Pirates: Overview.

Pirates and piracy have been around as long as commerce and trade have occurred on the high seas. When speaking of pirates, people often think of what could be identified as the “golden age” of piracy in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when now-familiar names like Captain Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, and Black Beard ruled the seas. The truth of the matter is that ever since mankind had taken to using ships to transport goods and merchandise for profit, individuals have sought to make a profit from raiding those ships and stealing their cargo, while either holding the crew and passengers for ransom or selling them into slavery. Piracy is simply the theft of property on the oceans and seas.