Henry Avery, The King of Pirates and the Legend of Libertalia | Golden age of Piracy

hello everyone welcome to spacebound in today's video we're going to explore the fascinating life of Henry Avery the real life king of pirates everyone who watches the anime one piece knows the story of Monkey D Luffy and his friends in their quest to find the onepiece treasure and become the king of the Pirates however this title is not all made up and a man who has conquered unimaginable wealth obtained it Henry Avery this video was based on material from the book The Republic of pirates being the true and surprising story of the Caribbean pirates and the man who brought them down by Colin Woodard I recommend it get ready for a journey filled with adventure and mystery on the high seas of the 17th [Music] century Henry Avery also known as the king of pirates was one of the most notorious figures of the golden age of piracy born in 1659 near Plymouth England Avery spent most of his life at Sea starting as a sailor and eventually becoming one of the richest and Most Wanted pirates in the world Avery was born in the coastal town of Plymouth a major Maritime Hub in England as a young man he embarked on a maritime career serving as a mate on various trading ships the conditions on board were brutal with harsh treatment from officers inadequate provisions and regular or absent wages in 1688 with England at war with France Avery enlisted in the Royal Navy he served as a junior officer aboard HMS rer and HMS albamar experiencing the grueling life of Naval Combat despite the prestige associated with Naval service the reality for Sailors like Avery was one of severe discipline low pay and little chance of advancement in the spring of 1693 a I's fortunes seemed to change he learned of a wealthy group of merchants assembling a squadron of heavily armed ships for a mission that combined legitimate trade with privateering these ships were to sail to the Caribbean engage in trade with Spanish colonies and attack French ships and plantations attracted by the promise of better wages and more Humane treatment Avery joined the Expedition as the first mate of the flagship Charles II under Captain Charles Gibson however The Voyage quickly turned into a disaster after numerous delays and frustrations in Laruna Spain where the fleet was held up for months Avery and his fellow Sailors grew disillusioned they believed they had been sold into virtual slavery to the Spanish on May 6th 1694 Avery led a mutiny aboard the Charles II seizing control of the ship renaming it the fancy Avery and his crew embarked on a pical career sailing for the riches of the Indian Ocean Aver's most infamous exploit occurred in 1695 when the fancy encountered the Gangi saai a heavily armed ship Laden with treasures this vessel belonging to the Grand Mogul of India was on its return Journey from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca Laden with immense riches during the attack Avery and his crew committed numerous atrocities including the brutal treatment of passengers and the Looting of the ship's vast Treasures according to the historical accounts detailed in the Republic of pirates the Trove of gold silver Ivory and jewels seized from the Gangi saai was estimated to be worth £150,000 or more to put this into perspective each member of Aver's crew received an individual share of £1,000 which was equivalent to 20 years wages for a merchant sailor at the time this enormous hle cemented Aver's reputation as one of the most successful p Pirates of his generation following their Monumental success Avery and his crew aimed to evade capture and enjoy their Newfound wealth they set sail for Nassau arriving in November 1695 where they sought to launder their Loot and avoid the Mogul Emperor's Revenge Avery negotiated with Governor Nicholas Trot of the Bahamas who turned a blind eye to their piracy in exchange for a bribe this Arrangement allowed Avery and his men to stay in Nassau for several days days where they debated their next steps over drinks and Leisure during their time in NASA the crew split into three groups each with different plans to disappear with their plunder one group led by Thomas Hollingsworth purchased a Sloop and sailed for England another group headed to Charleston in Carolina while Avery and a final contingent bought the seaflower of 50 ton Sloop and sailed towards Ireland Governor trt's willingness to engage with Avery and his men set a dangerous precedent highlighting nasau as a Haven for pirates this act of turning a blind eye and benefiting from Pirate wealth contributed to the Future governance of the region by Pirates eventually leading to Nassau becoming a notorious pirate Republic Avery successful evasion and laundering of his loot in Nassau laid the groundwork for the pirate stronghold that Nassau would become in the Years following his departure after dividing the plunder Avery and his men split up some went to the Americas While others tried to reintegrate into European Society some of Aver's men dared to return to London where they were arrested and executed their execution became famous and well documented by many who witnessed it Avery himself vanished Into Obscurity with numerous rumors about his fate circulating for years completely disappearing from any historical record there is no record of his capture life or death some believed he had become a king of a pirate Utopia in Madagascar While others claimed he died penniless in England one of the most intriguing Legends surrounding Henry Avery is the story of libertalia a supposed pirate Utopia founded by Avery and other notorious Pirates according to the legend libertalia was established on the island of Madagascar and was envisioned as a society free from the oppressive rules of European governments and Naval authorities the idea of libertalia was popularized by Captain Charles Johnson book a general history of the Pirates published in 1724 according to Johnson libertalia was a Haven where Pirates and liberated slaves live together in harmony sharing wealth equally and governing themselves democratically the society was set to be built on principles of Liberty equality and fraternity with its own code of laws and elected leaders while the existence of libertalia remains a topic of debate among historians the legend reflects the romanticized view of piracy as a form of rebellion against tyranny it paints Avery not just as a pirate but as a Visionary leader who sought to create a new and just Society this utopian Vision has captured the imagination of many and continues to be a part of pirate lore Henry Aver's Legend grew over the years fueled by sensationalized accounts and the fascination of the public with his exploits he was depicted as a romantic anti-hero a sort of Maritime Robin Hood who defied the oppressive Naval hierarchy and sought freedom and Fortune on the high seas plays books and later films would immortalize his story ensuring his place in the animals of pirate lore however it's always worth pointing out the extreme brutality and violence with which Avery and his crew treated the crew of enemy ships Henry Avery's life is a vivid illustration of the desperation and daring that characterized the Golden Age of piracy from a baguer sailor in the Royal Navy to a Legendary Pirate Avery story is one of Adventure rebellion and the pursuit of freedom and wealth against the backdrop of a harsh and unforgiving Maritime world thank you for joining us on this journey through the life of Henry Avery if you enjoyed this video please like share and subscribe to spacebound for more fascinating stories of pirates until next time set your course for adventure [Music]

Channel: Space Bound

Views: 160

Keywords: pirate, piracy, 17th century, one piece, anime, luffy, roger, gold roger, gol D. roger, henry avery, uncharted 4, avery, treasure, king of pirates, king of the pirates, pirates of the caribbean, gold

Id: XMhJALFWIUc

Length: 8min 33sec (513 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 10 2024