The Golden Age of Piracy Trivia Quiz

Answer: William Kidd

May 23, 1701, saw the hanging of William Kidd. Because the rope snapped midway through the first attempt, a new rope was put in place, and he was hanged again. The second try proved to be successful.

The English government sent privateer Captain Kidd to hunt down pirates in the West Indies and New York. Kidd sailed from New York to the Indian Ocean with a crew of 150 men on board the 32-gun Adventure Galley on September 6, 1696. Finding pirates was not Captain Kidd's strongest suit. His crew's attitude deteriorated, and there was talk of mutiny. Eventually, he was forced to become a pirate by his crew. The Quedah Merchant was seen around the tip of India in late January 1698. The ship, which was said to be carrying silk, cotton, calico, sugar, opium, iron, and saltpetre, was captured by Kidd and his crew after they launched an attack. After the attack, Kidd kept the ship and renamed it the Adventure Prize because his own ship was badly damaged and sinking.

When Kidd eventually did sail to the West Indies in April 1699, he was informed that everyone at sea was on the lookout for pirates and that he was now officially considered a pirate. Kidd was able to work out a pardon with the English government. After that, Kidd set out for Boston, making stops along the way to bury a portion of the cargo on Block Island and Gardiners Island. The governor of New England, Lord Richard Bellomont, took Kidd into custody in Boston on July 7, 1699. In February 1700, he was dispatched to England on board the frigate Advice. May 8, 1701, marked the beginning of the allegedly manipulated trial, which ended the following day. The judge found Kidd responsible for killing one of his crew members and sentenced him to death.

Answer: No

Punishment for pirates was more likely to be the cat o' nine tails, also just called "the cat," a vicious whip with a short wooden handle and nine strands tied at the ends. There were occasionally musket balls or fish hooks attached to the ends of each strand. The pirate code of honour, including the 1724 code authored by John Phillips, stipulates that individuals who disobey the law and are sentenced to flogging will suffer 39 lashes. This quantity, referred to as "Moses' Law," was believed to be the highest that a man could endure.

Walking the plank was a very rare occurrence. Historically, there are only a few instances that are documented.

Answer: Henry Avery

When Henry Avery staged a mutiny on a ship named Charles II, later dubbed Fancy, he formally started his career as a pirate in 1694. Henry Avery was unquestionably a legend among the pirates, and he continued to be well-known even after he vanished. Henry gained his status as a result of the plundering of several ships, including Danish and French vessels, while they were sailing around Africa.

The greatest victory of Henry Avery's career came when he joined forces with several other pirate vessels to attack a Grand Mughal convoy en route to Mecca. It's unclear what happened to Henry Avery after this incident. There are rumours that he may have gone on to the West Indies, where his ship was sold, or that it was destroyed in a storm. Regarding Henry's fate, there are several different theories. But one thing is certain: Henry Avery was never apprehended.

Answer: False

Because Mary Read and Anne Bonney both claimed to be pregnant, they were spared from the gallows. In April 1721, Mary Read died while incarcerated, most likely from a fever or childbirth. She was buried on April 28, 1721, according to the records of St. Catherine's Church in Jamaica. There is no description of the child's fate; it's possible that Mary never was pregnant or the child passed away during or after the birth.

Although Anne Bonney was given a hanging sentence, her execution was postponed multiple times. The woman would be granted mercy by the courts for the benefit of her child when the infant was born. Following this period, Anne vanished from the court documents. Her father allegedly had friends in high places and had intervened. Some of the suggestions are that Anne moved back to Charles Towne, the birthplace of South Carolina, where she assumed a new name and a new life.

Answer: His facial hair

The identity of Blackbeard's true name remains uncertain. Some claim that Edward Teach or Thatch is his true name, and it is possible that he was born in Bristol, England. It is known he was a privateer who sailed to the Caribbean during Queen Anne's War. Late in 1716, he is reported to have undertaken his first act of piracy. He converted a French merchantman he had captured the following year into a 40-gun pirate ship known as "Queen Anne's Revenge," and he soon became well-known for his exploits in the Caribbean Sea and off the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina.

It is reported that during his brief career, he overthrew over thirty ships, some of which carried slaves. A portion of the slaves were released, while others enlisted in Blackbeard's pirate crew. When Blackbeard engaged in combat with a British naval force under the command of Lt. Robert Maynard on November 22, 1718, his days as a pirate came to an end. Blackbeard was killed by the sword with over twenty stab wounds or deep cuts, plus five bullet wounds. After the battle, his body was tossed overboard, and his head was severed and hung on the front of the ship as a warning to other infamous pirates to desist from their dangerous way of life.

