Henry Morgan is one of the most famous English pirates. He has counted dozens of captured ships, several cities and a rather interesting political career at the end of his life. He was born in Wales. His father cultivated the land, but Henry himself had no interest in agriculture, so one day he decided to go as a young boy on a ship bound for the island of Barbados.
early years
Henry Morgan was born in Lanramni (now a suburb of Kardif) around 1635. His father Robert Morgan was a wealthy landowner.
According to one of the legends of which the entire biography of the legendary pirate is composed, Henry Morgan was abducted in Bristol and sold as a slave in Barbados, then fled to Jamaica from there. However, Henry Morgan himself disputed the fact of being a slave in court. Later, historians found in the archives documents according to which his uncle Edward Morgan was the vice-governor of Jamaica.
It is generally accepted that Henry Morgan appeared in Jamaica in 1658, but there are no records of him until 1665. At that time, the English military contingent in the West Indies was limited; moreover, a career in the army and the Royal Navy did not have any particular prospects in terms of financial stability. The work of the port loader of the young Henry was also not attracted, so he decided to become a privateer. In 1665, he took part in a pirate expedition to the Spanish possessions, which lasted twenty-two months. Upon his return, Morgan received an offer from the governor to capture Havana. Instead, he attacked the island of Pinas, which was the first successful independent action by a pirate.
Pirate career
In 1668, he, along with the French, sacked the western coast of Haiti. The profit turned out to be much less than that which was expected and a quarrel broke out between the British and French. To extinguish the discontent of the team, Henry Morgan decided on a desperate act and captured the well-fortified Spanish city of Partabela. English pirates engaged in robbery and murder for two weeks. Partabel’s capture greatly helped Henry Morgan’s credibility among other privateers. In order not to cause dissatisfaction with the Jamaican governor, who was pretending to be crowned, which restrains piracy, Morgan said that he saved eleven Englishmen who were under arrest in Partabela.
In 1669, Henry Morgan went to Lake Maracaibo, where he burned the fortresses already abandoned by Spanish soldiers, but ended up in a trap, as the Spanish fleet blocked the access to the sea. But Morgan was able to deceive the Spaniards and escaped with his squadron to the open sea, in addition, he also received a ransom for the hostages.
In order not to conflict with the royal authorities, after returning from Maracaibo, Henry Morgan temporarily refused to pursue a privateer career. He acquired land in Jamaica and decided to arrange his personal life by marrying Mary, daughter of Edward Morgan. In 1670, a peace treaty was signed between Spain and England, so its decision looked quite natural.
Peaceful life lasted only a year. Already in August 1670, the governor turned to Henry Morgan with a request to ensure the safety of British navigators, who were allegedly attacked by Spanish warships. But Morgan decided to organize a large-scale expedition, the purpose of which will be the capture of Panama, a transit point for transporting silver from Peru to Spain. Many pirates, who in short peacetime were in debt from moneylenders, strongly supported this idea. In 1671, the expedition reached its destination. Panama was not well fortified, so the pirates were able to easily capture and plunder the city.
Upon returning from Panama to Jamaica, Henry Morgan received the gratitude of the governor. However, his raid violated the peace treaty. In the summer of 1671, the new governor, newly appointed by the royal authorities, arrested his predecessor. In 1672, Henry Morgan was also brought to England and landed in the Tower. According to the laws of that time, in prison he was forced to pay out of pocket for food and security, but he was allowed to move freely around London and make useful contacts.
