Jack Rackham (English Version)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rackham began his meteoric career in 1717, when he convinced his fellow pirates to depose their captain, Charles Vane, for cowardice and appoint him as their new leader. Within just three short years he would gain notoriety both for his piratical exploits and for his choice of Lieutenants. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Known as "Calico Jack" for his bright clothing, Rackham cut a dashing figure in the pirate havens of the Caribbean. In New Providence, Bahamas, he won the heart of Anne Bonny, a wild and tempestuous young woman who he dressed as a man and smuggled aboard his ship. Soon afterwards he discovered that yet another woman was aboard his ship, one Mary Read, also disguised as a man. By all accounts the two women were as fierce - or fiercer - than any man aboard his ship, and the women became his trusted lieutenants. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Over the next several years Rackham played merry hell among the shipping in the Caribbean. He primarily subsisted on fishing vessels and lightly-armed merchanters, but he'd take on larger and more powerful targets when necessary. Rackham's piratical career came to an abrupt end in 1720, when an English warship engaged him in a night battle. The two women fought like heroes but most of the male pirates - Rackham included - were dead drunk, and they surrendered without putting up much of a fight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Put in irons and taken to Jamaica to stand trial, on November 28, 1720, Calico Jack and his crew were found guilty and sentenced to death. "Pleading their bellies," the pregnant Bonny and Read had their sentences commuted until they bore their children, but there was no reprieve for Rackham. According to legend, as he went to his death the unforgiving Anne Bonny told him, "Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hanged like a dog." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What a poor end for a great pirate!!!