American History Tellers - The Age of Pirates | A Gold Chain Or A Wooden Leg | 1

Episode Date: October 12, 2022

At the end of the 17th century, pirates stalked the coast of North America and the waters of the Caribbean, attacking merchant vessels from every nation. But they were more than just armed robbers of the high seas. They were also crucial figures in the growth of England’s American colonies, supplying them with vital goods that were often unavailable otherwise. One of these early pirates, Captain Thomas Tew, hailed from the bustling port city of Newport, Rhode Island. Soon he would cruise halfway around the world to the Red Sea, lured by stories of riches beyond his wildest dreams.Listen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's just after dawn in 1692. A high breeze stirs up whitecaps on the water. You're first mate aboard the sloop Amity, sailing with a crew of 60 men under Captain Thomas II. You're both from the English colony of Rhode Island, but today you're thousands of miles from home in the Indian Ocean. You were commissioned into service by an English colonial governor to hunt French ships, but you've gone rogue and abandoned the terms of your commission.

Instead, you're hoping to get rich by raiding merchant vessels. And it looks like you've finally found one. Captain Two walks up to you as you study the approaching ship through your spyglass. Well, she looks promising, Captain. Flying Moogle colors. Clearly a merchant ship. Let me see. Captain Two grabs your spyglass and squints through it. His face breaks into a smile.

Oh, she's perfect. Packed with spices and fabric, I bet. Enough riches that no one in our crew will have to work again. All right, tell the men to run up the flag. At your signal, another ship's mate hauls up a red flag, a sign that no quarter will be given. This is going to be a fight to the finish, or until one ship surrenders. When they see the red flag go up, the crew lets out a cheer.

You've been at sea for months, waiting for this moment. Captain, shall I give the order to ready the cannons? Yes, but no one fires until I give the command. Anyone not manning sails or cannons should go to arms. Prepare a boarding party. The sails buckle above you as the Amity tacks to starboard. Through your spyglass, you can now make out the men on board the other ship. Soldiers on deck, sir.

A hundred, maybe more. No cannons, though. Arms? Long barrel muskets, sir. They're taking aim. You hit the deck as a volley of gunfire whizzes across your ship. Some of it splinters the wood railing right above your head. Return fire! Now bullets are spraying back and forth between your two ships. You peer over the railing and see a cloud of muzzle smoke obscuring the deck of the merchant ship. Sir, they're not backing down.

No, they're not. Cannons, stand by. Prepare to fire across their bow. Just below you, you can hear the heavy thunk of your ship's eight cannons wheeling into position. There's no turning back now. This merchant ship is flying the colors of the Mughal Empire, a trading partner of England. Now that you're attacking it, you and your crewmates are no longer representatives of the English crown. Now you're pirates. From the team behind American History Tellers comes a new book, The Hidden History of the White House.

Each chapter will bring you inside the fierce power struggles, intimate moments, and shocking scandals that shaped our nation. From the War of 1812 to Watergate. Available now wherever you get your books. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with. Listen to The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers.

Our history, your story. On our show, we take you to the events, the times, and the people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. We'll put you in the shoes of everyday citizens as history was being made, and we'll show you how the events of the times affected them, their families, and affects you now. At the end of the 17th century, pirates operated up and down the coast of North America and throughout the Caribbean. They plundered merchant vessels from every nation, making the already risky profession of seafaring even more hazardous. As global trade routes expanded, pirates followed, spreading their activity into the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, where heavily laden ships from the Far East made for tempting targets. But pirates were more than just armed robbers of the high seas. They were also crucial figures in the growth of English

colonies on the North American coast. Pirates and their sponsors on land created and maintained a flourishing network of stolen goods that helped the 13 colonies become less dependent on England for their economies. The colonies could be a lawless place, but not all pirates saw themselves as outlaws. Many began as privateers, sea captains with official commissions from the English or colonial governments. During times of war, a privateer could attack and plunder the ships of any enemy nation. But when privateers disobeyed their commissions and went rogue, they crossed the line into piracy. This is the first in our series, The Age of Pirates. A Gold Chain or a

Wooden Leg. In the late 1600s, the town of Newport was a bustling port city of just over a thousand people. It was the largest settlement in the colony of Rhode Island, nestled along the edge of a busy inland waterway. Like all of England's thirteen colonies on the Atlantic coastline, Rhode Island was dependent on imported goods and merchandise, brought in on ships that kept harbors like the one at Newport bustling. Most of these ships crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a vast, ungovernable body of water on which the world's economy sailed back and forth. Europe's leading naval powers—England, Spain, Portugal, and France— competed for control over the lucrative ocean trade and expansion into the Americas.

