Calico Jack Was One Of History’s Most Infamous Pirates, And He Sailed The Caribbean Sea During The Early 18th Century

One of history’s most infamous pirates is Captain John “Calico Jack” Rackham. He sailed the Caribbean Sea during the early 18th century, terrorizing anyone who crossed his path while wearing brightly colored calico clothing.
Most successful pirates preferred to dress in silk and velvet attire, but Rackham opted for calico cotton from India, which is how he earned his nickname of Calico Jack. His choice of clothing was not the only thing that made him stand out from other pirates.
He was also known for having two female pirates in his crew, something that was rare to see. They fought alongside him until he was finally captured.
While he was not the best fighter, he had a bold and cunning personality, which allowed him to rise through the ranks and cement his reputation as a pirate legend.
Calico Jack was born John Rackham on December 26, 1682, and died on November 18, 1720. Not much is known about his early life.
He first appeared in written records in 1718 as a crew member of a pirate ship named the Ranger. He was the second in charge and was tasked with the responsibility of disciplining other crew members.
Charles Vane, the captain of the Ranger, wasn’t popular with his crew, so everyone decided to make Calico Jack the new captain.
A month later, they encountered a Jamaican merchant ship they wanted to plunder. Calico Jack and his crew managed to snag the precious cargo, but since they were so close to shore, plenty of witnesses saw the event take place. Bounty hunters were hired to capture the pirates.
Calico Jack and his crew avoided capture and decided to head to Nassau in the Bahamas, where the new governor had issued an amnesty deal stating that pirates who turned themselves in could live as free men as long as they gave up piracy.

Photocreo Bednarek – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Soon after arriving in Nassau, Calico Jack fell in love with red-headed Anne Bonny, the wife of ex-pirate James Bonny.
Anne petitioned the governor to get her marriage to James annulled. However, James refused. Calico Jack even offered him money to get him to agree to a divorce, but he turned that down as well.
So, there was nothing left for the couple to do but run away together. They stole a ship, along with a few accomplices, and sailed off. Once again, Calico Jack embraced the pirate life.
Whenever a fight broke out, Anne would pretend to be a male pirate. She and Calico Jack got married at sea, and she quickly became pregnant.
Calico Jack dropped her off in Cuba to have the baby. After birthing a son, she returned to sea with her husband. It is unclear what happened to the child.
The other female pirate on board was Mary Read. Before joining Calico Jack’s crew, she was in the British military, disguised as a man.
By 1720, she was officially part of the crew. The governor of the Bahamas sent a pirate hunter after them since Calico Jack skipped out on his amnesty deal.
His ship was captured off the coast of Bry Harbor Bay in Jamaica. They were taken to Spanish Town, Jamaica, to await trial.
In court, Read and Bonny both claimed to be pregnant in order to escape the death penalty. Calico Jack and the rest of the crew were found guilty and were sentenced to death.
On November 18, 1720, Calico Jack was hanged. Mary Read died in prison a year later, but there is no record of what happened to Anne.
To this day, her fate remains unknown, but some say that she lived a peaceful life after being released from prison and eventually died of old age.
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