Pirates were most notably active during the Golden Age of Piracy, which spanned roughly from the 1650s to the 1730s. This period saw significant maritime piracy particularly in the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, and along the eastern coast of North America. The Golden Age of Piracy is often divided into three main periods:
- Buccaneering period (circa 1650 to 1680) with Anglo-French pirates attacking Spanish interests mainly in the Caribbean.
- The Pirate Round (1690s), involving long-distance voyages targeting the East India Company's interests in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
- Post-Spanish Succession period (1715 to 1726), when many former sailors turned to piracy en masse in the Caribbean and other regions.
This era produced many famous pirates such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Anne Bonny, and others, and piracy was influenced by political, economic, and military factors of the time which included colonial expansion and naval engagements.
