Pirate Republic of Nassau
From roughly 1706 to 1718, the island of New Providence in the Bahamas — centred on Nassau — functioned as a self-governing pirate republic beyond the reach of any European colonial authority. At its peak it housed over 1,000 pirates including Charles Vane, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Samuel Bellamy, and briefly Blackbeard. The pirates operated under loose codes of conduct, elected their captains, and divided plunder democratically. The republic preyed on Atlantic trade from the Caribbean to West Africa. Britain suppressed it in 1718 by sending Woodes Rogers as Governor with a royal pardon and a naval squadron.
- Year: 1706 CE
- Category: Political
