You might be wondering, how did one become a pirate?

_Elsa_

‘Often pirates started out as young sailors who quickly learned that stealing was the easiest and quickest way to make a living. It is speculated that both Blackbeard and Calico Jack began as sailors before crossing that boundary into pirate-hood. In other accounts, pirates were made. What I mean by this is that some people were captured during raids or battles and forced to work on the pirates' ship as servants/slaves. Some of these people thought it might be better to join them if you can't beat them.

Other ways to become a pirate was to join a friend's ship (who was already into piracy), or if you were a female tough enough to handle it...marry a pirate (as in the case of the infamous Anne Bonny). A large majority of pirates came from poverty, but there are a few that were born into a life of privilege...but the call of the sea and the treasures it may hold tempted them too strongly.

Pirates often stole their food and alcohol in order to survive...or simply to have a little fun.

What did Pirates eat?

There are many of us who might imagine pirates as eating whatever they want, whenever they want, but the reality of life for pirates was not always so fanciful or decadent. Often when the pirates were out to sea for months on end, their food supply would dwindle. The fact that they had no means to keep their food cold or frozen means that much of their food supply would rot or grow mold. This included the meat, bread, dairy, and produce. But because of this, one might have also seen pirates eating a lot of cured (salted) meats and fermented vegetables.

 Some pirate food staples might have included: salted meat, sea biscuits (a hard bread meant to last long periods of time), sauerkraut, and bone soup.

If the pirates were smart, they would steal and keep livestock on board. For example, if they kept a cow and/or goats, they would have access to milk. If they kept chickens - eggs would be readily available. And when all else fails and all the food has rotted - eat the livestock!

What did pirates happily drink? Alcohol, of course! The pirates in the Caribbean are most likely to have consumed a lot of rum...alcohol made of sugar cane, a resource available on farms throughout the Caribbean. Beer and ale was also a favorite and was often stolen in raids of other ships along with mead, brandy, and wine. Any kind of alcohol was subject to being stolen and downed by pirates...let's face it, they were drinkers. We picture pirates stealing chests of gold and jewels when in reality they were most likely stealing chests of liquor!

Seafood seems like it might have been an easy source of food for pirates; however, it was rare that pirates would have the time to sit around and fish all day for a bite to eat. It would have taken too long and not have produced enough food. Though, I'm sure desperate times call for desperate measures.

Whatever they could steal from other ships, they would eat!’ (Source)

Let’s continue - The girls learn more about pirates

Start at the beginning – Kimmy meets some pirates