Listen & Learn: The Golden Age of Piracy

Learn about the infamous pirates of the 18th century

• dispute: to fight for control or ownership of something
• colony: a place that another country takes control of
• merchant: someone who sells products
• income: the money that someone earns
• piracy: the act of robbing ships
• trope: a common theme in similar stories
• Jolly Roger: a flag with a skull and crossbones on it, commonly associated with pirates

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:38 — 2.3MB)

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

In the early 18th century, several European , including Spain, Portugal, France, and Britain, fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Many of these countries disputed each other’s over colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean. During the war, militaries often hired independent sailors, or “privateers,” to attack merchant from other countries. When the war ended, privateers lost their source of income. Piracy allowed them to use their skills to riches for themselves. During the Golden Age, a group of pirates even formed their own on the island of Nassau. Many tropes of pirate legends, such as the Jolly Roger flag, come from the Golden Age. Piracy became much less common in the 19th century, but pirates still operate around the world today.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The War of the Spanish Succession was fought mostly between countries in
   a. Europe
   b. Asia
   c. Africa
   
2. A “privateer” was someone who
   a. used military funds to hire pirates
   b. enlisted in the military to hunt down pirates
   c. attacked foreign merchant ships to help their country’s military
   
3. The island of Nassau was important during the Golden Age because
   a. there was often buried treasure there
   b. there was a military outpost there
   c. a group of pirates formed a government there

Discussion/essay questions

1. In 1883, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson published Treasure Island, a pirate adventure novel. Many common pirate tropes are inspired by his work. Why do you think people like to read about pirates? Can you think of some other popular pirate stories?

Transcript

In the early 18th century, several European countries, including Spain, Portugal, France, and Britain, fought in the War of the Spanish Succession. Many of these countries disputed each other’s control over colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean. During the war, militaries often hired independent sailors, or “privateers,” to attack merchant ships from other countries. When the war ended, privateers lost their source of income. Piracy allowed them to use their skills to steal riches for themselves. During the Golden Age, a group of pirates even formed their own government on the island of Nassau. Many tropes of pirate legends, such as the Jolly Roger flag, come from the Golden Age. Piracy became much less common in the 19th century, but pirates still operate around the world today.

Answers to comprehension questions

1a 2c 3c