other · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Republic of Pirates

1706 CE – 1718 CE (approx.) · capital Nassau

The pirate stronghold at Nassau that, for a decade after the War of the Spanish Succession, sheltered Blackbeard and the leading pirates of the golden age.

Origins

French and Spanish raids in 1703 and 1706 wrecked Nassau on New Providence and drove off the governor, leaving the Bahamas without effective authority. Privateers left idle by the end of the War of the Spanish Succession, and sailors who had plundered the wrecks of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet, gathered in its harbour.

Rule and society

It was not a formal state but a loose community of pirate crews, often called the Flying Gang, who elected captains and shared plunder under ship articles. Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings were leading figures, alongside Edward Teach, Charles Vane, Sam Bellamy and Calico Jack Rackham. Merchants from New England and the islands traded supplies for loot, and the shallow harbour protected pirate sloops from warships.

Decline and legacy

In 1718 Woodes Rogers arrived as royal governor with a royal pardon. Many pirates accepted it, and Hornigold even hunted former comrades; Vane escaped and fought on, while Teach was killed off North Carolina that year. Eight pirates were hanged at Nassau in December 1718, and the base was closed.

Lineage

Republic of PiratesColony of the Bahamas 1648 CE – 1973 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Republic of Pirates. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-pirates
MLA
“Republic of Pirates.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-pirates. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Republic of Pirates.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-pirates.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Republic of Pirates’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/republic-of-pirates (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