The most famous period of piracy, and the one from which our modern conception of pirates comes from, is the Golden Age of Piracy. This was a time between the 1650s and the 1720s (though historians argue the exact dates) when piracy was terrifying and prominent.
If you’d like to learn more about pirates and the Golden Age of Piracy, there are plenty of online resources you can study. We’ve rounded up some of the best.
1. World History Encylopedia
World History Encylopedia is a non-profit organization that aims to improve history education worldwide. The website has a wealth of amazing resources on all sorts of topics, including the Golden Age of Piracy. Begin with its overview page, which details aspects like the captains, their ships, attack methods, and booty.
From there, explore the related articles to delve deeper into each aspect of piracy. You’ll find dedicated pages that detail all about the crew, the clothes they wore, and the weapons they wielded. Handily, you can listen to every article, which is great for accessibility—you can sit back, relax, and hear the swashbuckling tales.
2. Royal Museums Greenwich
Royal Museums Greenwich is an organization that holds multiple museums in the UK, including the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark, a historical sailing ship. While you should certainly visit if you get the chance, you don’t need to go to London to learn about the Golden Age of Piracy.
That’s because the Royal Museums Greenwich hosts ample online resources on the subject, delving into topics like how pirates were brought to justice, the differences between pirate fiction and reality, and what life was like aboard pirate ships. Podcasts accompany many of the pages, which are especially great for youngsters.
3. Golden Age of Piracy
If there’s one website you can count on to be full of pirate goodness, it’s the suitably named Golden Age of Piracy. This site is dedicated entirely to the swashbucklers, with reams of interesting prose accompanied by colorful historical images.
From the top of the site, you can delve into areas like privateers, buccaneers, pirates, locations, and ships, but you’ll soon discover that these links are just gateways to a cornucopia of sub-topics. You could easily spend hours browsing the site, soaking up the fascinating history and learning more about what went down in places like Nassau and Port Royal.
4. The Way of the Pirates
Did you know that the stereotypical pirate voice is a Hollywood invention? That some pirates were wealthy folk who craved an adventurous lifestyle? Or that Bartholomew Roberts captured over 470 vessels during his years at sea?
All of these pirate facts and more are waiting for you on The Way of the Pirates, a website that aims to tell you everything you want to know about famous pirates and piracy. Find out about sea shanties, keelhauling, the pirate code, letters of marque, and much more.
5. DK Find Out
If you have children who are interested in learning more about the Golden Age of Piracy and pirates in general, then DK Find Out is an excellent educational resource for kids. The front page is a map of the world, which children can interact with to enter specific sections of the site.
Each area contains easily digestible information and huge colorful images, perfect to engage little ones. Many of these images contain clickable labels, offering more information or links to further resources. There are also entertaining videos that explore how to talk like a pirate and how pirates used to live.
6. Pirates and Privateers
Don’t be put off by the retro appearance of Pirates and Privateers, a website by writer and researcher Cindy Vallar. This site has existed for decades, which means it’s overflowing with articles all about piracy.
Here, you can learn about what it took to be a pirate, who the most notorious pirates were, the concept of privateers, the ships and maritime history, and so much more.
7. It’s History
There are plenty of great YouTube videos that cover the Golden Age of Piracy. One of the best is this from It’s History. In seven and a half minutes, personable presenter Brett guides you through the history of pirates and their looting escapades. After all, learning is more fun through videos.
If you enjoy the video, check out It’s History’s pirate playlist, which contains further videos such as pirate battle tactics, the most famous female pirates, the last stand of Blackbeard, and more. Each video is the perfect length if you want a quick break from school or work!
8. The Lost Pirate Kingdom
There are plenty of reasons to have a Netflix subscription, one such being that you can watch the limited series The Lost Pirate Kingdom. Spread over six episodes, it’s a show that blends historian interviews with dramatic interpretation. Though it occasionally treads into cheesy ground, it’s a wonderful and engaging way to learn about the Golden Age of Piracy.
The episodes tell the tales of famous pirates and their hunters like Woodes Rogers, Henry Jennings, and Benjamin Hornigold. You really get an understanding for why people turned to piracy and for the conditions in which they lived, and for the sheer terror that they brought to the seas.
Bring the History of Pirates to Life
The history of pirates is incredibly fascinating, which is why we have so many books, movies, games, and other media based around their reality and legend. By using these online resources, you can brush up your knowledge on the Golden Age of Piracy.
Once you’re done, your learning doesn’t have to stop there. Look beyond the bubble of your usual websites and you’ll soon discover that the internet is brimming with excellent history sites, just waiting for you to discover and make the past come alive.
