Portrait of "Blackbeard," a pirate whose crew plundered the coasts of the West Indies, North Carolina, and Virginia from 1716–1718

So what is America's fascination with pirates? It certainly didn't start with Johnny Depp! In fact, pirates have been in the public eye for ages. One-legged pirate Long John Silver was introduced to readers in Robert Louis Stevenson's classic 1883 novel Treasure Island. And don't forget about Captain Hook from J. M. Barrie's 1902 play Peter Pan. Was it a coincidence that he too, was missing a limb? Probably. As far as we know, most real-life pirates had all ten fingers and toes.

Real-life pirates?!

But of course! These characters aren't just fiction and fairy tales. They are rooted in fact and history. One of the most dreaded pirates was a man by the name of Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. He and his crew of ruthless pirates were responsible for attacks on the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean between 1716 and 1718. They attacked ships and stole jewelry, food, weapons, and liquor from sailors and passengers.

But the brutal act of piracy was not limited to men. Before Blackbeard stole an ounce of treasure, Anne Bonny sailed into pirate history. Some pirates may have considered it bad luck to have a woman aboard their ships. So, as one legend goes, Bonny dressed as a man in order to get aboard "Calico Jack" Rackham's ship. She was just as cruel as any other man on the ship, and fought well with a sword or gun. It is rumored that when a fellow pirate discovered that she was female, Bonny gutted the man with her sword.

Believe it or not, pirates still exist today. As recent as July 2006, there were reports of pirates attacking ships in the seas near Asia. Modern-day pirates tend to travel with small crews, using small boats that first appear to be fishing vessels. They often target ships from poor countries, knowing that they are less likely to be caught.

Pirates are more than just scary story characters. They're real. They're out there.

Walk the plank, matey! Arrrr!

Links

• Get more information on real-life pirates.
  
  
• Read The Giant Rat of Sumatra, a brand-new pirate novel by Sid Fleischman. It sails into book stores on August 1.

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