Port O' Calls
There were many small ports that served as pirate havens - places that would accept pirate money or buy pirate goods, and not ask too many questions about where it came from. Some went further: the governor of North Carolina traded quite openly with no less a person than Blackbeard and even issued him with a pardon, excusing him for his past crimes. In addition a number of different Caribbean towns served as pirate "capitals".
Campeche - Campeche was the first natural port discovered by Spaniards on March 1517. Campeche was called "Ah Kin Pech" by the local population, which in the Mayan language means "snakes and ticks place". Campeche became one of the region essential centers in the colonial time, for over a century this attracted pirate attacks, including some famous pirates like Francis Drake, John Hawkings whom in 1559, took possession of the Laguna de Términos; William Parker, the feared Henry Morgan, and the Dutch Laurent Graff, among others.
Cartagena - Cartagena was founded by the Spaniard Pedra de Heredia following the exploration of the Pacific coast in 1522 and that of the Gulf of Darien in 1525. Cartagena is enroute to the West Indies, making this city very attractable to pirates. Cartagena is an eminent example of the military architecture of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the most extensive in the New World and, at present, one of the most complete. Cartagena, together with La Havana and San Juan de Porto Rico, was an essential way station in the West Indies.
Cayman Islands - The first recorded English visitor to the Caymans was Sir Francis Drake in 1586, when he reported that the caymanas marine crocodile (after which the islands are named) were edible. But it was the turtles which really attracted ships in search of fresh meat for their crews. The islands were ceded to the English Crown under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, after the first settlers came from Jamaica in 1661-71 to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The first settlements were abandoned after attacks by Spanish privateers, but British privateers often used the Cayman Islands as a base and in the 18th century they became an increasingly popular hideout for pirates, even after the end of legitimate privateering in 1713.
Coro - Founded in 1527, Coro competes with Cumaná as the oldest Spanish city on the American Continent. Apparently, it was the oldest continuous settlement and when King Carlos of Spain signed a decree creating the Province of Venezuela on 1528, Coro became its Capital. An English privateer, Christopher Mings burned Coro as late as 1659, living it in smoked ruins. Small wander it appeared in some maps as "destroyed".
Cumana -The 16th Century was a time of exploration and discovery throughout the South American continent. Nueva Cadiz, on the Island of Cubagua, founded in 1516 and later destroyed by an earthquake, was the first city in South America. Soon afterwards the cities of Coro, on the west, and Cumana, on the east, were founded on the mainland. From there, expeditions for the discovery of the territory were conducted under the guidance of the Spanish Crown. A unique feature in this process was introduced when in 1528 Carlos I of Spain, who was also the Holy Roman Emperor, gave the German banking house of Weiser the right to conquer and settle in the western part of Venezuela. The German mandate, largely ineffective, was terminated in 1546. A more stable and continuous process of settlement began in 1556. This period saw the birth of most of Venezuela's cities.
Curacao - The island was discovered in 1499 by the Spanish explorer, Alonso de Ojeda, but it wasn't until 1527 that a group of colonists in search of treasure settled here. In 1634, the Dutch West India Company, backed by the Dutch Crown, claimed Curacao. The island soon began to prosper under Dutch rule and became an important trading center, making the island a ripe target for pirates and privateers.
Eleuthera - In 1649, English dissidents in search of religious freedom shipwrecked on the shores of this enchanting island and called it Eleuthera, from the Greek word for Freedom. Centuries later, Eleuthera is liberating to all who come. Located 200 miles from Florida and only 60 miles east of Nassau.
Flamstead - The Flamstead eyrie was ideal as naval strategists had a panoramic view of much of the Island. They also could maintain contact with the ships, forts and batteries at Port Royal. They did so by signalling with mirrors and a telegraph from the Flamstead Glass House. This was an elevated post on the property grounds offering a wide view. The Glass House was equipped with a powerful telescope. In addition to the defense of the Island, a task of the navy and the militia was to suppress piracy and possible insurrection. The Flamstead situation enabled lookouts to give early warning of pirates and suspicious vessels approaching Kingston harbour where valuable cargo ships lay anchored.
Havana - By 1511, Spaniards under Diego Velásquez were founding settlements, with Havana being founded it 1519, which served as bases for Spanish exploration. Cuba also became an assembly point for treasure looted by the conquistadores, attracting French and English pirates alike.
Maracaibo - The shores of Venezuela were discovered by Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to the New World in 1498. It was his first sighting of the American mainland and such were its natural beauties that he named the new territories the "Land of Grace". His reports of bounties induced the exploration of the Caribbean coast as far as Lake Maracaibo. It was the Italian geographer and navigator, Americo Vespucci, who named the area "Little Venice", or Venezuela, because of the resemblance of the native stilt houses found on the shores of Lake Maracaibo to the Venetian dwellings of the time. Maracaibo was founded in 1571. In the 17th century, these bounties did not go unnoticed, since it was sacked five times, notably by Sir Henry Morgan in 1669.
