The Golden Age of Piracy The mighty British Empire held to ransom by a rabble of thieves. They went where they chose, did what they wanted, and stole whatever took their fancy. To the governors, merchants, and planters trying to build an empire, they were a threat. To the blue bloods of London, Boston, and Charles Towne, no one was more hated than the pirate captains who stole their gold. Until the noose and cannon snuffed them out, they held the world at their mercy. This is a story of one of those tales.