Christopher Columbus made contact between Europe and the New World at the end of the 15th century. These lands were claimed by the Spanish, for whom he was working. The discovery of a rich source of silver, gold, and gems, in these lands, began a trade for large Spanish ships loaded with precious cargoes. Pirates found impossible to resist. The pirate attacks were so many that the galleons were forced to sail in fleets with armed vessels for protection. Spanish settlers set up new towns on Caribbean islands and the American mainland. These too came under pirate attack.

A pirate captain had to be voted in. There were strict rules for them to follow as well. He was not treated better than the rest of the crew. He treated the crew with respect. This was not the case with merchants captains. They often treated their crew terribly. The respect on pirate ships appealed to sailors. Crewmembers on pirate ships often had as much power as the captain outside of battle. When in battle, the captain had full authority, only to be removed when showing cowardice when engaging the enemy.

Piracy arose out of conflicts over trade and colonization among the European powers of that time. Most pirates were English, Welsh, Irish, Dutch or French of origin. Pirates who operated in the Mediterranean Sea between the 15th and 17th century were called corsairs. Buccaneers, pirates of the Caribbean, lived on the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola and its tiny neighbor, Tortuga in the 17th century. They first lived, around 1625, as hunters of pigs and cattle, but later the governors of Caribbean islands paid the buccaneers to attack Spanish treasure ships. The buccaneers gradually became out of control, attacking any ship, enemy or not. They became true pirates. A third group were called privateers. These were privately owned ships armed with guns, operating in times of war. They were issued in the 1650s with “letters of marque” that allowed them to capture merchant vessels without being charged with piracy. Queen Elizabeth I of England made privateers of het best sailors. This meant they could attack ships of other countries, especially Spain, though no war was in progress.

The buccaneer appeared in the middle of the 17th century. They were English, French of Dutch sea adventurers who haunted the Caribbean and Pacific seaboard of South America. Many islands and harbors made perfect hiding places. They attacked Spanish ships and settlements on land, oftentimes under the direction of Caribbean governors. Their countries were at war with Spain and robbing those ships filled with European goods of with returning colonial products, like gold and silver, were profitable. Many buccaneers became legitimate privateers in service of their respective countries. When the enmity between England and France was restored, the profitable collaboration also ended. Caribbean governors started to discard traditional policy of “no peace beyond the Line.” “Letters of marque” would be granted. Merchants and governors eager for coin were willing to overlook pirate voyages.

At the turn of the 18th century as wars ended and governments no longer needed privateers, piracy expanded. Piracy flourished between the 1650s and 1730s along the coast of New England to the Caribbean Sea. Governors often did accept bribes from the pirates as they did not have the workforce or money to contain piracy. This period is called the Golden Age of Piracy. In addition, European sailors who had been pushed by unemployment to work onboard merchantmen, were often happy to turn to pirating. Pirate captains found a steady pool of recruits. Nassau was the home for these pirates until the arrival of Governor Woodes Rogers in 1718. This marked the end of the Republic of Pirates. Many pirates were pardoned.

The triangular trade between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean began to soar in the 18th century. It became a rich target for piracy. Trade ships sailed from Europe to Africa with goods and weapons for slaves. Afterwards, the slaves were sailed to the Caribbean to sell and return to Europe with goods such as cocoa, sugar and tobacco.