CAPTAIN MORGAN

Sir Henry Morgan, or today famous as Captain Morgan, the face of the brand of spiced rum with the same name, was one of the most successful pirates of all time, who made a name in the Caribbean as a leader of buccaneers. He was actually not a pirate but a privateer holding an unofficial “license” of the British authorities to attack the Spanish shipping and ports, as long as England and Spain were at war. He fought for the English against the Spanish in the Caribbean in the 1660’s and 1670’s and is remembered as the greatest of the privateers, amassing huge fleets, attacking prominent targets and being the worst enemy of the Spanish. Although he made numerous raids all along the Spanish Main, his three most famous exploits were the 1668 sack of Portobello, the 1669 raid on Maracaibo and the 1671 attack on Panama. He was a fearless leader, his attacks were well-planned, and he was very clever. His actions changed the face of history in the Americas. His exploits, which had the unofficial support of the British authorities, were sanctioned to help persuade Spain to limit her activities to the South, leaving most of the Caribbean and North America, where Britain had established her first overseas colonies, to the British. He was knighted by King Charles II of England and died in Jamaica a rich man on August 25, 1688.