Pilot Lecture: The Pirate Wars of 1718

Course Overview

Discover the real buccaneers, bandits, and brigands behind the popular pirate myths and learn how their violence, piracy, and social disruption reshaped Atlantic society during the Golden Age of Piracy. This pilot lecture goes beyond Hollywood to profile infamous figures, lesser-known pirates, and the broader political and economic consequences of piracy in 1718.

Course Details

• Course No.: 90001

• Instructor: (not specified)

• Format: Pilot lecture (single recorded session)

• Duration: 34 minutes

• Focus: historical reality of piracy, biographies of key pirates, maritime commerce and lawlessness, social and geopolitical impact of the Golden Age of Piracy

Video Lectures (organized)

01: The Pirate Wars of 1718 — 34 min

Go beyond pop culture portrayals to meet the true actors of the era: Blackbeard (Edward Teach), pirate captain Stede Bonnet, and lesser‑known figures such as Richard Worley. The lecture traces their careers, tactics, and networks of violence; explains how piracy intersected with colonial trade, naval weakness, and wartime privateering; and evaluates the lasting effects of the 1718 pirate outbreaks on Atlantic commerce, imperial policing, and popular memory.