On many occasions, that competition escalated into warfare. That was the case in 1688, when England went to war with France over disputed North American territories. Known in the colonies as King William's War, it was the prologue to a half-century of conflicts that would eventually be called the French and Indian Wars. Battles between the colonial powers raged along the northern Atlantic coast, bringing most international shipping in the region to a halt. To fill that commercial void, many colonial sailors turned to piracy, and one of the most successful of these pirates was a man named Thomas Too. Most of Too's early life is unknown. By 1691, he was in his mid to late thirties. He was small in stature and favored

the color blue, often dressing in velvet jackets festooned with gold lace and oversized pearl buttons. Two was likely born into elite Rhode Island society. His grandfather was a signatory on the colony's original charter in 1663. Two himself wasn't politically active, but earned a comfortable income as a merchant, sea captain, and occasional pirate. He would have been equally at home in the ornate parlors of Newport High Society or down at the docks. He was an able captain of small to medium sized sailing vessels and commanded the respect of the motley crews that served on such ships. Two understood that the sailor's profession often straddled the line between legal and illegal activity. This was especially true in the

colonies, where some citizens were beginning to rankle at being governed from afar by England. Many saw crown-imposed import taxes as unfair and burdensome, and were happy to support a thriving black market in smuggled and stolen goods, a market supplied, in part, by pirates. Not all of these pirates operated entirely outside the law, though. Some were privateers, captains who received official commissions from their home government, authorizations to attack any ship flying under the flag of an enemy nation and take whatever they could plunder.

Privateers were then little more than government-sanctioned pirates. And for several years, Thomas, too, had captained ships as both a pirate and privateer in the Caribbean, pillaging transatlantic ships full of spices, sugar, and fabrics. But now, down at the Newport waterfront, he was hearing tales of another part of the world where his profession could be far more lucrative. The Indian Ocean lay 9,000 nautical miles from the New England coastline, and from what two could gather, it offered bounty beyond his wildest dreams. There, foreign merchant vessels tacked along the African and Arabian coastlines, their hulls filled with expensive cargo from the wealthy Mughal Empire,

lustrous fabrics, jewels, gold, and other precious metals. According to two sources, it was all there for the taking. The Mughal ships were poorly armed and offered little resistance. Tu was eager to try his luck in this new ocean. But first, he needed a ship that could make the long journey. To get one, he decided to seek a privateering commission. With King William's war raging, such commissions weren't hard to come by. England was mobilizing private vessels from throughout its colonies to fight the French,

and Too could disguise his true motives by joining their ranks. But Too would also need a crew, so around the docks of Newport Harbor, he set to work recruiting one. Imagine it's spring 1691. You run an accountancy at a small storefront business in Newport, Rhode Island. All day long, you can hear the bells clanging in the harbor just a few blocks away. It's a comforting sound for you, a reminder of the way you used to earn a living. You're just about to wrap up for the afternoon when your old friend Thomas Two burst through the front door. I saw your new sign out front. Very nice. Well, thank you.

Lettering was not my strong suit. I had to hire someone. Ah, well, you still are a man of many talents. Two closes the door behind him. And today, I'd like to prevail upon you for one of them. Ah, well, make it quick. I'm due at home before sundown. I'm going back to sea, and I'd like you to join my crew. This stops you in your tracks. You put your accounting ledger in a drawer and study your old friend's face. You recognize the wild gleam in his eye, and today you want no part of it. Well, I'm flattered, Thomas, but I haven't been aboard a ship in two years. You were the best quartermaster I've ever had.

I'll make it worth your while. You stand up from your desk and start gathering your papers. No, no, I can't give this up and go to sea. What can't you give up? That quill? That inkwell? Don't tell me that rows of numbers have become your most trusted companions. Mock me if you must, Thomas, but I'm a man of business now. I have a family to think about. Now, if you must, Thomas, but I'm a man of business now. I have a family

to think about. Now, if you'll excuse me. You usher two outside and turn to lock up. He hovers next to you, though, barely containing his excitement. I tell you, this war in France could end at any moment. But until it does, on the high seas, it's every man for himself. And this is our chance. We'll make a fortune. A fortune the crown won't be able to tax. Please keep your voice down. Two follows you as you walk down Thames Street toward your home. Now you misunderstand me.

