|
|
|
 |
Henry Morgan
Pirate, English Privateer, & Governor of Jamaica
 Morgan's origins and early career are
fairly obscure.
He was probably a member of the expedition that in 1655 seized Jamaica from
the Spanish and converted it into an English colony.
He also may have participated in an expedition against
Cuba in 1662; and during the second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-1667), he was
second in command of the buccaneers operating against Dutch colonies in the
Caribbean.
Selected commander of the buccaneers in 1668, Morgan quickly captured Puerto
Principe, Cuba, and--in an extraordinarily daring move--stormed and sacked
the well-fortified city of Portobello on the Isthmus of Panama. In 1669 he
made a successful raid on wealthy Spanish settlements around Lake Maracaibo
on the coast of Venezuela. Finally, in August 1670 Morgan, with 36 ships and
nearly 2,000 buccaneers, set out to capture Panama, one of the chief cities
of Spain's American empire. Crossing the Isthmus of Panama, he defeated a
large Spanish force (Jan. 18, 1671) and entered the city, which burned to
the ground while his men were looting it. On the return journey he deserted
his followers and absconded with most of the booty.Because Morgan's raid on Panama had taken place after the conclusion of a
peace between England and Spain, he was arrested and transported to London
(April 1672). Nevertheless, relations with Spain quickly deteriorated, and
in 1674 King Charles II knighted Morgan and sent him out again as deputy
governor of Jamaica, where he lived as a wealthy and respected planter until
his death.An exaggerated account of Morgan's exploits, written by one of
his crew, created his popular reputation as a bloodthirsty pirate. |
Click on the Piece of Eight to return to the Main Page
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
