Pirate legends have inspired many star movie characters: really mean, like Capt Hook in Peter Pan…
Or completely wacky, like Jack Sparrow, in Pirates of the Caribbean.
But in the 18th-century, real pirates did scour the seas, spreading terror in their wake.
Who were these pirates?
Pirates were bandits who plundered ships between America and Europe.
Their spoils? Gold, weapons or fine fabrics. That’s how some pirates made a fortune, like the infamous Blackbeard…