Introduction
The golden age of piracy, spanning from the 1650s to the 1730s, was a time when the world‘s oceans were ruled by the ruthless and cunning buccaneers who struck fear into the hearts of merchant crews and navy sailors alike. These seafaring outlaws were armed to the teeth with an array of weapons, each carefully chosen for its effectiveness in the unique challenges of maritime combat and plunder.
During this era, the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans became a battleground where pirates waged a guerrilla war against the naval powers of Europe and the lucrative shipping lanes they sought to protect. According to historian Marcus Rediker, there were an estimated 2,400 to 4,000 pirates active during this time, with a total economic impact equivalent to billions of dollars in today‘s currency.
To maintain their reign of terror, pirates needed weapons that were versatile, durable, and could strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. Their arsenal included a mix of standard naval armaments as well as specialized tools perfected for the grim business of piracy.
"In an honest service, there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour; in [piracy], plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking." – Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Pyrates (1724)
In this article, we will explore the most iconic and fearsome weapons wielded by pirates during the golden age, examining their origins, construction, and the grisly effectiveness that made them an indispensable part of the pirate‘s arsenal.
Close Quarters Combat
When it came time to board an enemy ship and engage in bloody hand-to-hand combat, pirates relied on an array of blades and bludgeons that were optimized for the close confines of a ship‘s deck.
Cutlass
The cutlass, a short, broad sabre with a single-edged blade, was the signature weapon of the golden age pirate. Its compact size, typically between 70 and 80 centimeters in length, made it ideal for fighting in the cramped spaces of a ship, where longer swords would be unwieldy.
Evolving from the medieval falchion and the Renaissance short sword, the cutlass was robustly constructed to endure the rigors of naval warfare. According to maritime historian Jan Rogozinski, a good quality cutlass blade was often made from Toledo steel, prized for its strength and flexibility.
The cutlass‘s blade was heavy enough to deliver crushing blows against enemy combatants, while still being balanced for quick, agile slashes and thrusts. A large, curved handguard protected the wielder‘s hand from enemy blades and allowed the cutlass to be used to parry incoming strikes.
In the hands of a skilled pirate, the cutlass was a fearsome weapon. The infamous Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, who captured over 400 vessels in his career, was said to be a master swordsman who could cut down multiple opponents in a matter of seconds with his trusty cutlass.
Boarding Axe
When pirates needed a more forceful entry onto an enemy ship, they reached for the boarding axe. This versatile tool featured a stout wooden handle and a heavy, single-edged blade on one side with a spike on the reverse.
The spike could be driven into the wooden hull of a ship, allowing pirates to scale the sides and clamber onto the deck. Once on board, the axe‘s blade could be used to hack through doors, chop down barricades, and deliver crushing blows to defenders.
Boarding axes were often handcrafted by ships‘ carpenters, who would carefully balance the weight of the head against the length of the handle to create a weapon that could be wielded with speed and power in the chaos of close combat.
During Blackbeard‘s infamous last stand off the coast of North Carolina in 1718, his crew reportedly used boarding axes to chop through the deck of the British Navy sloop that was pursuing them, in a desperate attempt to sink the vessel and escape capture.
Belaying Pin
In the heat of battle, pirates would often reach for whatever makeshift weapons were at hand, including belaying pins. These sturdy wooden handles, normally used to secure rigging ropes, could be wielded as clubs to bludgeon enemy sailors senseless.
Made from hardwoods like oak or hickory, a belaying pin could be over a foot long and several inches thick, with a solid weight that could fracture skulls and break bones when swung with force.
Belaying pins were readily available on any sailing ship, making them a convenient and effective choice for a pirate who found himself without a blade in the midst of a boarding action. In a pinch, they could even be hurled like primitive throwing axes to strike down a distant foe.
Gunpowder and Shot
The advent of reliable firearms in the 16th and 17th centuries revolutionized naval warfare and piracy alike. The addition of gunpowder weapons to the pirate‘s arsenal allowed them to overwhelm the crews of merchant ships with a hail of lead and thunder.
