Female Pirates

Did you know that one of the most notorious female pirates in the world was Ching Shih? She was a Chinese business woman in the late 18th to mid 19th century. She had many other occupations including: a salt trader, gambling house and brothel owner, and even a prostitute. However, she was well known for being a female pirate. She was a fierce pirate and her legacy made people wonder what it would be like to meet her in person.

 During the Golden Age of Piracy, there were quite a few infamous female pirates that sailed the sees. Nevertheless, their appearances  were not what you would expect. In a mainly male pirate world where masculinity was the majority, a female pirate was expected to not survive. Even if a female pirate was spotted, she would most likely be targeted because it was popular believe that a woman would not endure in that type of lifestyle. So, most of them would disguise themselves as a man to avoid that type of conflict.

 To meet one of them knowing who they were must of been quite the surprise. The book by David Cordingly, "Under the Black Flag," give an example of an egregious female pirate. She took place in the 18th century on August 22, 1720 at the harbor of Nassau. On a vessel called the William the book says, "it was owned by a local man, Captain John Ham. She mounted on her rails. She was well equipped with ammunition and spare gear, and had a canoe lying alongside which was used as a tender"(Cordingly 56). This states how a female pirate was depicted during the Golden Age of Piracy. The veiled themselves as a man to ward off the trouble of being a woman on a pirate ship. Despite how they were viewed, many female pirates were just as brutal as any male pirate.

Sources: Cordingly, David (1995). Under the Black Flag.

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