The Golden Age of Piracy is presumed to have been from the time of Henry Morgan to the time of Bartholomew Roberts, but it's disputable when the actual Golden age began. It was most likely between the early sixteenth century to the late seventeenth century. Some pirates began their careers as privateers working for the government capturing Spanish and French ships, which were at that time enemies to Britain .
During this time Spain conquered and colonised the America's. They had forts in places, such as Central Mexico, Vera Cruz, Cartagena, Panama etc. A Spanish explorer whose name was Hernán Cortés travelled from Vera Cruz through Central Mexico into the jungle where he found the Aztec city. Within the Aztec city lived the Aztec people. Hernán Cortés found that the Aztec people had a lot of gold in their city which they had made into jewellery and many other valuable items. He slaughtered them all and took the gold back to Spain. The gold was melted into coins. The finding of treasure in the America's is what started the rivalry between England and Spain.
British privateers captured the Spanish ship's and brought them back to England to split their prizes with the British government. The government kept most of the winnings. Capturing Spanish ship's was the best way to increase the countries wealth.
After a treaty was signed between Spain, France and England privateers were no longer needed by the government some of them turned to piracy. They attacked all ship's enemy or otherwise. They knew that Spanish ship's were good target's, because of what they had experienced during the time that they served the government.
A pirates treasure consisted of what he or she would find on board the ship's they robbed. Sometimes the ship itself was a prize worthy enough for a pirate. a lot of the time pirates were not able to find big prizes, so they made do with preying on merchant men. A merchant's cargo consisted of spices, valuable clothes, some coins, rum and any other thing which was popular to sell during those times. If a pirate was lucky they may have captured a grander ship full of gold coins, rubies, emeralds diamonds, clothes trimmed with gold or silver and numerous other valuable items.
Owning exotic pets was a very popular thing for nobles in that day. Pirates would store different types of animals in their cargo such as parrots of different varieties, monkeys and any other animal that would sell for a price. This is possibly how parrots and monkeys are commonly associated with pirates to this day. Although some pirates may have even owned such animals so they could bring themselves up to the level of the upper class. They may have also kept slaves in their cargos.
Curses and Superstitions.
Pirates as well as all sailers were very superstitious. They would buy relics from women who called themselves witches in order to bless their ships and ensure they had a safe journey. The ships were always seen as women, because they believed that the sea itself was a woman and they did not wish to anger her. Although it was bad luck to bring a woman on board a ship, because she was in close relation to the sea and it's monsters and may cause the ship to sink through rage.
Sailers believed that bringing black cat's on their voyages was lucky. The cat would protect them from the torment and anger of the sea and would also catch the rats on board the ship. If a cat was killed or thrown over board the sailers would see that as a sign of their impending doom.
There are many stories of curses within pirate legend. The curses are there to warn those who go in search of treasure that they could anger the one who's treasure it was. One treasure is that of Cortez, which is featured in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Cortez as mentioned before was the man who slaughtered all the Aztecs and stole their treasure through greed. Greed often leads to bad things, which is why searching for the lost treasure of Cortez has become a Legend.
The Jolly Rodger
Pirates over the ages have used flags to warn people of who they are. They made up their own flags over the years, but the one which we familiarise all pirates with is the black flag with a skull and crossbones, which was originally a black flag with a white cross on it.
Pirate rules and Punishments
Pirates were free men full of liberty, but a pirate captain had to keep some order on his ship. Men were not allowed to fight on board ship if so they could be known as mutineers. If a man was violent he was subjected to being marooned on an island or whipped.
They also were not allowed to bring woman aboard ship if a woman was found she would be killed along with the man who brought her.
If a pirate was injured he would receive compensation for his injuries in pieces of eight, which is probably where people get the image of a pirate with missing limbs eyes etc.
Walking the plank is a myth, but some pirates may have used it as a punishment although it's highly unlikely.
The Myth of Libertalia
Libertalia was a Pirate Republic, which was first mentioned by Daniel Defoe in 1726. It was founded around the Baie des Francais by Captain Misson a French adventurer who sailed the seas freeing slaves. He teamed up with a defrocked priest Father Caracioli, to set up a communist Utopia.
They suceeded and a parliament was formed. All the people living there were pirates slaves and others who were escaping the law. All seemed well untill the Malagasy people living around the area massacred Libertalia's population.Misson escaped,but his fate remains a mystery.
There is no physical evidence that Libertalia existed, so it remains a story of fantasy.Some say that Robinson Crusoe's creatyr could easily have invented a pirate republic.