The literary pirate is a subject weighed down by a romantically idealized yet historically inaccurate portrayal. However, the golden age of piracy, spanning roughly two centuries starting in the mid-16th century and centered in the Caribbean Sea, did indeed introduce unexpected perspectives into Western culture. Pirates refined innovative strategies and techniques in warfare, such as the use of holds divided into removable sections to vary the internal organization of spaces, the extensive use of modified cannonballs like chain shot and bar shot, coastal combat maneuvers that exploited natural coves, or tactics like positioning small vessels beneath the stern castles of enemy ships to sabotage the rudder and board the less defended sections.

They were essentially cutthroats, but their marginalization led to forms of association that were, in some respects, ahead of their time. Many of them developed anti-monarchical and republican sentiments that foreshadowed the independence movements that would later shape the history of the Americas. Beyond the mythical Libertalia, several islands were controlled by pirates, such as Île-à-Vache and New Providence, often with democratic forms of government. Many captains were elected and prided themselves on not ruling with the iron fist typical of royal navies. Pirates adopted codes of conduct that every crew member signed to self-regulate their behavior. Some of these codes have survived to this day, and they reveal an egalitarian system that also included welfare aspects, such as life or injury insurance. These ensured that those who were maimed or killed in action were entitled to a share of the loot, either for themselves or their families. Not knowing what to do with slaves, pirates typically freed those found in chains on slave ships and allowed them to join the crew as equals. Even some women were able to rise through the ranks in this world, so far removed from European standards, assuming leadership roles, as in the cases of Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Maria Lindsey.