Anne Bonny and Mary Read: Caribbean's Female Pirates

In the early 1700s, two women did the impossible: they disguised themselves as men and became pirates in the Caribbean's most dangerous waters. Anne Bonny and Mary Read sailed alongside Calico Jack Rackham during the Golden Age of Piracy, fighting, plundering, and living lives that defied every convention of their era.

Their partnership began on the high seas and flourished through cunning, courage, and an unspoken understanding. When British authorities finally captured Rackham's crew in 1720, only Anne and Mary fought back while the male pirates cowered below deck. Their trial became a sensation—not for their crimes, but for their gender. Both women escaped execution through pregnancy, but their ultimate fates diverged into mystery and tragedy.

This is the story of how two extraordinary women carved their names into pirate history by refusing to live by society's rules. Discover the partnership, the captures, and the unanswered questions that surround the Caribbean's most famous female pirates.

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Episode Summary:

Explore the extraordinary lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two women who disguised themselves as men to become pirates in the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. This episode uncovers their partnership with Calico Jack Rackham, their bold defiance during capture, and the mysterious fates that followed their infamous 1720 trial.

Key Locations:

• Providence Island (Nassau), Bahamas - Pirate haven where Anne and Mary likely met
• Caribbean Sea - Primary hunting grounds for Rackham's crew
• Jamaica - Location of capture and trial (St. Jago de la Vega, now Spanish Town)
• Cuba - Final destination of Rackham's escape attempt

Key Dates & Timeline:

• 1697-1700 (approx.) - Anne Bonny born in Ireland
• 1690s (approx.) - Mary Read born in England
• 1718 - Anne Bonny joins Calico Jack Rackham's crew
• 1719 - Mary Read joins the same crew (partnership begins)
• October 1720 - Rackham's crew captured by British authorities
• November 1720 - Trial in Jamaica; Anne and Mary reveal pregnancies, escape execution
• December 1720 - Calico Jack Rackham executed
• April 1721 - Mary Read dies in prison from fever (likely childbirth complications)
• 1721-? - Anne Bonny disappears from historical record

Key Figures:

• Anne Bonny - Irish-born pirate who defied gender norms; married James Bonny before running off with Calico Jack; one of only two documented female pirates of the era; fate unknown after 1721
• Mary Read - English-born pirate who lived much of her life disguised as a man; fought alongside Anne Bonny; died in prison 1721
• Calico Jack Rackham - Captain of the pirate vessel; Anne Bonny's partner; executed December 1720
• James Bonny - Anne's first husband; small-time pirate and informant
• Governor Woodes Rogers - British official who granted Anne's first pardon before she returned to piracy
• Captain Jonathan Barnet - British privateer who captured Rackham's crew

Primary Sources & Research:

• Trial records from Jamaica, November 1720
• "A General History of the Pyrates" by Captain Charles Johnson (1724) - primary contemporary account
• British Colonial Office records
• Jamaica Archives, Spanish Town
• Maritime court documents from Port Royal

Why This Story Matters: Anne Bonny and Mary Read represent two of only a handful of documented female pirates in history. Their story challenges assumptions about gender roles in the 18th century and reveals how women navigated extremely male-dominated spaces through disguise, partnership, and sheer courage. Their mysterious fates—particularly Anne's complete disappearance from records—continue to fascinate historians and fuel ongoing research into women's hidden roles in maritime history.

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