Margarita - Discovered in 1498, the "conquistadores" found a island full of wealth and good fruitful soil where they settled down to live. The discoverers baptized the island "La Margarita",which means pearl. Margarita didn't escape the pirates whom in the XVI and XVII centuries whipped through the whole region in the Caribbean.
Nassau - From the late 1600's to the early 1700's, the Bahamas was a haven for pirates and government sanctioned privateers. They preyed on Spanish galleons laden with gold from the New World, and left behind tales of ruin, revelry, and, or course, buried treasure....
Port Royal - Once known as the 'Wickedest City on Earth,' Port Royal on the island of Jamaica was one of the largest towns in the English colonies during the late 17th century. It was a haven for privateers and pirates, such as the famed Sir Henry Morgan, due to its excellent geographic location in the middle of the Caribbean. From Port Royal, these buccaneers preyed upon and plundered the heavily laden treasure fleets departing from the Spanish Main. After 1670, the importance of Port Royal and Jamaica to England was increasingly due to trade in slaves, sugar, and raw materials. It soon became the mercantile center of the Caribbean area, with vast amounts of goods flowing in and out of the port through an expansive trade network.
Puerto Bello - In Portobelo, also known as Nombre de Dios prior to 1595, is where you will find the country's early Spanish beginnings. Portobelo's main purpose at the time of it's discovery was centered around riches. The treasures that the Spaniards found on expeditions would be stored here until they could be shipped back to Europe. "For buccaneers and pirates, the lure of so much gold and silver proved irresistible. Sir Francis Drake took the treasure city of Nombre de Dios, but died before he could do further damage. Then English pirate Henry Morgan (later appointed Governor of Jamaica!), upon learning that great wealth was gathered annually in Portobelo for a fair, chose his time carefully and took the city. This only served to whet his appetite for more."
Puerto Cabello - The legend says that when the spanish conqueror arrived to this land, he found a sea so quiet that a vessel could be held with a "hair". This, however, seems to be an Andalusian fantasy which has gained even more validity as time goes by because of scant existing historical documentation about the town's origin. In reality it might be more realistic to believe that given the fact, Andres Cabello was one of its first inhabitants, and that he was a person of a some notoriety, providing jobs to security guards, "estibadores", as well as sponsoring the illegal traffic of goods... this is where the name of the town originated.
Roatan - This Caribbean secret is steeped in culture and history. The friendly, English-speaking population offers a unique blend of African, Spanish, Paya Indian, and British cultures. British and Spanish settlers invaded the Paya as their respective countries fought over possession of Roatan in the 16th century. Soon after, pirates numbering nearly 5,000, including Henry Morgan and associates, claimed Roatan as their stronghold. During the height of the slave trade, Roatan became a dumping ground for rebellious slaves that the British could no longer control. These marooned slaves, now called Maroons or Garifuna, form a present day ethnic group near the town of Punta Gorda.
San Andres - Many historians agree that the archipelago was discovered in 1629 by English Puritans and Jamaican woodcutters and was then conquered by the Spanish in the second half of the 17th century. For two hundred years the English, Dutch, French and Spanish disputed ownership. During that same period, the famous English pirate Henry Morgan used San Andrés as his base of operations and, according to legend, as a hideaway for his much acclaimed treasure.
San Juan - To protect the transportation of gold, silver and jewels, on its route from America to Spain, the Spaniards built a series of forts in the Caribbean. The beautiful city of San Juan was founded in 1521. A massive wall and forts were built around the city to protect it from the enemy. The city was used as a stopover for ships that came from Spain and a stronghold to prevent the enemy from taking control of the island and making Puerto Rico an enemy base.
Santiago - On February 12, 1541, Pedro de Valdivia founded the City of Santiago of the New Extreme. Valdivia named this city in honour of the worshiped military protector of the Spaniards during their fight for independence of the Moorish dominion. Pedro de Valdivia called the region the "Nuevo Extremo" (New Extreme) perhaps in memory of the region of Spain where he was born ("Extremadura").
Santo Domingo - One of the most beautiful colonial cities of the New World dating back to the early 16th century. In those days, Santo Domingo was a place of intense political intrigue and romance. A walk along Las Damas street, recalls a world populated by court ladies and soldiers, monks and noblemen, pirates and slaves. Discover the first cathedral of America; the Columbus Alcázar, where his son Diego ruled as Viceroy; the first court of law. Here, men like Hernán Cortés, Ponce de León and Rodrigo de Bastidas lived, loved and plotted conquests. They set sail from this port in search of adventure, gold and new lands for the crown of Spain. Drake held the city ransom and, like a jealous lover, almost destroyed Santo Domingo.
St. Augustine - St. Augustine was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts - making it the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent.
St. Kitts - Columbus came upon the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis on his second voyage to the New World, in 1493. Because the cloud-covered peak of the smaller island reminded him of the snow-covered Pyrenees, he named it "Nieves," which in Spanish means "snows." The larger island he named St. Christopher, either after himself or the patron saint of travelers; the British later shortened the name to St. Kitts.
