Past Compared to Present

Differences:

There are many differences between the pirates of the past compared to now. An difference is that there aren’t as many pirates nowadays, their crews are tiny as well, they also don't spend as much time together on their ships, the reason for this is that they are more like fishermen who sometimes steal as a hobby or to pass time and happen to do so by sea. How this compares to the past, the pirates of the past stayed on their ships most of the time, until they found land and raided villages, kidnapped, and murdered, which the pirates of the present still do. Another thing that includes the ships is that modern pirates don't fly flags or a jolly rodger, aka a skull with crossbones.

This causes modern pirates to face few of the social challenges their 18th-century predecessors did. Old-school pirate crews formed pirate societies; which the modern pirate crews don’t. Democracy, “pirate codes,” and the other fascinating features that make 18th-century pirates so interesting are therefore absent among their contemporary counterparts. However, the basics of this description remain valid. Most modern pirates are nothing more than sea muggers. Although, the Somali pirates are starting to make headlines. Some Somali pirates appear to be forging a “new” modern type of pirate crew; one that more closely resembles the colorful criminals of the 18th-century Caribbean.

Similarities:

First, the modern pirate population has exploded and is now reasonably large. Recent estimates suggest 1,000 Somali pirates are currently active. Secondly, the pirates are increasing in numbers and a lot of these sea robbers are becoming full-timers and spend more time together at sea. This shows that modern pirates are growing to be more like their predecessors and take it more seriously, and becoming more dangerous because of it.

Thirdly, even though they are still small, the pirate crews are growing, they went from only a handful of men to several dozen or more. Interestingly, some Somali pirates have taken to describing themselves as “gentlemen who work in the ocean,” which brings it back to when the 18th-century pirates sometimes described themselves as “gentlemen of fortune.” Finally, the current pirates seem to be developing modern pirate codes. This is just like the 18th century pirates who created pirate codes, which were a code of conduct for governing pirates. A group of sailors, on turning pirate, would draw up their own code or articles, which provided rules for discipline, division of stolen goods, and compensation for injured pirates.