I don't talk of piracy. I'm petitioning the governor for a commission. We'll just set aside a little for ourselves and our crew. You were always so good with the books. No one will be the wiser. What do you say? One last voyage on the Grand Account? You stop walking and turn to Two. If you don't get rid of him now, he'll follow you right into your parlor. The man's relentless. Thomas, I can't. My days on the Grand Account are far behind me, and they ought to be behind both of us. Two cocks his head to one side and purses

his lips. All right, I understand. You know I had to ask. I am sorry, old friend. I hate to let you down, but letting you down is what I'm doing. Well, then maybe you could help me once I return. I could use your accounting expertise in adjusting my cargo list. You shake your head. You just don't give up, do you? Well, fine. I suppose I can help you with that. Perfect. Two spins on his heels and heads down the road toward the harbor. Then he calls over his shoulder. You know I'll make it worth your while. Godspeed then, Thomas. Please, come back in one piece. I'll come back with many pieces of gold and silver. You smile to yourself as you watch your old friend move on down the street. He's still the same old Thomas, but you know the risks he's about to face.

You're not sure he'll come back at all. For all his bluster, Two couldn't raise a crew in Newport. He couldn't even find a ship, since most of the seaworthy vessels had been sent to fight the French. Two approached the governor of Rhode Island, seeking an official commission, but was turned down. So that summer, he headed southeast to England's island outpost of Bermuda. There he met with another colonial governor, one who helped him secure the commission he'd been looking for. Known as a Letter of Mark, this commission allowed Two to prey on the French ships with impunity. In practice, any colonial governor could dispense Letters of Mark to whomever they saw fit,

but the letters came with a stamp of authority of the English crown and gave their recipients broad powers. In Two's case, his Letter of marque came with a specific task. Bermuda's governor and a group of English financiers were planning to raid a French garrison on the western coast of Africa. A victory there would help strike a blow against French colonial interests in the region. It would also get Two nearly halfway to his true destination, the riches-laden trade routes off the eastern coast of Africa. So with this letter of marque in hand, two began to outfit the sloop Amity, a 70-ton,

eight-gun ship with a crew of around 60 men. The Amity was joined on the voyage by a second vessel, and together both ships set off on a four-week journey across the Atlantic to West Africa. But before they could reach their target, a violent storm came up and separated the ships. Once the weather cleared, Captain Two and his men found themselves drifting by themselves on the open ocean. Two now had his chance to strike off on his own. As becalmed waves lapped at the side of the Amity, he gathered his men on deck to explain the plan. Two reminded them that they'd signed up to risk their lives for very little monetary reward. Two's letter of mark authorized him to pillage the French garrison

after they'd taken it, but he was unlikely to contain much of any value. Instead, he suggested they chart a new course, one for Madagascar and the coastline of eastern Africa. There, they would still be risking their lives, but the rewards would be much greater. All it would take would be one or two Indian merchant ships, and they could all return home rich. Tu assured his men one bold push would do this business. It didn't take long for the crew of the Amity to come to a consensus and tie their fortunes with their captains. Standing on the main deck, they called out in unison, A gold chain or a wooden leg will stand by you.

With this, Thomas too and his crew left behind their charge as privateers to become pirates. The Amity changed course and headed south to round the tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope. Within just a month, they would be sailing the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Too promised that once on those waters, they'd find hundreds of ships, each containing a vast fortune that could be theirs for the taking. All they had to do was fight for it. This is the emergency broadcast system. A ballistic missile threat has been detected inbound to your area. Your phone buzzes and you look down to find this alert. What do you do next? Maybe you're at the grocery store. Or maybe you're with your secret lover. Or maybe you're robbing a bank. Based on the real-life false alarm that terrified Hawaii in 2018, Incoming, a brand new fiction podcast

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You can listen ad-free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. By the spring of 1692, Thomas Too and his crew had charted a new course. Their ship, the Sloop Amity, had rounded the Cape of Good Hope and sailed up into the warm waters between Madagascar and the East African coast and into the Indian Ocean, the heart of commerce for what was then known as the Mughal Empire, an Islamic kingdom in South Asia. Mughal landholdings stretched across much of modern-day India into Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and their main shipping route ran through a narrow strait called Bab el-Mandeb, a gateway to the Red Sea and the cities of Mecca and Cairo.

