What Pop Culture Gets Wrong About Pirates 

Americans are fascinated by pirates and the mysterious life they lead. From the romanticized idea of living a nomadic life on the seas to the excitement of amassing vast amounts of treasure, pirates are an interesting lot to study. 

Sadly, the American public is fed a steady diet of misinformation about the life of pirates including how they lived, dressed, behaved and even their belief systems. Pop culture often depicts pirates in a very stereotypical manner as was found in blockbuster movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, Goonies, Hook and in novels such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. 

Let’s explore some common assumptions about pirates to determine whether they are based in reality or are typical tropes found in pop culture. 

Were Pirates Always Acting Illegally?

Pirates seem to be cast in the role of bandits of the sea, stealing from other ships, laying waste to coastal towns and generally breaking laws ranging from theft to murder. Sounds fairly illegal in a civilized world, right?

Strangely enough, during the early years of British colonial life in America, pirates were legally employed by the crown. According to Rogue History Online, the British High Court of the Admiralty would issue letters of marque that would put a rubber stamp on state-sponsored piracy. 

The goal of legalizing the acts of piracy was to keep British competitors (the Spanish and French) from gaining land or resources that the British wanted. By allowing pirates to plunder vessels on their way to the New World or that were rich with new treasure, the British all but eliminated the competition along the eastern seaboard of the colonies and in some areas of the Caribbean. 

With this in mind, the role of pirates was not always illegal. At some points, it was seen as a fairly lucrative government job! 

Were Pirates Always Old White Men? 

Practically every movie, play and book cast the captains and crew of pirate ships as older white men. This depiction could not be further from the truth. 

During the eighty or so years of the Golden Age of Piracy, most pirates were known to be fairly young. Most were in their twenties. Younger men such as these had an easier time with the often rough life aboard a ship and found it easier to break away from attachments (wives and children) at home during the long months at sea. 

Pirates were also considered a fairly diverse group with many being black and even some famous pirates being women. Anne Bonny and Mary Read were the most famous female pirates, but there were quite a few others. Many of them disguised themselves as men to protect themselves from their fellow crew members. 

Did All Pirates Dress & Act Alike? 

There probably wasn’t a dress code for pirates but most pop culture references would have us believing that pirates all had a peg leg, wore an eye patch, carried a treasure map, and spoke a special pirate language using terms such as aye matey, argh, and shiver me timbers!

Every pirate was a little different and they didn’t all have missing body parts. Although it is true that many pirates had wounds such as missing fingers, feet, legs, and eyes due to injuries sustained during battles against merchant ships. 

Pirates also did not speak in such terms as “matey” since many spoke multiple languages including the native language of their home country and quickly learned the language of countries they commonly visited. 

Was There Always Mutiny on Pirate Ships? 

Pirate mutiny is seen in many pop culture references and makes for a great fight scene. Unfortunately, most pirate ships worked on a code of honor and used democratic ideals to keep peace between crew members including voting and division of labor. 

So mutiny may have served directors and producers who wanted to include a big sword fight in their movie, but they didn’t happen nearly as often as the movies and books on the topic portrayed. 

Want to learn more about real pirates from the historical figures of the Golden Age of Piracy to today’s pirates? Visit Real Pirates Salem and learn more about the pirates that called the coast of New England home and get a close up look at some of their treasure. Contact us to buy tickets or plan your trip.