Ahoy, mateys! Today, we’re setting sail to learn about one of the most famous pirates of all time: Bartholomew Roberts, also known as Black Bart. He was a legendary figure during the Golden Age of Piracy, capturing over 400 ships in just three years! Let’s dive into his adventurous life and see what made him such a feared pirate.
Bartholomew Roberts was born as John Roberts in 1682 in a small village in Wales. At some point, he changed his name to Bartholomew, which was a common practice among pirates who often used aliases. Although we don’t know much about his early life, we do know that he became a sailor at a young age.
Roberts’s life took a dramatic turn in 1719 when he was working as the second mate on a slave ship called the Princess. While sailing near the coast of West Africa, the ship was attacked by pirates led by Captain Howell Davis. The pirates captured the Princess, and Roberts was forced to join their crew aboard the Royal Rover.
Although he was reluctant at first, Roberts quickly proved to be an excellent pirate. Just six weeks after joining, he became the captain of the Royal Rover after Captain Davis was killed in an ambush. Roberts decided that if he was going to be a pirate, he might as well be the best one!
As captain, Roberts was determined to avenge Davis’s death. He led his crew in an attack on a Portuguese fort, successfully capturing it. From there, they sailed to Brazil, where they established a base and captured several ships.
Roberts was known for his clever strategies. Once, he managed to sneak into a fleet of 42 Portuguese ships and captured a large 40-gun ship filled with valuable goods. His success made him a legend among pirates and a terror to sailors across the Atlantic.
Life as a pirate wasn’t all about treasure and adventure. Roberts established a pirate code to maintain order among his crew. This code included rules about discipline and how to share the plunder. Contrary to popular belief, there wasn’t a single pirate code that all pirates followed; each crew had its own set of rules.
Roberts’s reign of terror came to an end on February 10th, 1722. After a day of partying, his ship was caught off guard by the HMS Swallow, a Royal Navy ship. During the battle, Roberts was killed by a cannon shot, and his crew surrendered soon after.
Bartholomew Roberts was one of the last famous pirates of his time, marking the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. His daring exploits and incredible success on the high seas have made him a legendary figure in pirate history.
Black Bart Roberts’s story is a thrilling tale of adventure, cunning, and the pirate life. His legacy lives on as one of the most successful pirates ever, capturing the imagination of those who love tales of the high seas. Thanks for joining us on this journey through pirate history!
Using the information from the article, create a timeline of Black Bart Roberts’s life. Include key events such as his birth, becoming a pirate, major battles, and his death. Use drawings or digital tools to make your timeline visually engaging.
Black Bart Roberts was known for his unique pirate flag. Design your own pirate flag that represents your personality or interests. Explain the symbols and colors you chose and how they relate to you as a “pirate.”
Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a pirate code for your crew, including at least five rules. Consider how you would maintain order and fairness among your crew members. Share your code with the class and discuss the importance of each rule.
In groups, create a short skit about one of Black Bart Roberts’s adventures. Assign roles such as Roberts, his crew, and rival sailors. Perform your skit for the class, highlighting the strategies and challenges faced during the adventure.
Using a world map, plot the locations mentioned in the article, such as West Africa, Brazil, and the Atlantic Ocean. Draw the routes that Black Bart Roberts might have taken during his pirate career. Discuss how geography influenced his pirate activities.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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We know you enjoy pirates; every time we make a video about them, it gets a lot of views. So today, we’re profiling another heavily requested figure of the seas: Black Bart Roberts. But before we dive into that, I want to thank today’s sponsor, Morning Brew. Just like a rich cup of coffee, Morning Brew is a totally free daily newsletter that you won’t want to start your day without. It offers a quick, well-organized look at both light and heavy news that you can receive every day, Monday through Saturday.
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We’ve used the term “most successful pirate” quite a few times in previous videos, but that’s because there isn’t a single metric that accurately defines the success of piracy. Blackbeard was the most notorious, Black Sam Bellamy probably accrued more wealth than any other pirate, while Henry Every pulled off the single biggest score in history and managed to get away with it. Today, we’re using another metric to establish the credentials of Captain Bartholomew Roberts, also known as Black Bart: the number of prizes taken, which refers to the number of ships he captured, plundered, or ransomed. Roberts is credited with well over 400 prizes in just three years, making him one of the defining figures of the Golden Age of Piracy. At one point, he was considered invincible, and every merchant and sailor in the Atlantic knew and feared the name Bartholomew Roberts.
John Roberts was born in 1682 in the tiny village of Little Newcastle in Wales. At one point, he changed his first name to Bartholomew; we’re not sure why or when, but it was common for pirates to use aliases. He is also known today by the nickname Black Bart, which he shares with a Wild West outlaw named Charles Bowles. However, unlike Bowles, Bartholomew Roberts was seemingly never called Black Bart in his lifetime; this nickname came from a poem written about him hundreds of years later.