This is where Thomas II was headed to find his prey. But there was a catch. The Mughal Empire was a trading partner with England. Any attack on its ships would be seen as an act of piracy and a violation of II's letter of mark as an English privateer. Beyond that, attacking any Mughal ship would not be easy. They typically weighed 200 to 300 tons, three times larger than the Amity. But in this size lay a weakness. Because of their size, these giant merchantmen, as they were called, had to sail prescribed routes and couldn't cross into shallower waters, even when attacked. Two's plan was to lie in wait near the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, where the larger vessels

would have nowhere to run. And upon arrival, he didn't have to wait very long. In the late fall of 1692, Two got the sighting he needed. Pulling up near one massive merchant ship, Two's crew was confronted with the first real danger of their pirating. On the ship's deck, a heavily armed guard of some 300 Mughal soldiers. What happened next isn't exactly clear. But when the dust and cannon smoke had settled, Captain Two's crew of 60 had forced the Mughal ship to surrender and not suffered a single casualty in doing it.

Most likely, the merchant ship had no cannons, or if it did, they were only for show. Many merchant ships were poorly armed and understaffed to save money, and the soldiers on board probably had little interest in risking their lives against Tu's eight cannons and bloodthirsty crew. So Tu and his men plundered the ship for its gold, silver, and other riches, then sailed south to the island of Madagascar, where they could repair the amity and divide their spoils. All pirate crews sailed under contracts that stipulated how much of a share each crew member was entitled to.

And after Captain Tu's successful first raid, each man's share of the treasure was between 1.2 and 3,000 pounds sternly, a kingly sum in an era when merchant seamen made just one to five pounds a month. After his success near the Strait of Bob Almandeb, in April of 1694, Two returned to Newport Harbor, his ship filled with precious cargo. He returned not as an outlaw, but as a conquering hero. During his time away, Newport had become what some were calling a pirate's nest. And there, word of Two's success in the Red Sea had spread quickly, and other Rhode Island pirates had followed his lead. So many had copied Two's route,

from New England to the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean, that it acquired a nickname, the Pirate Round. But no captain who took the Pirate Round had yet returned with a score as big as two's. He was able to pay his financiers in Bermuda back at fourteen times their original investment. And down at the Newport Wharf, two bragged openly about how he obtained his bounty. He was a proud man, and wasn't concerned with getting caught, even after raiding the ship of an English trading partner. Nor did anyone seem interested in turning him in. As far as most locals were concerned, Two was a privateer, not a pirate, and his exploits had only served to enrich their colony at the expense of a distant empire they knew or cared little about. But after just a few

months back home, Two became restless. He understood that with the rush of Atlantic pirates heading for the Indian Ocean, his new well of easy money might soon run dry. Eventually, the merchantmen sailing in and out of the Red Sea would start better arming themselves. England would start cracking down on attacks against his trading partners. And Two wanted to make one last big strike while he still could. But to maintain his veneer of legitimacy, he was going to need another commission. He knew he'd have no luck with Rhode Island's strict governor, who lived up to his nickname, Honest John Eastman. So he decided

to visit the nearby colony of New York, which had a new governor with a reputation for being friendlier to pirates, especially those willing to offer him a cut. Benjamin Fletcher had been New York's colonial governor for less than two years when Thomas II arrived to meet him. Before his governorship, Fletcher had fought his way up through the ranks of the Irish cavalry, perhaps because of his rough and tumble origins. He was at ease among the privateers, pirates, and working-class sailors that coursed through the port of New York. In the 1690s, New York had a population of around 4,000 people, and as a result of King William's War, its economy was struggling. One visitor described the city as a run-down hamlet with nasty and unregarded streets and very few shops open for business.

Governor Fletcher wanted New York to grow, and he knew that spoils brought in by pirates would help. Men like Thomas, too, arrived with goods that instantly injected wealth into the city's depressed economy. Yards of woven cotton, jewels, ivory, and precious art. But Fletcher's political enemies did not see pirates as an economic boon. Many of these men were members of New York's merchant class, and for them, pirates and their tax-free bounties represented competition. They wanted the pirates gone as quickly as possible, and Fletcher gone with them.

Imagine it's October 1694. You're a New York fabric and clothing merchant walking near the East River. It's rained recently, and the mud has caked up the sides of your boots. Looking around, there's only one thing that isn't covered in filth. A familiar six-horse carriage coming to a rolling stop nearby. Only one man in this province has such an opulent livery. The governor, Benjamin Fletcher. The carriage door opens, and a man steps out.

