Pirates terrorizing the high seas have been mostly the stuff of legend and Hollywood fantasy. But piracy, particularly in the Caribbean, was at one time a very real and dangerous problem. Men with names such as 'Blackbeard' and 'Calico Jack' plundered ships and seaport towns, offering violent retribution to those who resisted, while seizing fortunes at will.
Viewers now get to know the real characters, fight the battles they fought, watch nations rise up to stop them, and separate fact from fiction in the world premiere of "True Caribbean Pirates", Sunday, July 9th, 2006 at 8pm/7c on The History Channel.
After explorer Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies in 1492, Spain and its navy established a presence in the region, mining gold and silver in the New World.
This wealth soon drew the attention of England, France, and Holland as the Caribbean became a free-for-all with competing nations advocating 'privateering', or the use of freelance private sailors to disrupt trade and harass the Spanish.
One of the most famous privateers to cross into piracy is Sir Henry Morgan. Tapped by the British Governor of Jamaica to command more than 1,500 buccaneers, he responded by becoming one of the first true pirates, leading attacks of Spanish colonies at Portobello and Panama.
The cycle of privateers continued for decades until a truce was made with the Spanish. Suddenly, tens of thousands of privateers and sailors were out of a job, ushering in the age of the outlaw pirate.
"True Caribbean Pirates" follows the lineage of maritime crime from Morgan to Calico Jack to female pirates 'Anne Bonny' and 'Mary Read'.
Using dramatization, animation, interviews and archival imagery, "True Caribbean Pirates" is the story of piracy's 'Golden Age', produced for The History Channel by GRB Entertainment. Executive Producer for GRB Entertainment is Gary R. Benz. Writer, producer and director is Tim Prokop.
Carl H. Lindahl is Executive Producer for the History Channel.
