The deal also worked out well for the Jamaicans - the pirates brought a lot of booty into the port. A famous example would be Sir Henry Morgan, a British captain who operated out of Port Royal and made a name for himself raiding Spanish strongholds in Portobello, Cartagena, and Panama. These were ships commissioned by the French and British Crown to target and disrupt Spanish ships in the Caribbean and Atlantic. In particular, it was popular with British and French privateers. The pirates happily agreed and the port rapidly grew.Īn illustration of pre-1692 Port Royal. Protect us from the Spanish, and we’ll turn a blind eye to what you get up to. The small port’s association with piracy began in the mid-1600s when Jamaica’s governors struck a mutually beneficial agreement with various pirates. It had everything they could ever want - thieves, prostitutes and pirates, all looking for work. 1.Port Royal - A Hub for Privateersĭuring the 17th and 18th centuries, Port Royal (Jamaica) was the place to be if one were a pirate looking to make a name for themselves. In this article, we'll explore eight famous pirate ports and strongholds and discover their fascinating stories of adventure and danger on the high seas. These pirate ports and strongholds, scattered around the world, were hotspots of piracy and criminal activity that shaped the course of history. But pirates needed a base of operations, a place to rest, repair their ships, and plan their next raid. From the Caribbean to the South China Sea, pirates have prowled the high seas, attacking ships, and plundering their cargo. Attacking the Spanish gold trains as they approached the Atlantic coast of Panama were very difficult as the mule caravans that carried the riches were heavily guarded and travel schedules were carefully guarded secrets that were often changed at the last minute to fool would-be pirates.Pirates have captured our imagination for centuries with their tales of adventure, daring raids, and hidden treasure. Some attacks proved successful while others did not. Over the next 50 or so years, Panama would be attacked over and over again. This caused a mutiny among the buccaneers. Some believed that Morgan himself had struck a deal with the Spainards and taken all of the gold for himself. The buccaneers then occupied the city, though many died of disease. This time, however, the Spanish had wisened and most of the treasures had already been hidden away from the city. In 1670, Morgan and his band of Pirates returned to Panama and proceeded to plunder Panama City. Most of the residents were killed and all of the treasures were stolen by the pirates. Led by Sir Henry Morgan, the pirates completely surrounded the city and plundered it until there was nothing left. In 1668, English pirates again attacked Panama, this time at Porto Bello. In a bloody battle, Drake and his men were defeated and retreated to Porto Bello, where Drake died of a fever. The English pirates then traveled up the King's Highway in the hopes of capturing Panama City. The first major raid on the isthmus of Panama occurred in 1595 when the English pirate Sir Francis Drake and his men attacked and destroyed the port of Nombre de Dios. Besides the threat of disease was the threat of being attacked by runaway slaves, natives, and pirates. Marching across the King's Highway was a dangerous endeavor. This land route became known as the King's Highway or the Gold Road. Consequently, unloading treasures from Spanish ships coming from Peru (which approached Panama from the Pacific), to the Atlantic coast of Panama (and eventually to Spain) was by foot across the mosquito-filled jungle. King's HighwayĪlthough the Isthmus of Panama was only 40 miles wide, there was no water route that connected the two sides. Of the Spanish settlements in Darien, Porto Bello and Panama City would see major pirate activity. The region was of high strategical importance because the isthmus, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was only about 40 miles wide. Darien, now known as Panama, was the center of the Spanish new world, also called the Spanish Main.
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