Calico Jack” Rackham hanged for Piracy

?‍☠️ “Calico Jack” Rackham hanged for PiracyCalico Jack” Rackham hanged for Piracy ?‍☠️

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?‍☠️ Calico Jack was one of the most unique pirates that ever sailed on the Caribbean during the height of the Golden Age of Piracy.

He was not a great fighter, and he never managed to grab incredible wealth, but he is remembered more than any other pirate.

His cunning mind and tendency to use backstabbing and politics to further his goals, managed to make him one of the best remembered pirate legends of all time.

?‍☠️ Another important impact that Calico Jack had on the modern image of pirates is his Jolly Roger flag.

While the majority of pirate crews used designs that had a depiction of full human skeletons using some weapon, Calico Jack promoted an iconic pirate flag design that today represents a synonym for a naval piracy – black flag with white human skull and two white crossed swords beneath it.

?‍☠️ The early history of John Rackham’s life is sadly not recorded in modern history.
What is known is that he was born in England on 26th December 1682, and that he moved to the New World around the start of 18th century.

The first historical recording of his presence in the New World comes from the crew manifest of the pirate ship “The Ranger” under the command of Captain Charles Vane, where Rackham served as a quartermaster.

?‍☠️ After being promoted to a position of a captain, Calico Jack continued with the pirate runs that were mostly oriented toward smaller merchant and passenger transport vessels.

During his stay in Nassau, Calico Jack became restless and found trouble by having an affair with Anne Bonny, wife of sailor James Bonny.

After the discovery of the affair, furious James Bonny pleaded to the governor to punish his wife with flogging, but Calico Jack intervened, offering money to him if James would divorce Anne legally.

?‍☠️ With no peaceful solution found, Calico Jack and Anne Bonny decided to steal a ship from the harbour, and took to the seas once again to the life of piracy.

Anne Bonny became part of the pirate crew, along with another female pirate, Mary Read.

Back to the sea again, Captain Calico Jack and his crew started their usual runs against merchants across the Caribbean.

?‍☠️ In addition to targeting only merchants, Calico Jack also attacked few smaller pirate vessels, not with a goal of thinning out the competition, but to offer them ability to join his crew.

With an ever expanding force of pirates under his command, Calico Jack caused chaos in the Caribbean.

By late 1720, Bahamas’ Governor Woodes Rogers issued the official proclamation that marked Calico Jack and his entire crew as pirates.

Pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet immediately sprang into action, sailing toward Jamaica to capture the wily pirate, and his crew.

?‍☠️ Captain Jonathan Barnet located Calico Jack’s anchored ship off the coast of Bry Harbour Bay in Jamaica.
He managed to surprise the pirates, who were at that time partying and drinking after a successful round of plundering.

Reports say that in the melee fight that ensued, the pirate crew was led by none other by Mary Read and Anne Bonny.

?‍☠️ However, this struggle was short-lived, eventually leading to the capture of the entire crew.

Captain Jonathan Barnet transported them all to the Spanish Town, Jamaica, where all of them were tried for piracy and sentenced to the death by hanging.

Captain John “Calico Jack” Rackham was exEcuted on 18th November 1720 in Port Royal.

He was hanged, gibbeted, and put on display on a small islet (today know as Rackham’s Cay) near the entrance of the harbor of Port Royal, to serve as an example to all Pirates on the Caribbean waters.

?‍☠️ As for the remainder of his crew, all male members were hanged, while Anne Bonny and Mary Read were held in prison for several weeks.

Reports say that Mary Read died in April 1721 while in prison, while all records of Anne Bonny stopped.

Her fate remains unknown to this day, although some claim that he was released from prison and she lived a
peaceful life on shore, until she died from old age.

?‍☠️ Calico Jack’s ‘Wanted’ poster.

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