The Pirate History Podcast

“I will make no concession. My father made concessions, and he was beheaded.” Those words were spoken by King James II of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. They proved to be the harbinger of three revolutions that would shape British society until this very day.

Who was Charles II, King of England, Ireland, & Scotland? His reign defined the era of the English Buccaneers, and his flaws were largely responsible for the growing division in British society.

The Stuart Dynasty was born in Scotland, but once they took the English throne, especially when Charles II was restored, they began to persecute their Scottish brethren. Today we look at Stuart policies in Scotland, and how they stirred the rebellious pot that was bubbling in Britain.

The English Monarchy has long been one of the most divisive and unifying institutions in the world. Its relationship with the English people has been difficult, and the monarchy has been challenged time an again by the English people. Today we look at that tumultuous history, and how that will impact our story moving forward.

The Age of Enlightenment saw some of the greatest thinkers the world has ever known. It saw the application of their ideas in the many revolutions that shaped the modern world. Today we look at one of the earliest proto-Enlightenment thinkers, and how his ideas shaped our perception of the Golden Age pirates.

We're discussing Apocalypse, allegory, the name Jacques, JRR Tolkien, and the actions of James Misson and the pirate ship Victorie on the west coast of Africa.

We're moving forward, at last. We introduce our first pirate from A General History of the Pyrates, and discuss truth, lies, and liberty.

Our final episode looking back on the story so far. We're talking about the 1680s, and the end of the Buccaneers.

The Piracy Act of 1677 turned thousands of privateers into ... unemployed privateers. They turned to other trades like trading and logwood cutting. But a select few chose instead to use their true talents in the voyage known as the Pacific Adventure.

The Piracy Act of 1677 changed everything for a generation of English privateers. Literally overnight hundreds of sailors were turned from legal, licensed, legitimate, privateers into Enemies of the Whole Human Race. A few chose to go off the account, but John Coxon chose a Pirate's Life.

We're zooming in, narrowing our scope, and focusing on the Franco-Dutch War of the 1670s. That war was the seminal event for an explosion of privateers turned pirates that would infest the Americas for more than a decade.

Today we discuss what might be the largest pirate raid in history: Henry Morgan's attack on Panama. The actual attack takes a backseat though, to the surrounding political, military, and piratical forces at play.

Today we talk about Henry Morgan as Admiral of The Brethren of the Coast. We discuss his raids on Puerto Principe, Porto Bello, and Maracaibo.

Today we discuss the two pirates that defined the early years of the Buccaneer era: Francois l'Olonais and Henry Morgan. We follow them on their raids, as well as a number of other pirates that terrorized the West Indies.

In 1655 the English invaded Jamaica, but the island almost immediately fell into drunken debauchery and piracy. In an effort to quell that trend the King sent over Christopher Myngs. But he and his lieutenants Edward Mansvelt and Edward Morgan turned Port Royal into the pirate capital of the West Indies.