History of Europe

A typical Caribbean pirate! Henry Morgan, commander of the privateer, who was struck by the knight

There are pirates called "Buccaneer".

Known as Caribbean pirates in Japan, they are pirates who actively attacked Spanish ships with British approval from the latter half of the 16th century to the 17th century, and are sometimes called "privatees".

Perhaps the most famous Buccaneer is Henry Morgan, who devastated the Caribbean Sea in the 17th century.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Born in Wales, England in 1635, Morgan went to Jamaica to become a pirate after traveling to Barbados in the Caribbean for five years of plantation work.

His career after this is a mystery for a while, but it is known that he now raided the city of Granada in Nicaragua, bought a farm with his wealth and married the daughter of the Governor-General of Jamaica at the age of 30.

The image of pirates is that they are outlaws, but in Britain, they have been actively supporting pirates since Queen Elizabeth, attacking the ships of rival Spain and declining their national power. It can be said that Britain later became the strongest nation, the British Empire, because of the success of pirates, and in Britain, some pirates are still revered as heroes.

By marrying the Governor's daughter, Morgan became the commander of a privateer fleet, leading a large fleet of 500 people and actively devastating Spanish ships and Spanish territory.

When Morgan anchored off Portobelo in what is now Panama, he entered the city with a canoe ship in the middle of the night, and when he caught Spanish soldiers, he heard about the town, and after understanding its structure, he fought, and finally the Spanish soldiers Surrender, the town fell.

When Morgan attacked the monastery at this time, he captured the priest and sister and marched with them as shields.

The conflict between Britain and Spain was not only a conflict between nations, but also a conflict between Protestants and Catholics, which was often seen in such places.

Morgan takes the residents hostage and demands a ransom from the Governor of Panama. He gave him a ransom along with the gold and silver treasures he had stored in the town.

After that, Morgan continued to plunder Spain and increased his fame in the Caribbean Sea.

Panama expedition

The Panama expedition made Morgan's name the most.

Nowadays, the Panama Canal is built and is known as a key point connecting the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The defense was strong, and I wouldn't have thought about attacking Panama normally.

However, Morgan heard rumors of a Spanish attack on Jamaica, and he headed to Panama in the spirit of doing it before he was killed.

He leads a large fleet of 36 ships and more than 1500 seafarers.

Morgan did not suddenly invade Panama at that time, but occupied Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Nicaragua, built a supply base, and then captured Fort San Lorenzo located in the Isthmus of Panama. He canoeed up the Chagres River and attacked Panama from land.

The Spanish army was also struck by this, and succeeded in defeating the city of Panama in a battle of more than five hours.

Morgan tries to plunder in this wealthy town in South America, but the city's inhabitants set fire on their own, and the entire town was engulfed in fire.

The moment Morgan invaded, the wealthy people in the city fled with their fortune, and the city was engulfed in fire, so they couldn't get enough loot.

Detecting the danger, Morgan sneaks out of Panama, leaving his sailors behind and rushing to Port Royal, his hometown of Jamaica. The remaining sailors had no food, and some died of starvation in the land of Panama.

Although Morgan returned to Port Royal from his life, Britain had actually signed a Madrid Treaty with Spain before and after Morgan's expedition to Panama, and it was decided that Britain would not invade Spain.

This happened frequently in the Caribbean Sea at the time, when communication equipment was not in place, and as a result Morgan was repatriated to England.

Hero Morgan

It was hospitality that awaited Morgan when he returned to England.

Even though the treaty was signed, the damage to the enemy country Spain was great, people praised Morgan, and the king gave Morgan the rank of Knight and also the status of Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica.

And the royal family orders Morgan to crack down on pirates.

Britain, which has signed a treaty with Spain, has discontinued support for pirates and will give land to those who have closed their piracy business within three months from this time, but will give death to those who do not obey.

Morgan, who was the representative of Buccaneer, turned to crack down on Buccaneers, and in 1683, Morgan died quietly on his own farm.

It is said that when he died, Jamaica was filled with sadness and a grand funeral was held to raise the island.

Personal Henry Morgan Rating

He is one of the representatives of the Pirates of the Caribbean.

The activities of privateers can be said to be an opportunity for Britain to take control of the world instead of Spain, and Morgan and Buccaneer have played a major role in world history in that respect.

The plunder from Spain will be in the pockets of the British royal family, which will moisten Britain economically and lead to its development.

It is no exaggeration to say that the prosperity of the British Empire was brought about by the wealth built by the pirates.