Golden Age of Piracy
The time between 1519 and 1780 was known as the Golden Age of Piracy.(“Pirate History 1,” n.d.). This was a time when the pirates were a great presence and visible part of the community around the world. Pirates have existed as long as there have been boats in the sea. There are still modern swashbucklers in our waters today that pillage boats in international and even the waters of the United States. Entire civilizations have been marred and sometimes have fallen at the hands of these pirates (Karg, 2007, p. 9). Pirates were mostly uneducated men and women trying to escape from social and economic restrictions. These renegades were tired of being told what to do and receiving nothing in return. So they boarded ships and lived a life of piracy. On the other hand “remarkably, some pirates were bored aristocrats, such as wealthy plantation owner Stede Bonnet, and the infamous Captain Kidd.” These pirates like Stede Bonnet, who was known as the gentleman pirate because of his wealthy aristocrat background. Stede never disclosed why he became a pirate.(Zepke, 2005, p. 92) He abandoned a safe, wealthy and luxurious life to be a privateer. Stede was a great enemy of Blackbeard. These two pirates fought off the North Carolina coast and left remains of their famous ships, Bonnet’s Revenge and Blackbeard’s Queen Anne in the Atlantic waters of North Carolinas Coast.
Pirates in North Carolina
Pirates in North Carolina are part of our culture, heritage and history. In the late 17th-early 18th century the colony of North Carolina was considered a “place which receives pirates, runaways and illegal traders(“Pirates of the Carolinas, North Carolina Pirates, South Carolina Pirates,” n.d.-a). Throughout this history pirates have either been a dominant existence or a dreadful presence looming in the distance, but there has never been a time when pirates did not exist. This also goes for pirates coming ashore into North Carolina. Many pirate ships came onto North Carolina land during the golden age of piracy. The pirates robbed, pillaged and killed citizens in our coastal towns to attain wealth and property on North Carolina shores.
Pirates could have been found in several outer banks towns during this time. Some of and these Pirates have made a huge impact on our state history and they are known by their legacy and reputations for being tyrants. There are several pirates that helped to mold and change the path of North Carolina government. Pirates also used Atlantic trade routes to attack and rob cargo ships. It was these attacks that made sailors create new trade routes out of and into North Carolina.
To reach the answer of how pirates have impacted North Carolina and its history we have to take a walk back through the history of pirates who came ashore in North Carolina. There are lots of facts to explore and questions to answer. At what time in history were these pirates ruling North Carolina shores? What areas of the North Carolina coast did they call home? What infamous characters can we find in the pages of North Carolina history? Were there any changes in government, law or societal beliefs due to the actions of these privateers taking solace in the coast towns of North Carolina? Exploring all these subjects and questions will lead to the impact pirates have had on North Carolina.
Pirate Facts
Pirates have been around since virtually the beginning of recorded history. With records of buccaneers being present in the world from ancient Greece in the Aegean Sea until modern day pirates today(Zepke, 2005, p. 144). The question lies in this tie between when they ruled the seas of the North Carolina Coast. There is a lot of documented history about pirates all around the world, but at the same time there are a lot of stories and folklore that authors have most likely taken creative liberties when writing about these criminals and scoundrels of the seas. It is important to research and use valid references with facts instead of stories of legend about pirates.
The Golden Age of Piracy
The time between 1519 and 1780 was known as the Golden Age of Piracy.(“Pirate History 1,” n.d.). This was a time when the pirates were a great presence and visible part of the community around the world. Pirates have existed as long as there have been boats in the sea. There are still modern swashbucklers in our waters today that pillage boats in international and even the waters of the United States. Entire civilizations have been marred and sometimes have fallen at the hands of these pirates (Karg, 2007, p. 9). Pirates were mostly uneducated men and women trying to escape from social and economic restrictions. These renegades were tired of being told what to do and receiving nothing in return. So they boarded ships and lived a life of piracy. On the other hand “remarkably, some pirates were bored aristocrats, such as wealthy plantation owner Stede Bonnet, and the infamous Captain Kidd.” These pirates like Stede Bonnet, who was known as the gentleman pirate because of his wealthy aristocrat background. Stede never disclosed why he became a pirate.(Zepke, 2005, p. 92) He abandoned a safe, wealthy and luxurious life to be a privateer. Stede was a great enemy of Blackbeard. These two pirates fought off the North Carolina coast and left remains of their famous ships, Bonnet’s Revenge and Blackbeard’s Queen Anne in the Atlantic waters of North Carolinas Coast.
Pirates in North Carolina
Pirates in North Carolina are part of our culture, heritage and history. In the late 17th-early 18th century the colony of North Carolina was considered a “place which receives pirates, runaways and illegal traders(“Pirates of the Carolinas, North Carolina Pirates, South Carolina Pirates,” n.d.-a). Throughout this history pirates have either been a dominant existence or a dreadful presence looming in the distance, but there has never been a time when pirates did not exist. This also goes for pirates coming ashore into North Carolina. Many pirate ships came onto North Carolina land during the golden age of piracy. The pirates robbed, pillaged and killed citizens in our coastal towns to attain wealth and property on North Carolina shores.
Pirates could have been found in several outer banks towns during this time. Some of and these Pirates have made a huge impact on our state history and they are known by their legacy and reputations for being tyrants. There are several pirates that helped to mold and change the path of North Carolina government. Pirates also used Atlantic trade routes to attack and rob cargo ships. It was these attacks that made sailors create new trade routes out of and into North Carolina.