Henry Morgan

A pirate chief based in Jamaica who, after sacking Panama, was knighted instead of punished.

Life

Welshman

Morgan was a Welshman (born c. 1635) who came to Jamaica early in life and became a chief of the "buccaneer" pirates who raided Spanish possessions with England's tacit approval.

Sack of Panama

In 1668 he raided Portobelo on the Isthmus of Panama, in 1669 he attacked Maracaibo in Venezuela, and in 1671 he led more than a thousand men across the isthmus to capture and sack Panama City. Because this raid took place after England and Spain had signed a peace treaty, he was sent back to England under arrest.

From pirate to lieutenant governor

Rather than being punished in England, he was knighted in 1674 and returned to Jamaica as lieutenant governor, where he turned to fighting pirates. He died in Jamaica in 1688 and was buried at Port Royal; a few years later the cemetery sank into the sea in an earthquake.

Legacy

Morgan was one of the most successful figures in the history of Caribbean piracy, and his career shows the ambiguous relationship between piracy and state interests.

Did you know? A well-known rum brand today is named after him.

Key dates

• 1668Raided Portobelo
• 1669Attacked Maracaibo
• 1671Sacked Panama City
• 1674Knighted; became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica
• 1688Died