He's short, wearing a slouch hat and bright blue clothing. When you see his face, your jaw drops in disbelief. You know that man and his velvet jacket. It's Thomas, too, the known pirate and scoundrel from Rhode Island. You also know Governor Fletcher, so before his carriage pulls away, you flag him down. Governor, sir. Governor. Begging your pardon. I'd like a word. Seeing you approach, Fletcher opens the carriage door and beckons you inside. Oh, it looks like the mud has gotten the better of you. Please, let me give you a ride. You climb up and take a seat as the coach starts up again.

Thank you, Governor. I must tell you, I couldn't help but notice just now the man descending from this carriage. You understand that man is a known sea rower. Pirate. The worst reputation. Oh, I appreciate your concern, but Mr. Two is not a pirate. He's a privateer. We're working out a commission for him to help fight the French. A commission? Giving that man a commission is as good as enabling a common thief to rob a store. The carriage hits a hole in the road, sending both of you rocking in your seats. Your wagging finger nearly pokes the governor in his face. You should know Governor Fletcher.

You're starting to get a bad reputation yourself, as a supporter of pirates and illegal activity of all sorts. Well, I'd like you to show me the illegality in bringing money into this port. Or bringing calicos and muslins and other goods that men like you can sell without, mind you, the added taxes of the crown. I happily pay my taxes. Oh, of course you do. And so do I. But the fact is, this war has caused terrible shortages. New York has no cloth, no spices. When was the last time you could buy a new pair of boots or an ivory handle for your walking stick? Sailors like Thomas, too, help get us those things. Yes, but at what cost?

To and his like destroy the relations we've cultivated with our trading partners. If this goes on, we'll lose them, and lose them forever. We could even be embargoed. Oh, sir, I think you've been reading too many of Cotton Mather's printed sermons. The governor wraps his cane on the ceiling, and the carriage comes to a stop. In fact, I think this might be your stop.

May I ask why? Fletcher smiles and shakes his head. It's for your own good, sir. I wouldn't want for you to be seen consorting with a known supporter of pirates. Your face burns as you quickly climb down from the carriage and watch it roll away. You don't care if Fletcher is the governor. You're one of the city's most powerful merchants, and you won't stand for being so insulted.

Somehow, you'll have the last word when you write to the Board of Trade in London. You'll tell them what's really going on here, how this town is turning into the pirate capital of the colonies. Benjamin Fletcher's political enemies might have seethed, but the governor continued to support pirate expeditions by granting commissions to men he trusted. And it wasn't just Thomas II. Fletcher acted as sponsor and commissioner to several pirates passing through New York. Still, he had to be careful. Being publicly seen with known enemies of the crown was not good for politics. But for Fletcher, it was worth the risk. He and

his family enjoyed the considerable kickbacks that pirates brought to his table. Thomas, too, paid Fletcher 300 pounds sterling for his commission, equal to about 30,000 of today's dollars. And he undoubtedly promised the governor even more upon his return. So after making his deal with Governor Fletcher, Thomas, too, had a new letter of mark in hand, along with his ship and crew. He was ready to make more money plundering foreign vessels. All he needed now was a target. But this time, he and his crew wouldn't be sailing alone. A group of colonial pirates had invited two to join a powerful pirate fleet. And within months, two in the Amity would be sailing out of the frigid waters of the North Atlantic,

their sights and their sails aimed squarely at the eastern coast of Africa, and their biggest prize yet. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn and it harboured a deep dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still have heard it. It just happens to all of them. I'm journalist Luke Jones and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story

that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn trials I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Dracula, the ancient vampire who terrorises Victorian London. Blood and garlic, bats and crucifixes. Even if you haven't read the book, you think you know the

story. One of the incredible things about Dracula is that not only is it this wonderful snapshot of the 19th century, but it also has so much resonance today. The vampire doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror. So when we look in the mirror, the only thing we see is our own monstrous abilities. From the host and producer of American History Tellers and History Daily comes the new podcast, The Real History of Dracula. We'll reveal how author Bram Stoker raided ancient folklore, exploited Victorian fears around sex, science, and religion, and how even today we remain enthralled to his strange creatures of the night.

