Pirates: Henry Morgan

Issued 1971
Henry Morgan

Henry Morgan, a Welsh privateer, was asked by the English government to attack Spanish cities and ships in the New World while the two countries were at war. To that end, Morgan had Royal Navy vessels and veterans from the English army at his disposal. To this force he added local hunters, named “boucaniers” after the meat they sold the English. In time, the term evolved to “buccaneers.” Henry Morgan was so successful in leading the buccaneers (i.e., made so much money for England), he was made the governor of Jamaica after he retired from pirating.