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Buccaneers
In the 1700's another category of Pirates emerged called Buccaneers. Buccaneers were
hired by governments to fight in the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714) and worked mainly in the West Indies during Charles
II reign. The name Buccaneers was used by the English, Dutch and French. Similar to Privateers, Buccaneers weer hired
to take down enemy ships however they received no valid commission and only attacked shisps of certain nations.
Buccaneers preyed mainly on Spanish ships as they travelled to and from Spain to
the Spanish American colonies. Buccaneers used the Island of Tortuga as their headquarters, and Island situated of the Northwestern
Coast of Hispaniola (now known as Haiti). Later, however, Buccaneers used Jamaica as the base of thier operations.
The term 'Buccaneer' came from the French 'Boucan'- a grill for
smoking Boucanee meat or dried meat that was usually used on ships at sea. Early Buccaneers were usually escaped servants
or former soldiers. Their lives and tales of adventures at sea influenced such famous Authors as Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe
and Robert Louis Stevenson. Buccaneers themselves were inspired by great seamen and many looked up to sailors such as Sir
Francis Drake. Buccaneers were usually more distinguished than other pirates even though many of the buccaneers actions could
be called piratical.
Early Buccaneers
The earliest Buccaneers often sailed under different names such as L'Olonnais (Jean-David
Nau) or Rock Brasiliano. Quite a few pirates were opperating in the Elizabethan years such as Sir Francis Drake who sailled
around the world. during this voyage Drake looted many Spanish ships even though England was not at war with Spain. When Drake
and another pirate Jim Hawkins were almost captured during the Battle of San Juan de Ulua the English cried treachery but
the Spanish dismissed this as sensible tactics when dealing with Pirates.
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