You can binge all episodes of The Real History of Dracula exclusively with Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus and The Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. In the fall of 1694, Captain Thomas Too put the finishing touches on getting his sloop Amity ready for her next voyage. But before he and his crew could embark from the Atlantic coast, Too was approached by four other New England sailing captains. They too held privateers' commissions, but their plan was piracy. They wanted Too to meet them near Madagascar, where they would join forces with an English pirate named Henry Every. Together they would form an unstoppable pirate fleet, one that could pick off a whole Mughal shipping convoy one by one.

The plan was enticing, but two was wary. He was one of the first pirates from the American colonies to complete a successful pillaging voyage to the Red Sea and back. Over the last three years, other pirates had followed in his wake, and competition was getting stiffer. Two wasn't interested in sharing any of his knowledge or spoils. But the New England captains pressed their point. Rarely had such a large group of pirates worked together, and if they succeeded, their combined haul could be many times the value of what Two

plundered on his last trip. Eventually, Two's greed got the better of him, and he decided to cast his lot in with the other captains. So in November 1694, Two and the Amity set sail from New England. They traveled alone, with a course set for Madagascar, where they would meet the other pirate captains. From there, they sailed up Africa's eastern coast, arriving on the desolate island of Parham in the summer of 1695. Situated on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, the tiny island of Parham sat in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which led from the Red Sea to the open ocean.

The Amity was slow for a pirate ship, and the other New England captains were already there waiting. And so was the English pirate, Henry Every. Around 30 years old, Every was a slave trader who mutinied to board a Spanish vessel and stunned the English government by ransacking their ships in the Atlantic. He was known to be charismatic and persuasive, and as he laid out his plan to the other captains, they listened and wrapped attention. Once a year, the Islamic citizens of the Mughal Empire could make a hajj, or pilgrimage, to worship at the city of Mecca. The ships carrying these pilgrims were large and heavily armed, but the pilgrims themselves often traveled laden with jewelry, lush fabrics, and personal riches, making the vessels a tempting target. The hajj, though, was ending soon, and a return convoy would pass through the narrow strait.

These 25 ships would be sailing some distance apart from each other, a perfect set of moving targets to pick off one by one. After consulting with his crew, two agreed to join Every in the attack. He and the other captains drew up articles of agreement for their new alliance, and between them, the six pirate ships held nearly 500 crew members, but they were certain there would be enough spoils to go around. So the six captains settled in on Param Island to wait, but their plan fell apart when the entire Moogle convoy sailed past them in the night. Taken by surprise, the fleet of pirates raced to catch up. Imagine it's September 1695.

You're a young gunner's mate aboard the pirate ship Portsmouth Adventure, chasing after a Mughal convoy in the Arabian Sea. Captain Every's man-of-war, the Fancy, stands just ahead, its powerful sails full of wind. But Thomas Too's sloop has fallen so far behind, no one can see it anymore. As a fellow Rhode Islander, you feel bad for the man.

But you don't have any time to worry about someone else's ship. Coming in close along your starboard side is your prize, a large Moogle merchant vessel. You take your spot by a cannon perched at an open gunpoint, joining another crewman and the ship's head gunner. He's an old sunburned Swede, with more years on the ocean than you've had years on the Earth. That cannon's bigger than you, boy. You sure you're up for this?

I served in the English Navy. I know how to load a cannon. Well, let's hope so. Just ahead, the Moogle vessel is getting closer. It's much larger than your ship, perhaps 200 tons, and it looks to be twice as heavily armed. The Swedish gunner calls out commands. Now let's get them loaded up. We're almost in range. You hurry to fill the muzzle of your six-pound cannon with iron shot.

Don't we have anything larger? This three-pound mix isn't going to make a dent in that ship. But just as you're complaining about your cannons, the merchant ship fires her own. The cannonball crashes into the water just 40 feet from where you're standing. Ah, stop your complaining. Hurry, get the wad in there. You thrust a wad of cloth into the muzzle and wedge it all the way down into the cannon.

Then you help roll the cannon to its porthole. Check your knots. We'll have no loose cannons here. You and the other gunner's mate test the ropes designed to keep the 700-pound cannon in place after it fires. Keep the muzzle up. Aim for their masts. Aye, aye. The gunner's mate hands you a lighted fuse. You hold the sizzling stick at a distance, waiting for the call.

Uh, touch! Given the signal, all down the Portmoutht's Adventure's entire starboard side, cannons fire at the same time. Your cannon buckles back on its wheels, and as the dust settles, a cheer goes up from the crew. Gunner motions for you to reload. But as you're filling the muzzle with more iron shot, he suddenly calls you off. Hold, sailor. Captain's orders. Confused, you peer out the gunport and see a sight that makes your heart leap.

