To begin with a little bit of background. Spanish and Portuguese were first to discover and colonize new world. Treaty of Tordesillas divided it among themselves precisely to avoid information leaking to other kingdoms of Europe. Thus, by the time French and English found out about Americas, Spanish already hogged up and garrisoned pretty much everything of value with only few small barren islands in the Caribbean remaining unclaimed.
To make matters worse, Spanish found a lot of silver in the area and begun mining it. Seeing how Spanish ship all that silver in loaded to the brim galleons, got Frech and English really upset with envy. However soon they figured out a simple solution to this problem, just steal the silver. After all trip from Maracaibo in Spanish Main to Sevilla in Spain is long and perilous, and Spanish shipped their silver completely unguarded, so if it will get lost to pirates they will not even find out when and how. Thus, piracy was born.
First pirates were probably members of French and English navy, who hoisted the black flag to avoid getting their kingdoms entangled if something went wrong. The money they made from captured Spanish silver was so huge, soon everyone started doing it and piracy boom begun.
The amounts of silver, Spanish shipped was so huge, French and English navies soon found themselves short of personnel and ships, so they began recruiting volunteers, private captains with ships and crews. Soon private crews started plunder Spanish shipping on the high seas. These privateers (or corsairs in French terminology) came from all walks of life and were actively encourage and supported by French and English governments.
To give privateers assurances of support and at the same time entitle government to the fraction of what they could plunder, French and English issued so called "letters of marque and reprisal". These papers could make anyone a sort of "private" member of the navy, thus in theory guaranteeing them protection of French or English crown as well as entitle them to be treated as prisoners of war in the event of capture by the Spanish. Most importantly however they allowed them to access to ports of the issuing country. When in some peace treaties you see phrase "prohibit unrestricted issue of letter of marque and reprisal", it is about this practice.
French issued these letters to pretty much anyone with a ship and a crew without asking it how they obtained ship or the money. That is how French colony of Tortuga became known as pirate haven. Colony economy consisted entirely of taxing the booty, these privateers would bring.
English instead prefer their own traders. Back then it was possible to form fully legal joint stock company for the purpose of pirating. Such company could openly sell its stock on London stock exchange to raise money to buy a ship, hire crew and then go to the new world to plunder on high seas.
From legal perspective this privateering was considered capturing prizes of war and legal documents refer to it in such terms. Letters of marque were legal vehicle that allowed law to treat piracy as legitimate combat. That is how famous pirates, like Sir Francis Drake got their knighthood and other forms for recognition from government.
Eventually however Spanish got a gist of what is going on and threatened France and England with war if they do not stop this piracy. Unfortunately for Spanish, profits from piracy were so huge, French and English would rather stay in perpetual war than stop the plunder.
Thus, Golden age of Piracy truly begun. All sorts of ships and crews would steal Spanish silver and then turn it over to French or English on Tortuga or Jamaica, who offered them full support, assistance in repair and resupply and so on.
On their end Spanish refused to recognise letters or marque as legitimate prove of military status, threatening pirates with noose if they got caught. They also ramped up security of their treasure fleets, making it harder to for pirates to plunder them.
Finally Spanish eventually found out where pirate friendly French and English ports in the new world were located and sent their armada to level both Port Royal and Tortuga to the ground. That did not stop the piracy however as when Spanish left, French and English simply came back and rebuild.
This is how majority of all pirate crews operated. Sure, there were occasional rouges who attacked everyone and port in wilderness, but these were rare. They make for a good story, but not for a good career option, as rouge pirates would pretty much always end up caught by one or other side and executed.
On the other hand, privateering was a way to riches and even social advancement. It was a business that people who counted money for living would invest into. Yes, there was risk that Spanish will capture you, but back then risk of perishing in a storm was likely higher.
Plunder-fest would occasionally come to a pause when French or English needed an alliance with Spanish for some war in Europe. On such occasion governors of Tortuga and Port Royal will instruct privateers to halt attacks on Spanish. Pirates would temporarily turn to other activities such as cutting wood in Belize. However, once that war will be over, the pirating will resume.
The definitive end of Golden Age of Piracy unexpectedly also came from Europe. War of Spanish Succession eventually placed French Bourbons on the throne in Spain. That turned France from enemy into a friend of Spain.
Not willing to further damage now friendly Spain, France begun cracking down on piracy. Near overnight Tortuga turned from pirate heaven into a hostile port.
Pirates fought back and re-established themselves in New Providence on Bahamas. This time they were actually independent and unaffiliated with any power. Their settlement flew black flag. However, that was short lived.
England did not want to be at war with both France and Spain to continue the plunder. England also found new way of making money in the new world, running sugar and cotton plantations, using West African slave labor. Finally French likely offered them something like share of profits from Spanish treasure fleets, if they turn on pirates.
Times were changing and safety of shipping routes were more important that theoretical booty from occasional daring raid.
All that sealed fate of piracy in the Caribbean. Eventually, now cozy and friendly with each other, the three kingdoms went on to destroy New Providence. England later colonised it to deny pirates any free land to base themselves on. Age of Piracy came to an end only to be remembered in fiction.
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