The ‘Letter of Marque’: Licensed Piracy
Ever wonder how a pirate could also be a national hero? The secret lies in a single piece of paper: the 'Letter of Marque.' This government license transformed private sailors…
Connecting the dots across time
Ever wonder how a pirate could also be a national hero? The secret lies in a single piece of paper: the 'Letter of Marque.' This government license transformed private sailors…
Explore the captivating legend of Libertalia, a supposed pirate republic in Madagascar founded on radical principles of liberty and equality. We investigate whether this anarchist utopia was a historical fact…
Beyond the Caribbean, the late 17th century saw pirates embark on the 'Pirate Round' to the Indian Ocean. This article explores how the remote island of Madagascar became their ultimate…
When the Dutch ship Batavia wrecked off Australia in 1629, the survivors' ordeal had just begun. A charismatic but psychopathic mutineer, Jeronimus Cornelisz, seized control and unleashed a reign of…
Discover the Hanseatic League, a medieval powerhouse that was not a kingdom but a powerful confederation of merchant cities. From controlling the salt trade with their iconic cog ships to…
Move beyond treasure chests and discover the surprisingly organized business of 17th-century piracy. Far from being chaotic brutes, pirates operated under democratic principles, wrote corporate-style articles of agreement, and even…