After Pirates of the Caribbean 5! After many years, the previous plot was almost forgotten. I remember that in the September 2006 issue of Natural History, we also discussed the prototype of the movie protagonist. This series of films borrowed the historical background of Pirates of the Caribbean and gave this group new weight. In fact, although the real pirates of the Caribbean were once all-powerful, they were only props in the political game of big countries in the whirlpool of the times.

A new hunting ground in the era of great navigation

The Caribbean Sea between North and South America is the largest inland sea in the world. It is bordered by Central America and Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico to the west, surrounded by necklace-like West Indies to the north and east, and fertile South American continent to the south. These places are rich in precious tropical crops and gold and silver deposits. In A.D. 1492, Columbus discovered this place on a long voyage, and then Spain began to colonize America. A large number of materials produced in the surrounding areas of the Caribbean are continuously transported from coastal ports to Spain. /kloc-The Caribbean in the 0/6th century was very lively, and commercial fleets kept flowing.

When merchant ships swaggered across the sea full of goods, some people were sharpening their knives and playing with their own ideas. There are many islands in the Caribbean, and the waterways vary in width and depth, and the hydrological conditions are extremely complicated, which is very suitable for pirates to hide and ambush guerrillas. From the perspective of pirates, this new sea area developed in the era of great navigation is a unique new hunting ground.

The colonial activities of Britain, France and other countries in the Western Hemisphere are one step behind Spain, and they have long been jealous when they saw that the Spaniards earned a lot of money in the United States. 1522, at the behest of the king of France, pirates robbed Spanish merchant ships in the Caribbean and returned two ships of jewels and a ship of sugar to France. When Britain saw that this was a good move, it immediately followed suit. Since then, there have been some well-equipped pirates in the Caribbean, the most famous of which is Francis Drake.

Queen Elizabeth I (1558? 1603 in office) has long supported the cause of piracy and is known as the "Queen of Pirates".

Drake was an English sailor and later became an explorer. He sailed to the Caribbean twice in the 65438+60s. 1572, he robbed the Spanish gold flotilla in South America, robbed several Spanish ships, set sail for home, made a sensation, and was personally summoned by Queen Elizabeth I. Five years later, he went to America again and robbed Spanish merchant ships all the way in the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, it was chased by Spanish warships, mistakenly bypassed the southernmost tip of South America, and finally completed the second round-the-world voyage in human history. After returning home, Drake was knighted by the Queen and became a monument in the history of pirates.

Francis Drake, an English navigator, is a representative figure in the early stage of Pirates of the Caribbean. His famous voyage around the world originated from piracy that robbed Spanish merchant ships. He was also knighted by the Queen.

Official pirates, robbery with certificate

The pirates of the Caribbean in16th century didn't cause much trouble, although the weather was favorable and the people were in harmony. Because at this time, the Spanish navy is still the best in the world. With them guarding the Caribbean, pirates dare not be too wild. It was not until 1588 that the Spanish Armada was defeated by the British Royal Navy (see 20 1 1 February) that the situation in the Caribbean began to change. Britain, France, the Netherlands and other countries successively seized coastal strongholds, and for a time the Caribbean Sea was torn apart.

Lian Jing/Meng wrote/painted

From Natural History 20 17 05.