A small, white flag, fluttering briskly from the Moogle ship. You feel the gunner's callous hand pat your shoulder. That was a good shot, English Navy. You feel the gunner's callous hand pat your shoulder. That was a good shot, English Navy. You hit her main mass she's done for. Grab a musket if you want to join the boarding party. You don't have to be told twice. You hurry to the armory and find a firearm. You can't wait to see what riches your lucky cannon shot just earned you. After pursuing the Mughal convoy for several days, Henry Every and the rest of the New England pirates successfully captured two ships, including one owned by the Mughal emperor himself. But Thomas Too's luck took a different turn. During the pursuit, the slower

Amity fell behind, and once again, Too in his crew found themselves alone in the open ocean. Then a crew member sighted flags on the horizon. It was a single Moogle ship, alone, drifting away from its convoy. This was the chance two had been waiting for. He sailed toward the Moogle ship and readied the Amity's guns. He would fire as soon as he was in range, thinking a shot across the bow might be all he would need. Most pirates used their cannons mainly to intimidate, not to destroy. The goal was, of course, to plunder or commandeer other ships, not sink them. But this battle would not go two's

way. The Mughal ship returned fire and scored a devastating hit. One cannonball ripped through the deck of the Amity, hitting two in the midsection and disemboweling him. The crew was stunned. With their captain dying on the deck, they managed a hasty retreat. Two's body was left behind, perhaps on a nearby island, but most likely buried at sea. Then, at a port in Madagascar, his crew scrapped the ship, which had been badly damaged in the battle. It's possible that the rest of Thomas Too's crew continued pirating, but none of them would ever return to the North Atlantic coast. With his untimely death, Captain Too narrowly missed being part of the largest haul in the history of piracy.

The Mughal Emperor's ship contained riches worth several hundred thousand pounds sterling, by some estimates, the equivalent of 60 million dollars today. After the heist, Captain Every disappeared, never to be heard from again. Years later, a rumor surfaced that Captain Too hadn't died at sea. Instead, the Rhode Island mariner recovered from his wounds and stayed in Madagascar, fathering a child with a local royal family. This and other legends of Thomas II, whether dead or alive, became part of pirate folklore, far outliving his brief career on the high seas. After II's death, many more pirates followed his lead, heading east to the Red Sea. By the late 1690s, an estimated 1,500 pirates roamed the Indian Ocean, with

Madagascar serving as their base. But as piracy grew, the English government stepped up its efforts to combat it, starting with the pirate sponsors in the American colonies. In New York, Governor Benjamin Fletcher was replaced and recalled to England after his support for two and the other pirates came to light. A series of investigations held by the English Board of Trade uncovered a worrisome trend. The American colonies were already starting to think of themselves as independent from England and flouting English law by issuing letters of marque to known pirates. Those pirates were wreaking havoc on England's trading partners and enabling the colonies to dodge English taxes

by supplying a steady stream of black market goods. The piracy conducted by Thomas II and others had sent a shock through the entire global trade system. And now England would take swift action to keep its colonists in line. Soon, pirates from the North Atlantic would be facing a whole new kind of foe, English pirate hunters. From Wondery, this is Episode 1 of The Age of Pirates from American History Tellers. On the next episode, the English Crown steps up its efforts to combat colonial piracy,

and Captain William Kidd takes matters into his own hands when he's hired to hunt down pirates in the Red Sea. If you like American History Tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. American History Tellers is hosted, edited,

and produced by me, Lindsey Graham, for Airship. Audio editing by Molly Bach. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written by George Ducker, edited by Dorian Marina. Our managing producers are Tondra Thigpen and Matt Gant. Our senior producer is Andy Herman.

Executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Louis for Wondery. the house next door to where I grew up, I started wondering about the inexplicable things that happened in my childhood bedroom. When I tried to find out more, I discovered that someone who slept in my room after me, someone I'd never met, was visited by the ghost of a faceless woman. So I started digging into the murder in my wife's family, and I unearthed family secrets nobody could have imagined. Ghost Story won Best Documentary Podcast at the 2024 Ambees and is a Best True Crime nominee at the British Podcast Awards 2024. Ghost Story is Best Documentary Podcast at the 2024 Ambies and is a Best True Crime Nominee at the British Podcast Awards 2024. Ghost Story is now the first ever Apple Podcast Series Essential.

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