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Pirate Cove

Owner:	zanygal
Moderators:	bizzydee PrettylilRose __KAT__
Created on:	4/8/2008
Number of members:	131

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Pirates of the Caribbean

The most infamous of all treasure hunters were the Pirates of the Caribbean. They were most prominent from the 16th through the 18th centuries. The pirates were drawn here for one main reason; it was the center of world trade during that period. Columbus's discovery of the New World opened up all kinds of lucrative trade for Spain and Portugal; a fact not lost on pirates desperate to collect on the wealth. The Spanish had a large silver mining operation in Mexico where most of the silver was transported directly back to Spain. The cargo ships were left virtually unprotected, and their shipping lanes were well known by pirates. The most lucrative trade in the region was in sugar cane and rum. Sugar was a highly valued commodity in Europe where sugar did not grow naturally. It is believed that as much as 90 percent of sugar consumed in Europe came from the Caribbean. Many cane plantations cropped up over much of the Caribbean where the Spanish brought in slaves from Africa to work the fields. It was brutal and dangerous work. Many slaves died because of the harsh conditions and some had even tried to revolt. The modern day island of Haiti was the only island that successfully threw off the yoke of the Spanish. Soon it was discovered that the sugar cane could be used to make alcohol. Prior to that alcohol was only produced by fruits or hops. Sugar made the price of alcohol much cheaper and more available to the public. The pirates were well aware of this fact too, and targeted ships from both the plantations and the mines. Many famous pirates came from this era, including Captain Kidd, and Blackbeard. It has been said that many people thought Blackbeard was the devil himself. When engaged in battle, Blackbeard carried around his pistols and his sword at the ready. He was a large man, and he wrapped hemp and burning fuses in his beard in order to light his cannons quickly. The smoke and tangled mass of hair must have been a terrifying sight. Blackbeard's ship sported the infamous "Jolly Roger" (a black flag with a white skull and crossbones insignia). While many books and films have been made about these pirates like Pirates of the Caribbean, Cutthroat Island, Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and The Goonies, they are obviously not the only pirates to have roamed the seas. They are only the most famous! Arrggghhh!