Flintlock Pistol
The flintlock pistol was the sidearm of choice for the discerning pirate captain. Compact and deadly, these single-shot weapons could be carried in a brace and wielded in one hand, leaving the other free to brandish a cutlass or boarding axe.
Flintlock pistols used a spring-loaded mechanism to strike a piece of flint against a steel frizzen, creating a spark that ignited the priming powder in the pan and fired the main charge. This system was a marked improvement over earlier matchlock pistols, which required a slow-burning cord to ignite the powder and were useless in wet conditions.
A skilled pirate could reload a flintlock pistol in under 30 seconds, allowing for a nearly continuous barrage of fire in the heat of battle. The notorious Edward "Blackbeard" Teach was said to carry as many as six pistols on his person, ready to be drawn and fired in quick succession.
According to a 1724 deposition by one of Blackbeard‘s crew members, the pirate captain used his pistols to great effect in his final battle against the Royal Navy:
"Teach fired his Guns and threw about his Granades, the same as the rest of the men; till at the last… he took a Glass of Liquor and drank to the Commander of the Sloop… and swore Damnation seize his Soul if he either took or gave Quarters."
Blunderbuss
For close-range devastation, nothing beat the blunderbuss. This short-barreled, muzzle-loading firearm had a flared muzzle that could be packed with a deadly load of lead balls, nails, or even broken glass.
When fired, the blunderbuss unleashed a cone-shaped pattern of shot that could take down multiple targets at once. The spread of the shot compensated for the gun‘s lack of accuracy, making it the perfect weapon for repelling boarders or clearing the decks of an enemy ship.
Blunderbusses were often carried by pirate captains and quartermasters as a symbol of their authority and a last line of defense against mutiny or betrayal. In 1724, the crew of the pirate captain Charles Vane used a blunderbuss to assassinate their tyrannical leader, who had refused to attack a French warship and risk his precious cargo of loot.
Musket
For engaging enemy ships at a distance, pirates relied on the musket, a long-barreled firearm that could accurately fire a heavy lead ball over a hundred yards.
Like the blunderbuss, muskets were muzzle-loaded weapons that used a flintlock mechanism to ignite the powder charge. However, the musket‘s longer barrel and tighter bore gave it superior range and accuracy, making it an effective tool for sniping enemy helmsmen, officers, or gunners.
Pirate ships often carried a contingent of musket-armed crew members who could rain down a barrage of fire on an enemy vessel as it approached. In some cases, muskets were even fitted with bayonets, allowing them to double as spears in close combat.
During the golden age of piracy, the standard musket was the "Brown Bess," a .75 caliber flintlock that was used by the British Army and Navy. Many pirates would have been familiar with this weapon from their time as sailors or soldiers before turning to a life of crime.
Ship-Killers: Pirate Artillery
While small arms were essential for boarding actions and deck-to-deck fighting, the real power of a pirate ship lay in its cannons. These massive guns were used to cripple enemy vessels, shatter their hulls, and send splinters flying like deadly shrapnel through the ranks of opposing crews.
Cannons
The main battery of a typical pirate ship consisted of between 10 and 40 cannons, depending on the size of the vessel. These guns ranged in size from 3-pounders to 18-pounders, with the larger weapons reserved for piercing the hulls of enemy ships at long range.
Cannons were muzzle-loaded weapons that used gunpowder to propel a variety of projectiles, including solid iron balls, chain shot, and grapeshot. A well-drilled gun crew could fire up to three rounds per minute, delivering a devastating barrage that could cripple a ship in a matter of moments.
Pirate ships often mounted their cannons on the main deck, where they could be easily maneuvered and reloaded in the heat of battle. Some larger vessels also had gun decks below the waterline, where heavier cannons could be mounted for maximum stability and power.
One of the most successful pirate captains of the golden age was Bartholomew Roberts, who commanded a fleet of four ships and over 500 men at the height of his career. Roberts‘ flagship, the Royal Fortune, was a 40-gun behemoth that could outgun many naval frigates of the time.
In 1720, Roberts used his cannon to devastating effect against the British warship HMS Swallow off the coast of Africa. According to contemporary accounts, the Royal Fortune "gave the Swallow several Broadsides, shot away her Main top Mast, and damaged her Rigging very much" before the pirates were finally overwhelmed and captured.
