Dispelling Pirate Myths – What Pirates Were Really Like

At Real Pirates Salem, we understand the importance of learning from our collective history. The writings, artifacts and oral history of our ancestors can teach us so much about who we are and where we came from. Treasure recovered from pirate ships and shipwrecks can be snapshots of time gone by, thus teaching us so much about this mysterious life. 

The treasure found on the ocean’s floor off the coast of Cape Cod at the wreck of the Whydah has taught us so much about pirates living so long ago, as well as their motivations, sacrifices and way of life. 

Let’s explore what we can learn from these explorations and what it may teach us about past periods, cultural norms and fallacies we have believed about pirates and those living on the water. 

Too Many Falsehoods 

Though popular culture has invested heavily in the image of pirates being boorish rule breakers who have no humanity, some historical evidence points to the opposite being true. Not all pirates were anarchists, Robinhood-type characters who thrived on murderous behavior. Many were diplomatic, culturally accepting of a diverse population and incredibly organized. 

Discoveries from shipwrecks, like the artifacts found at the site of the Whydah wreck can teach us that many pirate crews operated under a democracy, accepted people from many lands and cultures and were organized and steadfast in their mission planning. 

Pirates Practiced Democracy 

While current movies, books and theater productions would have us all believing that pirate captains made their crew walk the plank or hoarded their riches to themselves, the truth is less romanticized. 

Pirate ships often practiced democracy in many different forms. For instance, most captains did not have a well-appointed cabin with a fair maiden who would bend to his every whim. Instead, pirate captains had a working cabin to navigate and meet with crew members but many slept and ate with the crew making them more of an equal than a harsh leader. 

Additionally, crew members were rewarded when the treasure was found with a fair division of the booty. The same equal division happened with chores and tasks needed to keep the ship going including nightwatch and clean up of the deck. In general, democracy was afforded to those who were often marginalized in what was traditionally thought to be democratically run countries. 

Diversity Was Valued 

Most present-day historians realize that the images of a white, male, European-centric pirate are false. According to Medium online, “During the Golden Age of Piracy, between 1680 and 1725, approximately 1/3 of pirates were black.”

In fact, many pirate crews were incredibly diverse, with 80–100-person crews having more than a dozen ethnicities in their ranks on average. In many cases, black men would escape slavery or oppressive societies and join pirate crews as a way of surviving. Women were also accepted onto some pirate ships, albeit dressed as men to escape slavery as well. For these minority groups, piracy was not only a way to earn money, but to escape unlivable conditions in their homeland. 

Pirates Were Planners 

According to movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, it may seem like pirates would go where the wind would take their vessels. Rather, it was often the case that they would plan their routes down to the last detail in order to make the most amount of money from the sale of their stolen items. Whether it was selling sailing tools or lumber, each item was worth money at certain stops along their route. Therefore, planning became essential to a pirate’s life on a ship. When pirates decided on a target, they mapped out every move and knew exactly what they’d be doing – making them master planners.

Not what you thought about pirate’s lives were like? Lots of people are fooled by the books and movies portrayed in popular culture. Return to our blog regularly to find out what Real Pirates were all about. Or come into Real Pirates Salem to see artifacts and learn from our team.