Standing at a height of more than six feet, Blackbeard was a large and powerful man. He would carry many guns, knives, and a sword in each hand when fighting. He would frequently tuck matches under his hat or weave them into his beard during battle to give the impression that his head was on fire.

Answer: Hiram Breakes

Hiram Breakes was born in 1743. At nineteen years old, he got a job on a ship with the help of his father. It was at this time that he fell in love with a married woman called Mrs. Snyde. Mr. Snyde got poisoned, and Mrs. Snyde and Hiram were charged with murder. Both were later acquitted of the murder due to a lack of evidence. Hiram then went on to steal a ship from his employers called "The Adventurer" and then use it as a pirate ship. Very soon after stealing the ship, he came across a ship called the Acapulco, which was carrying gold. Hiram successfully captured the ship and killed all the crew. Because the Acapulco was a far superior ship, he kept it for himself and converted it into a pirate ship.

Breakes, like a lot of pirates, had some peculiar religious beliefs. Six days a week, he would pillage and plunder, and on the Sabbath, he would hold a service on board the ship, pleading for pardon. The service was for the entire crew. Hiram eventually came to the conclusion that Sundays were on his mind and made the decision to return to Holland to marry Mrs. Snyde. When he got there, he discovered that she had been hanged for either killing her newborn or trying to poison the child. After learning of the news, Hiram Breakes took his own life. At the Schelde River, he pushed himself off the dyke and drowned in the mud.

Answer: True

Calico Jack had a pretty short career as a pirate, but it was very successful. He was a pirate captain in the West Indies of the Caribbean. How Jack got his name, "Captain Calico Jack Rackham," is uncertain; however, there are a couple of stories that may have the answer! According to one story, he was in second command on the ship called the Neptune, under the captain Hywell Vane. In the second account, he was second in command on the ship called the Treasure. Captain Vane backs down from confronting the French man-of-war, and Rackham starts a rebellion and, once the captain is removed, spearheads an effective assault on the French vessel. Jack, then, is now known as Captain Calico.

Jack was also known for having two female crew members, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. On November 17, 1720, Calico Jack was hung and then put on display in chains at what is now known as Rackham's Point in Jamaica.

Answer: A Welsh privateer

It may be possible that Henry Morgan was a pirate, privateer and a buccaneer. There are accounts that list him in all three categories. One thing is for certain: his exploits were in the Caribbean region.

His most well-known exploits involve attacking Spanish ships and pillaging settlements, such as Puerto Principe, which required complete reconstruction once Morgan and his men left. England subtly assisted him in his assaults against the Kingdom of Spain. According to folklore, he may have captured more than 400 ships throughout his time as a pirate. He is renowned for his 30-ship, 1200-man raid on Panama City, which resulted in the seizure of vast amounts of riches. After that, he was detained and brought to England. However, he received a pardon and relocated to Jamaica. He rose to the position of Governor of Jamaica before relocating to his sugar plantation, where he spent the remainder of his days.

Answer: Rhode Island Pirate

Thomas Tew was a 17th-century English privateer turned pirate, popularly known as the Rhode Island Pirate, who operated in the Pacific. In 1695, he lost his life after getting hit by a cannonball during a raid in Madagascar. His piracy began when the Governor of Bermuda sanctioned him to attack all the French ships and colonies he could find along the African Coast. He embarked on two major pirate voyages on his ship, Amity, and met a bloody death on the second. He pioneered the route that became known as the Pirate Round.

Five more pirate ships, the Dolphin, Portsmouth Adventure, Susannah, Fancy, and Pearl, joined Thomas Tew. They waited for the treasure-laden convoy of the Mughal Empire to pass, not realising that the majority of the fleet had gone by night. Tew's Amity and the Fateh Muhammad, an escort ship for Ganj-i-Sawai, engaged in fierce combat. This was the moment he was killed.

Answer: Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake, one of the most well-known pirates in the Caribbean, lived from 1540 to 1596. He was well-versed in sailing and navigation. With the support of the government, privateers were virtually the same as pirates but shared their booty with the government.

The Golden Hind was the name of Drake's ship. He was the first Englishman to round the globe and sail the Pacific. Drake was knighted on board his ship by Queen Elizabeth I, and he was then known as Sir Francis Drake. "The Queen's Secrets of the Realm" was the designation given to his travels.

When Drake and his crew went on expeditions, they were forced by the Queen to swear an oath of secrecy on any travel-related information. The amount looted by Drake and his crew was only known to Drake and the Queen.