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FUN FACTS
Piracy has probably existed since early man first took to the waters. Despite the fact that the ancient Romans referred to the Mediterranean as "Mare Nostrum" (literally "Our Sea"), we know from the historical records that the Roman Empire - even at the height of its power during the Pax Romana - was unable to rid the Mediterranean of pirates, and that even the mighty Julius Caesar was a prisoner of pirates at one time. Piracy in ancient times was principally a matter of maritime kidnapping for ransom. Piracy in the Americas flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and many of those pirates were New Englanders. Most New England pirates started out as privateers, hired by local merchants and commissioned by one of the colonies to attack the shipping of England's enemies. Since England was periodically at war with a variety of European countries, the shipping of these countries became fair game for the New England privateers. However, when the War of Spanish Succession ended in 1713 with a general European peace, many newly unemployed privateers turned to piracy. This produced the greatest age of piracy with the pirate republic of New Providence at Nassau, Bahamas serving as the center of pirate activity. Although piracy was punishable by hanging, many seamen were willing to take the risk. Some, who might have been outlaws in any event, took to piracy for the easy profits - it was easy to "get rich quick". Others were attracted by the freer existence and boisterous lifestyle which piracy seemed to offer. With few good paying jobs available during economic downturns, many seamen found piracy a better option than the harsh existence of the common worker ashore. Other factors which encouraged piracy can be found in the trade laws which forbade the colonies from trading with foreigners. This encouraged smuggling which further blurred the distinction between "legal" and "illegal" activities on the high seas. Finally, with an entire hemisphere newly discovered and an absence of international law, there could be few effective controls against piracy.