Profs and Pints Online presents: “Pirate Queens of the Caribbean,” with Rebecca Simon, professor of history at Santa Monica College and author of Why We Love Pirates: The Hunt for Captain Kidd and How He Changed Piracy Forever.

[ This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, thousands prowled the Atlantic Ocean as pirates. Constantly in search of booty and willing to kill anyone who got in their way, they were considered to be the most frightening, dangerous, and fascinating people in the British-American world. Although nearly all were men, two who stood above the rest were women. They were Anne Bonny and Mary Read, who sailed together in 1720.

Come learn the fascinating story of these two women from Rebecca Simon, a leading expert on Atlantic piracy and perceptions of pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy--from 1650 to 1800—and an author whose next book, Pirate Queens: The Lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, is scheduled for publication next year.

Despite entering into a violent world which rejected women, Bonny and Read were able to break out of the chains of typical female gender roles and become free agents on the sea. Defying all expectations, they ranked among the most skilled and terrifying pirates in the Caribbean and became infamous throughout the British-American colonies in their brief two-month career. Their tactics for shocking victims into submission included brandishing a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. They were also known to bear their breasts during battle.

In examining the lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, Dr. Simon will discuss how and why they actively chose to enter into the violent life of piracy, their motivation and means of breaking out of the traditional gender roles of the 1700s, and their means of surviving in their dangerous new roles. You’ll gain an appreciation of how they came to inspire books and films and other aspects of popular culture.

Profs & Pints Online: Pirate Queens of the Caribbean