The Pirates' Code: Laws and Life Aboard Ship

Fall captive to the code—the real-life buccaneer bylaws that shaped every aspect of a pirate’s life.

Pirates have long captured our imaginations with images of cutlass-wielding swashbucklers, eye patches, and buried treasure. But what was life really like on a pirate ship? Piracy was a risky, sometimes deadly occupation, and strict orders were essential for everyone’s survival. These “Laws” were sets of rules that determined everything from how much each pirate earned from their plunder t...