Grapeshot and Chain Shot
In addition to solid iron balls, pirate ships often carried specialized ammunition for their cannons. Grapeshot consisted of a canvas bag filled with dozens of small lead or iron balls that would scatter like a shotgun blast when fired, mowing down enemy crew members on deck.
Chain shot, on the other hand, was designed to destroy an enemy ship‘s rigging and sails. This projectile consisted of two iron balls connected by a length of chain or bar. When fired, the chain shot would spin and tumble through the air, snapping ropes, shattering masts, and tearing through sails like a giant pair of scissors.
The use of chain shot was a favorite tactic of the pirate Edward Low, who terrorized the Atlantic and Caribbean in the early 1720s. Low was known for his sadistic cruelty, often torturing and mutilating his captives before killing them. In one infamous incident, Low used chain shot to dismast a Portuguese ship, then had its crew tied to the broken masts and set adrift to die of thirst and exposure.
Stinkpots and Firebombs: Chemical Weapons of the Golden Age
In addition to conventional arms, some pirates also employed a variety of chemical weapons to sow confusion and terror among their victims. These devices, known as "stinkpots" or "suffocators," were primitive incendiary and gas weapons that could be hurled onto the decks of enemy ships.
Stinkpots
Stinkpots were earthenware jars or glass bottles filled with a noxious mixture of sulfur, pitch, and other foul-smelling ingredients. When ignited, the mixture would create a thick, choking smoke that could disorient and incapacitate enemy crew members.
The use of stinkpots was described by Captain Charles Johnson in his 1724 book "A General History of the Pyrates":
"They had also on board a great many Stinkpots, which they intended to have thrown in at the Ports of the Man of War, in case they had boarded her, in order to suffocate the Men between Decks; and it seems they were not unacquainted with poisoning of Bullets, and making artificial Fires, in order to burn Ships…"
Firebombs
Another type of chemical weapon used by pirates was the firebomb, a primitive incendiary device that could set enemy ships ablaze. These bombs consisted of a hollow cannonball or earthenware shell filled with a flammable mixture of pitch, sulfur, and gunpowder.
When ignited and hurled onto the deck of an enemy ship, a firebomb could start a raging inferno that was difficult to extinguish. The heat and smoke could force enemy crew members to abandon their posts, making the ship easier to board and capture.
The use of firebombs was a favored tactic of the Chinese pirate Zheng Yi Sao, who commanded a fleet of over 1,800 ships in the early 19th century. Zheng Yi Sao‘s "red flag" fleet was known for its use of fire and chemical weapons, which helped them to overwhelm and terrorize their victims.
Conclusion
The weapons of the golden age of piracy were as varied and fearsome as the pirates who wielded them. From the slash of a cutlass to the thundering roar of a cannon, these tools of the trade were essential to the success and survival of the buccaneers who ruled the waves.
While popular culture often romanticizes the image of the swashbuckling pirate, armed with a sword and a flintlock pistol, the reality was often far more brutal and bloody. Pirates were ruthless killers who used whatever means necessary to subdue their victims and seize their plunder.
Yet despite their grim purpose, the weapons of the golden age of piracy continue to capture the imagination of people around the world. The image of a pirate boarding a ship, cutlass in hand and pistols blazing, has become an enduring archetype of adventure and rebellion.
Today, these weapons can be found in museums and private collections around the world, offering a tangible link to the violent and fascinating history of the golden age of piracy. They serve as a reminder of the incredible ingenuity and craftsmanship of the artisans who created them, as well as the bravery and brutality of the pirates who used them to forge their bloody legends.
References:
- Konstam, Angus. "The History of Pirates". The Lyons Press, 2002.
- Cordingly, David. "Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates". Random House, 1996.
- Rediker, Marcus. "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age". Beacon Press, 2004.
- Woodard, Colin. "The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down". Mariner Books, 2008.
- Rogozinski, Jan. "Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, and Privateers in Fact, Fiction, and Legend". Da Capo Press, 1996.
