Over a Thousand Outlaws Lived by Their Own Rules on One Island. Guess Who?

[!NOTE] Historical File: Over a Thousand Outlaws Lived by Their Own Rules on One Island. Guess Who? Location: Bahamas | Era: Archival History | Format: Documentary & Narrative Record

The Untold Story

Over a thousand outlaws lived by their own rules on one small island. Guess who they were?

Pirates based themselves at Nassau, New Providence, in the Bahamas, rejecting rule from Britain until Governor Woodes Rogers arrived in 1718.

Thomas Barrow declared himself Governor of Providence, and captured cargo was shared among the crew at New Providence.

Guess who ruled themselves for years before the king’s navy finally came for them? Follow for more.

Historical Discussion

Over a thousand outlaws ran their own island with no king and no laws but their own for years - would you have joined them, or turned them in for the pardon?

What are your thoughts on this event? Share your perspective in the discussion or follow Echoes of History Uncut for daily forgotten archives.

What the Record Shows

6 sourced claims in this story, resting on 10 sources. Numbers link to the bibliography below.

• At its peak, more than 1,000 pirates lived at Nassau, New Providence - sources: 2, 1, 10, 5
• Pirates based themselves at Nassau, New Providence, in the Bahamas - sources: 1, 2, 8
• Nassau’s pirates rejected rule from Britain from about 1713 until 1718 - sources: 2, 1, 9, 6
• Governor Woodes Rogers arrived at Nassau in 1718 to enforce a royal pardon and end pirate rule there - sources: 3, 1, 7, 5
• In 1716, pirate Thomas Barrow declared himself Governor of Providence - sources: 4, 5
• In 1716, captured prize cargo at New Providence was shared among the crew - sources: 4, 6

Verified Archival Sources & Bibliography

Every claim in this account has been fact-checked against primary archives and scholarly repositories:

1. Wikipedia: Flying Gang (reference)
2. National Geographic: Nassau was the pirate capital of the Caribbean (news)
3. HISTORY: 6 Famous Pirate Strongholds (news)
4. Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies, Vol. 29 (July 1716): deposition of John Vickers on pirates at New Providence (primary)
5. Colin Woodard, “The Republic of Pirates” (Google Books) (book)
6. Colin Woodard, “The Republic of Pirates” (Google Books, second edition scan) (book)
7. Wikipedia: Woodes Rogers (reference)
8. Wikipedia: New Providence (reference)
9. Bijan Kazerooni, “The Suppression of Pirates and the Political Culture of Robert Walpole’s Britain” (Chapman University, Voces Novae) (book)
10. Smithsonian Magazine: Shipwrecks Discovered Near the Bahamas Tantalize Researchers With Possible Ties to the Real Pirates of the Caribbean (news)

Recommended Archival Reading & Audiobooks

For those seeking deeper historical immersion into this account:

• Audible 30-Day Free Trial (Includes 1-2 free historical audiobooks of your choice)

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Echoes of History earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.