Tortuga - During a period of time his island was used as a base for piracy and privateering by the Spanish, French, and English. Most buccaneers would set out from the island and, after some time, return to drink and gamble away their spoils in a matter of days or weeks. The buccaneer Captain Guy used Tortuga,as well as Jamaica, as bases of operation in 1663. In this same year the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford (1664-1671) received orders to relax his restrictions against buccaneers on the island. Many of the English on the island went sea-roving against Spain again, but the Frenchmen under the rovers left Jamaica to concentrate on Tortuga as a base of operations. The immediate result was that they expelled most of the English settlers living there.
Trinidad - Trinidad, the mainland, is the fifth largest island of the West Indies. It is crossed from west to east by three low mountain ranges. The name Trinidad was given by Columbus when he first saw the three mountain peaks from the southeastern coast. Trinidad was first settled by the Spanish and French, but was later ruled by the British.
Vera Cruz - Vera Cruz at one time was a way station for the infamous Spanish Treasure Fleet. While privateering under a English letter, during the 1650's John Hawkin's and his fleet of six ships, one of which was commanded by his cousin Francis Drake, lay off the western tip of Cuba when a hurricane struck and drove them into the Gulf of Mexico. The ships were so battered that they had no hope of returning to England without repairs. Hawkins led the fleet to the Spanish anchorage at Vera Cruz, where he put into port and demanded the supplies necessary to repair his ship as well as food and water. In exchange for these supplies he offered various trading goods. Unfortunately for the English, the Spanish treasure fleet arrived the very next day to pick up the stores of gold and silver from Mexico accumulating in the warehouses of Vera Cruz. The Spanish, who were by now far superior in naval strength, had no intention of letting the hated English smugglers escape. They entered port, dropped anchor, and immediately began planning their assault. A few days later they attacked -- killing many men and destroying all the English ships except for two. These two, commanded by Drake and Hawkins, eventually made it back to England but not without much hardship on Hawkin's ship, where the crew suffered from thirst and starvation.
In the decades following Christopher Columbus' first voyage to the New World in 1492, Spanish conquistadores explored and claimed lands ranging from present day Argentina to California and Florida. Included in this vast new empire was Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and all of South America except for Brazil, which went to Portugal by papal agreement.
Spanish kings soon learned however that claiming the land and holding on to it were separate achievements. Foreign interlopers overran the edges of the empire in ensuing centuries, including most of North America, Jamaica, parts of Hispaniola, and many smaller Caribbean islands. Nevertheless the bulk of the empire remained in Spanish hands until the revolutionary wars of the nineteenth century when Spanish rule was overthrown and independent republics were established.
Trade between Spain and the new colonies, although heavily regulated by the Crown, initially proved profitable. These first links between the old and new worlds comprised of merchant and naval vessels sailing sporadically between March and October, when Atlantic waters were calmest. By the early 1500s however, richly laden merchant ships were already falling prey to foreign pirates.
Depradations by foreign corsairs led the Spanish crown to order merchant vessels to sail in flotas of ten or more and to arm themselves for self-protection. In 1543, King Charles V ordered by decree that one war galleon accompany each fleet to and from the Americas. Shortly thereafter a war with France rendered even this protection inadequate, and from the 1550s onwards an armada of galleons was dispatched to protect the flota's annual voyages.
The treasure fleet -- so much an object of popular lore -- actually comprised of two separate fleets of merchant vessels protected by respective armadas of war galleons. The first fleet, the Tierra Firme flota, entered the Caribbean near Margarita in April or May and sailed west along the Spanish Main with ships splitting off to call at various towns along the way, including Caracas, Maracaibo, Rio de la Hacha and Santa Marta. Meanwhile the remaining merchant ships and accompanying war galleons put in at Cartagena, then sailed the short voyage west to Porto Bello, (Nombre de Dios prior to 1595) where a huge trade fair was held and silver from the mines in Peru was loaded aboard. The fleet then returned to the safer anchorage at Cartagena to spend the winter and wait for the merchant ships that had earlier detached from the flota.
The second fleet, the New Spain flota, sailed directly to Mexico in the spring and wintered over in Vera Cruz where another large trade fair was held. Meanwhile the ships were refitted and loaded with the gold and silver from mines in the Mexican hinterland.
During most years the two flotas' accompanying war galleons, collectively known as the Armada de la Guardia, did not winter over in the New World with the merchant ships, but instead collected the Crown's taxes and treasure and sailed for Havanna. In Havanna the war galleons rendezvoused with the merchant ships from the previous years' New Spain and Tierra Firme flotas. Together, in a vast fleet that might number upwards of fifty ships, the combined armada would depart Havanna in late August or September and return to Spain.
During war the Armada de la Guardia might winter over in the New World to add better protection to the colonies. But most years the Spanish admiralty, the Junta de Armadas, preferred a quick turn around for the war galleons since it saved six months of extra provisioning costs and, more importantly, assured that the same fleet of galleons could escort next year's flotas to the New World in the spring.
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