Like most of eighteenth century life, piracy was run by men. But there were some female pirates. Women were often banned from pirate ships, so women who wanted to be pirates disguised themselves by dressing, fighting, drinking and swearing like men.
One of the first female pirate captains was Alvilda from Sweden. She lived in a time before the Vikings (around 6 A.D.). She sailed with an all woman crew to avoid marriage to the Danish prince Alf.
Ching Shih was a female pirate from China who lived in the early nineteenth century. She commanded an entire fleet of pirate ships – 1,800 – about 80,000 pirates.
From 1718 “Calico” Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny were pirates together in the Caribbean. After she met Jack, Anne Bonny left her sailor husband to take up life as a pirate, dressed as a man.
Anne and Jack were joined by Mary Read, who had disguised herself as a man when she joined their crew. She had also fought in the English army and navy disguised in men’s clothes.
All three pirates were captured when Jack Rackham’s ship was attacked by a British navy sloop. Anne and Mary were the only crew members brave enough to defend the ship. They were sentenced to death in 1720. Anne and Mary were, however, spared the death penalty as they were both pregnant.