| The History of Piracy |
| The history of piracy can be traced back to the 14th Century BC. At that time, a group of | Párr. 1 |
| ocean raiders known as the Sea Peoples attacked ships from the Aegean and Mediterranean |
| civilizations. Likewise, privateering uses similar methods to piracy. The main difference is |
| that the captain acts under orders of the state to capture ships belonging to an enemy nation. |
| 5 | The authority and backing of the government made privateering a legitimate form of war- |
| like activity by non-state actors as opposed to piracy. Keep reading more below to learn about |
| the history of piracy and privateering. |
| Later, piracy further expanded during the Age of Piracy in the 16th and 17th century. | Párr. 2 |
| Narrow channels that allowed shipping to follow predictable routes also created opportunities |
| 10 | for piracy, privateering and commerce raiding. For example, the waters of Gibraltar, the Strait |
| of Malacca, Madagascar, the Gulf of Aden, and the English Channel are channels that made |
| it geographically easier for pirate attacks to occur. As stated above, privateering was |
| essentially raiding that was sanctioned by the government. Privateers were hired as sea |
| raiders with the goal of capturing commercial vessels that flew the flag of declared enemies. |
| 15 | Privateering required a letter of marque and reprisal that was signed by a monarch. It could |
| also be issued by a local governor or other lesser officials, too. As payment for the letter of |
| marque, the government officials typically received a portion of the booty. Examples of |
| famous privateers include Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, and William Kidd. |
| Later, during the early 18th century, famous pirates began to emerge. Some of the | Párr. 3 |
| 20 | most popular famous pirates included Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Bartholomew Roberts. |
| The stereotypical image of a pirate was typically a man with a peg leg, an eyepatch, and |
| parrot on his shoulder. This iconic image of a cheery, adventurous, and charmingly-accented |
| sailor was not based in reality. Instead, a real pirate was usually a desperate thief who would |
| use torture and violence to acquire treasure. |
| 25 | After the mid-18th century, piracy became a criminal act. Consequently, the | Párr. 4 |
| punishment for piracy was death. For a time, the incidence of pirate acts declined. However, |
| in the late 18th century and early 19th century, piracy made a comeback. At that time, it was |
| promptly stamped out by the British navy. When the navy caught pirates, they would hang |
| pirates from cage-like devices called gibbets. These terrible devices were shaped like the |
| 30 | human body in order to hold the body together. The purpose of gibbeting was to punish the |
| criminal even in death. This gruesome practice also served to warn the general public to obey |
| the law and avoid piracy themselves. Later, the bodies of the pirates would hang in the gibbets |
| for years creating a terrible sight and foul odors until they decomposed into a skeleton. The |
| frightful practice of gibbeting reiterated that piracy was an act of high treason that no longer |
| 35 | was accepted in society. |