Caribbean piracy
Tropical sea robbery
Caribbean piracy refers to the era of seafaring robbery that flourished in the Caribbean Sea from roughly the 1650s to the 1730s, when pirates preyed on Spanish treasure ships and colonial ports.
The term evokes a romanticized image of swashbucklers, buried treasure, and the Jolly Roger flag—largely shaped by later fiction.
The museum exhibit on Caribbean piracy featured replica weapons and navigation tools.
The phrase also describes the broader phenomenon of maritime theft in the region across different periods.
- Jolly RogerBuccaneer's standard
- skull and crossbonesSkeletal danger symbol
- Spanish MainColonial Caribbean coast and sea
- Spanish goldIberian precious metal
- Port RoyalDrowned Caribbean pirate capital
cutlass · walking the plank · galleons · ship of the line · letter of marque · coastal raids · Treaty of Utrecht · rum ration · Blackbeard · treasure · Davy Jones · frigates · marooning · buccaneers · pieces of eight · gold · sea shanties · sloops