Rebecca Simon
Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever
Piracy has captured people’s imagination for hundreds of years. The vast majority of pirates were sailors who were forced into that life or people who wanted to amass wealth quickly. This presentation thus asks the question: How did realities of piracy evolve from perceived criminal behavior in the 18th century to Jack Sparrow in the 21st? To answer this question, one must look to the legacy of the pirate that spawned the myths and legends that have taken hold in the collective imagination: Captain William Kidd, who met his end in May of 1701 in Wapping, London. He only committed acts of piracy between 1696 and 1698, yet his activities would change the way British officials cracked down on piracy. Even though Kidd was executed for his crimes, his life had a direct impact on the rise of myths about piracy. Using Captain Kidd as a case study, this presentation will examine how his life became a legacy that blurred fact from fiction. Questions will be answered, such as: Did pirates really bury treasure? Were women actually bad luck on ships? Did they wear eyepatches and carry parrots on their shoulders? And more!
Rebecca Simon, PhD, FRHistS, is a historian of early modern piracy in the Atlantic World. She received her PhD from King’s College London in 2017 and is a professor of History at Santa Monica College and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Rebecca is the author of three books about piracy, including Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever. She has appeared on numerous podcasts, such as You’re Dead To Me and History Hit with Dan Snow, and documentaries such as Beyond Oak Island and The UnXplained.