As with many pirates, we have limited knowledge about Roberts’s early years. The information we do have comes from Charles Johnson’s “A General History of the Pirates,” which is not incredibly reliable, but it’s what we have to work with. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Roberts was a reluctant pirate. It is believed he became a sailor from a young age, but we have no accurate records of his service until 1719. At that point, he was the second mate on a slave ship called the Princess, under Captain Plum. In the summer of that year, the Princess sailed to the Gold Coast of West Africa to pick up slaves. On its way back, the ship was attacked by pirates under Captain Howell Davis, a Welshman from the same county as Roberts.
The pirates captured the Princess and plundered it. When this occurred, there were usually one of two outcomes for the surviving sailors: if their ship was still seaworthy, they were usually free to go; if not, they were brought on board the pirate vessel and either placed in a raft or dropped off at a nearby island. In both cases, pirates often gave some sailors the opportunity to join them, as they needed to refill their ranks. This was typically done on a volunteer basis, but some men were forced to join, especially if they had skills in areas like medicine or navigation. Roberts was among those forced to join Howell Davis’s crew aboard the Royal Rover.
Roberts might not have been thrilled about becoming a pirate at first, but he soon discovered he was quite good at it and took to it quickly. He quickly became regarded as one of the most indispensable crew members aboard the Royal Rover. He was so popular that he became the new captain just six weeks after being abducted from the Princess. His promotion came out of necessity, not any kind of enmity towards the previous captain.
Davis had taken the ship to an island and planned to gain the governor’s trust, but it didn’t work out as intended. The governor planned a counter-attack, and Davis and a small group were ambushed and executed. With Davis dead, the Royal Rover needed a new captain. The election process was quite formal, similar to a parliamentary system. A lord named Dennis proposed Bartholomew Roberts, and his speech garnered cheers from the crew, except for another lord who presumably had hopes of becoming captain himself.
Roberts accepted the promotion, stating that since he had already become a pirate, it was better to be a commander than a common man. His first course of action was to avenge his predecessor’s death. The ship began bombarding the Portuguese fort, which was a distraction for a 30-man expedition that approached the fort on foot. They took the soldiers inside by surprise, leading to the fort’s destruction.
From there, the ship sailed back to Anamabo, where Roberts’s career first began, to pick up provisions and perform repairs. He captured several ships during this time, and once the ship was ready to sail, they needed a destination. The crew voted and selected Brazil, where they established a base of operations.
Roberts spent weeks prowling the waters of South America but found little success. They decided to sail to the West Indies when they encountered a large Portuguese fleet of 42 ships. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Roberts devised a strategy to capture one ship and escape before the rest of the fleet noticed. He managed to infiltrate the fleet and captured a large 40-gun ship, claiming a significant amount of valuable goods.
After several successful captures, Roberts faced challenges, including a betrayal from one of his crew members. This led to the establishment of a pirate code, which outlined rules for discipline and the distribution of plunder. Contrary to popular belief, pirate codes varied, and there was no universal code that all pirates followed.
Roberts continued his plundering ways until he encountered the HMS Swallow, a Royal Navy ship. On February 10th, 1722, after a day of drinking and partying, Roberts and his crew were caught off guard. He attempted to escape but was struck by a cannon shot, killing him instantly. His crew surrendered soon after.
Bartholomew Roberts, thought by many to be indestructible, plundered hundreds of ships before his demise. He was the last of the well-known pirates, marking the end of the Golden Age of Piracy.
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This version removes any informal language, personal opinions, and potentially sensitive content while maintaining the core information.
Pirate – A person who attacks and robs ships at sea. – In the 17th century, pirates were feared by sailors traveling across the Caribbean Sea.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Learning about the history of ancient civilizations helps us understand how modern societies developed.
Adventure – An unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. – The explorers embarked on an adventure to discover new lands and resources.
Crew – A group of people who work on and operate a ship, aircraft, or train. – The ship’s crew worked tirelessly to ensure the vessel stayed on course during the storm.
Code – A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy. – Pirates often used a secret code to communicate their plans without being understood by outsiders.
Ships – Large watercraft designed for maritime transport. – During the Age of Exploration, ships were crucial for discovering new trade routes.
Captain – The person in command of a ship. – The captain of the ship was responsible for the safety and direction of the entire crew.
Treasure – A quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects. – Many legends tell of pirates burying treasure on deserted islands, leaving maps to find it later.
Legacy – Something handed down by a predecessor, often from the past. – The legacy of ancient Rome can still be seen in modern architecture and legal systems.
Piracy – The practice of attacking and robbing ships at sea. – Piracy was a significant threat to trade routes during the Golden Age of Piracy in the 17th and 18th centuries.
