The Pirate History Podcast

Laurens de Graaf sought revenge after the attack on his plantation. He hunted two Spanish privateers in particular - Juan Corso and Blas Miguel. He would find them, but Spain was sending reinforcements to deal with the pirate menace.

In 1685 & 1686, in the West Indies, the English were hunting pirates and arresting any Englishmen that sailed under a foreign flag. The French were arresting pirates while reigning in their privateers. The Spanish had called an Inquisition to deal with the corsairs and were building mercenary privateer navies to attack the pirates where they lived. These were the opening moves of a war that would engulf the world, and the first shots were fired against the Buccaneers.

The Brethren of the Coast sail from Saint Dominique in one last flurry of high seas piracy. Are they the embodiment of Robin Hood? The Alamo? A metaphor for America? Maybe none of those. But their days of ruling the waves are finally at their end.

Christmas, 1683. King Louis XIV invaded The Holy Roman Empire in a bid to claim the western bank of the Rhine. At that exact moment Laurens de Graaf attacked one of the jewels of the Spanish Empire. He was called a pirate despite his Letter of Marque, but if so, his piracy was remarkably unprofitable and played perfectly into Louis' war aims.

The weeks following the raid on Veracruz were difficult for Laurens de Graaf and Michel de Grammont. Today we look at those weeks, and the initial fallout from the raid. Then we discuss the early days of a young woman named Anne, new to Tortuga, and what she may have gone through upon arriving on the island.

The Buccaneers of the West Indies didn't yet know it but their days were numbered. Their decline was caused by the fallout from their last truly great raid.

The summer of 1682 was a busy season for the pirates of the West Indies. Today we follow the cruises of Captain Jean Hamiln who defined that summer. We also take some time here at the end of the year to catch up with all the major pirates operating in 1682. Sharp, Dampier, Davis, de Graaf, Grammont, Coxon, & even Henry Morgan.

The French & Dutch defined West Indian piracy in the early 1680s. Three names in particular - Laurens de Graaf, Michel de Grammont, & Nicholas van Hoorn - were the titans of the era. Today we introduce them.

Today we return to a very different Jamaica to catch up with Sir Henry Morgan, Jamaican politics, and get a taste of what's been happening while we've been following the pirates in the Pacific.

Today we follow almost a year in the life of William Dampier, John Cooke, & the fleet of pirates off the coast of Darien. They face storms, Spanish warships, hostile Indians, princesses, romance, arrest, uncooperative governors, and rank betrayal. They travel to nearly every island in the West Indies, and are faced with specters of the past.

We continue on our journey across the isthmus alongside William Dampier, John Cook, & Edward Davis. They meet with an old companion, and somehow I wander into questions of identity, heroism, villainy, and ideals.

We're back in the Pacific this week with William Dampier, Lionel Wafer, John Cook, & Edward Davis. The 'mutineers' are on their way back to the isthmus and the Caribbean beyond when they encounter several setbacks that see their company tested and broken.

This Halloween we delve deep into ghost pirates, ghost ships, and the role that myth and story have on our perception of history & the world around us.

The fleet of Bartholomew Sharp faced the worst challenges to date. They were thirsty, hungry, cold, and some men began to show signs of scurvy. Plus, they hadn't been paid in months. The men were growing ever more angry and their Admiral needed to find them fresh fruit, water, and plunder. If not, he was in danger of losing command.

Pirate life wasn't all swashbuckling adventure and rum. Sometimes it meant days spent working on their vessels, or weeks at sea. Or even losing the wind and being forced to sit idle while your enemies prepare. Frustration and boredom and hard work could be as much a part of pirate life as sea shanties and nautical robbery. Today we take a look at just that on the Pacific Adventure.