To Catch a Pirate (15 page)

Black Bart Roberts was a real pirate who sailed the African coast and the Caribbean between 1719 and 1722. His ship was
Royal Fortune
. His first flag showed him and death holding an hourglass. It is believed he attacked more than 470 ships, more than any other pirate.

New Providence was a pirate haven in the Bahamas. Its first royal governor, Woodes Rogers, was charged by King George in 1718 with ending piracy in the area. He hanged a good many pirates who refused to denounce their pirating ways. He really did believe that the best person to hunt down a pirate was a pirate, and he hired former pirates to capture those who were still looting ships or sacking coastal towns.

Nouvelle-Orléans, later to be known as New Orleans, was founded in 1718 by the French.

Queen Anne’s War was fought between 1702 and 1713. The British were at war with the French. Letters of marque were issued granting privateers the right to raid enemy ships. It was an inexpensive way to build a navy. When the war ended, the marques were rescinded, and these men were no longer needed, so they turned to what they were most skilled at — raiding ships. But without their country’s blessing, they were now considered pirates. It was this period in history that spawned so many infamous pirates and led to the “golden age of pirating.”

Jade Parker
is the author of many books, though this is her first about pirates. She lives near Dallas, Texas, with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

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Copyright © 2007 by Jan Nowasky

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First printing, May 2007

e-ISBN 978-0-545-68371-5

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