Buccaneer

A buccaneer is a pirate or privateer who operated in the Caribbean and western Atlantic during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The term comes from boucanier, a French word for hunters who smoked meat on boucans, a technique learned in the Caribbean; the name reflects their initial livelihood on Hispaniola and Tortuga before expanding into piracy and privateering.

Buccaneers raided Spanish shipping and settlements along the Spanish Main, often with the tacit or explicit support of other European powers at war with Spain. Some held letters of marque and acted as sanctioned privateers for England, France, or the Netherlands; others turned to piracy when opportunities or commissions were scarce. Their activities took place primarily in the Caribbean Sea, the approaches to the Isthmus of Panama, and along the Pacific-facing coasts of Central America.

Most buccaneers operated in loose bands from bases such as Tortuga, Port Royal, and various ports in Jamaica and Hispaniola. They relied on small, fast vessels like sloops and brigantines, using hit-and-run tactics to overwhelm larger Spanish treasure fleets and coastal towns. Loot commonly included precious metals, dried goods, and other colonial commodities.

Notable figures include Henry Morgan, an English privateer who led raids on Panama and later served as governor of Jamaica. The buccaneer era declined in the early 18th century due to intensified anti-piracy campaigns by colonial powers, pardons offered to former pirates, and changing political conditions; many former buccaneers settled in Caribbean societies or redirected their activities. The term remains a historical label for this distinctive Caribbean phase of early modern piracy and privateering.