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→Golden Age
In the first decades of the 17th century, a group of people from Europe (mostly French) settled on the island of Hispaniola. They were called buccaneers, and eager for better profits than that gained from provisioning ships with their smoked meat, they set out to sea to attack Spanish ships. The buccaneers were were successful in the period from 1640 to 1680, having made strongholds on Tortuga Island in 1640 and the town of Port Royal on the island of Jamaica in 1655, and slowly merging with pirates in general. What emerged from these men was the classical period of piracy known as the Golden Age.
In the first decades of the 17th century, a group of people from Europe (mostly French) settled on the island of Hispaniola. They were called buccaneers, and eager for better profits than that gained from provisioning ships with their smoked meat, they set out to sea to attack Spanish ships. The buccaneers were were successful in the period from 1640 to 1680, having made strongholds on Tortuga Island in 1640 and the town of Port Royal on the island of Jamaica in 1655, and slowly merging with pirates in general. What emerged from these men was the classical period of piracy known as the Golden Age.
It was during this period that thousands of pirates swarmed the oceans, swearing allegiance to no one, and making war on everyone. The prospect of gaining wealth rather quickly would entice anyone to desert ship or country to go "on the account" as many put it, and from these men rose many who gain fame to their crews or infamy to the courts. Men like Henry Every, who seized such a large fortune from the Mogul of India that he could later state he could pay off the national debt of England in exchange for a pardon; John Rackam, whose taste for finery led to his nickname "Calico Jack", but whose fame rested with his romance of one of the very few female pirates in history, Anne Bonney; Bartholomew Roberts, who amassed in excess of 400 ship captures; or the foul Blackbeard, who took prizes without a fight simply by appearing as an apparition from hell, and giving the world the stereotypical image of what pirates looked like.
[[File:Emanuel Wynn Flag.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Example of a "Jolly Roger" flag flown by Emanuel Wynne]]
[[File:Emanuel Wynn Flag.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Example of a "Jolly Roger" flag flown by Emanuel Wynne]]
*''"He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning."''
*''"He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning."''
*''"None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draweth first blood shall be declared the victor."''
*''"None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draweth first blood shall be declared the victor."''
The zenith of the Golden Age lasted roughly 30 years, effectively ending with Robert's death in 1720, despite sporadic incidents since then. Effective use of navies from various nations - especially the British Royal Navy - in addition to swift and sure punishment when caught, largely ended the age.
==Modern piracy==
==Modern piracy==