The Golden Age Of Piracy And The War Of Spanish Succession

The Golden Age of Piracy and the War of Spanish Succession
A small merchant ship is following its regular routine as it sails through the vast ocean when suddenly the sailor on top of the lookout exclaims “Black flag!”. Suddenly, the tiny ship is filled with commotion as everyone scrambles to get to their stations in preparation for the inevitable pirate attack. The men grab weapons and man their cannons in preparation for a battle with blood thirsty pirates. The year is 1715; this marks the beginning of a new age where pirates run ramped and wreaked havoc across the seven seas with little interference. This is a time called The Golden Age of Piracy. It was a time of a great economic boom and a sea filled of merchant ships carrying cargo ripe for the taking. The Golden Age of Piracy was caused by the aftermath of the war of Spanish Succession and Queen Anne’s War. Before we get into the specifics of the Golden Age we have to look at the time before the War of Spanish Succession and Queen Anne’s War. Buccaneers were a dead beat group of French, Dutch, English, and even Spanish and Portuguese misfits
Criminals and desperados alike from all across the West Indies including Europe found refuge in this large port city. Port Royal began to be notorious for its reputation as a place where Buccaneers and Privateers could sell their stolen goods. The city’s governors frequently issued privateering commissions which allowed raiding of Spanish vessels even during times of peace. Through trading and promoting privateering and piracy Port Royal was able to bring in a lot of much needed capital and goods into the Jamaican economy and provide jobs for its citizens. Sixteen years after the English occupied Jamaica the Buccaneers were able to sack eighteen Spanish cities, four towns, over thirty-five villages and countless Spanish