← Explore on the interactive map

Golden Age of Caribbean Piracy

Type Event Region Caribbean Sea Time 1640–1650

In the 1640s, colonial powers such as England and France clashed with the Spanish Empire in the Caribbean;…

Timeline

  1. 1640–1645Tortuga Island · HaitiAfter English and French colonists occupied Tortuga, large numbers of fugitives, privateer sailors, and hunters gathered there, forming a pirate outpost beyond direct Spanish jurisdiction that served as a base for later large-scale raiding.
  2. 1645–1650Caribbean sea lanes · Caribbean SeaBuccaneer groups organized armed sailing fleets, frequently attacking Spanish treasure fleets and coastal settlements in Cuba and Hispaniola; systems for dividing plunder and a "buccaneer code" took shape during this period.

Sources