Swashed and Buckled

Starring at my reflection in the pub looking glass, I am disappointed to recognize myself.  Although the handkerchief hides the feminine curve of my neck and my late father’s seaman jacket conceals my chest, my face is smooth and my voice high. I may not be mistaken for Blackbeard, but I’ll pass as a prepubescent powder monkey. My swayed walk and act were enough to fool the pirate at the bar into offering an apprenticeship. Hopefully in the sober daylight he’ll still be convinced. It didn’t take much, just a dash of amazement at his most recent mediocre accomplishment, a bit of flattery, and an earnest offering of my service. My being recently orphaned also tugs at the heart strings. Jack Rackman stumbles into my shoulder and pulls me out of my thoughts. With a bottle of rum in hand he gathers his crew, which now includes me. On the way back to the boat   I survey my new shipmates. Twelve or so men, most aged with sun-worn skin. Some stern and brawny men jostle...

Henry Morgan, born around 1635 to a Welsh farmer, is one of the most widely known 17 th century pirates. His notoriety could be partially credited to the widely published literary works of Alexandre Exquemellin, a barber/ surgeon aboard his ships. However, few pirates would have made as capturing subject as Henry Morgan. Time and time again Morgan gives us the thrilling story of a triumphant underdog, evading the more heavily armed Spanish using his wit, problem solving mind, and level headedness. Morgan’s career as a privateer in the Caribbean affected not only the image of pirates in literature but influenced the historical development of the Americas as a commissioned English captain working against Spanish reign. Following in the footsteps of his two uncles, Major General Sir Thomas Morgan and Colonel Edward Morgan, Henry left school to become a soldier. According to Coordingly in his text, Under the Black Flag , he joined a military expedition to the New World “whic...

Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the Spanish Main, a region rich in not only mosquitoes but gold, silver, and precious gems, exceeded European expectations of the New World. This stretch of the American coast located around the southern rim of the Caribbean Sea quickly became the focal source of wealth for Spain, thus a hotbed for piracy and raids. The potential for wealth was astronomical even by today’s standards. In just four years “between 1596 and 1600, Spain imported treasures from the new world worth 34,428,500 pesos… the equivalent of $774 million… in today’s terms” (Cordingly, David). Pesos, also known as "pieces of eight", were the most widely known currency coming from the New World. Officially known as "eight reales", these silver coins were "valued in England at four shillings and sixpence in 1664...the equivalent of $23 today" (Cordingly, David). The valuable natural resources were located inland. After mining the precious m...