Trials, Executions, and Hanging in Chains

• The pirates were not allowed attorneys and so had to represent themselves
• Often faced great odds in the form of a large and practiced prosecution team
• From 1716 to 1726 more than 400 were hanged for piracy
• Sometimes the bodies were hung in chains after being hanged to warn others and show the consequences of pirating
• Clergy busily attempted to help the condemned to repent before execution

The Romance of Piracy

• Piracy is a regular occurrence today on the coast of Brazil, in the Carribean, on the west coast of Africa and especially in the Far East (Malacca Strait)