Pirates

From the very earliest days of history there have been pirates, and it is, therefore, not at all remarkable that, in the early days of the history of this continent, sea-robbers should have made themselves prominent; but the buccaneers of America differed in many ways from those pirates with whom the history of the old world has made us acquainted. (Stockton)

Before proceeding any further, we need to be clear about the difference between piracy and privateering, and the use of the words “corsair” and “buccaneer.”

A pirate was, and is, someone who robs and plunders on the sea. Per the law against piracy which was passed in the reign of King Henry VIII, the term also applied to felonies, robberies, and murders committed in any haven, river, creek, or place where the Lord High Admiral has jurisdiction. (Cordingly)

A Privateer was an armed vessel, or the commander and crew of that vessel, which was licensed to attack and seize the vessels of hostile nation. In a nut shell, they were often no more than licensed pirates. Pirates based in the Mediterranean were called corsairs and Buccaneers were pirates who operated in the Caribbean and around the coast of south America during the seventeenth century.

The original buccaneers were hunters in the woods and valleys of Hispaniola. They were mostly French, and they lived off the herd of cattle and pig. They cooked and dried strips of meat over open stoves like what the Arawak Indians did.  Boucaner (meaning to smoke-dry or cure), which gave these wild and uncouth men their name.  (Cordingly)

Stockton, Frank R. Buccaneers and pirates. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2007. Print.

Cordingly, David. The romance and the reality of life among the pirates: the romance and the reality of life among the pirates. Place of publication not identified: Random House, 2006. Print.