Sir Henry Morgan (Welsh, 1635-1688)
Sir Henry Morgan
Captain Morgan is one of the most famous pirates who terrorized Spain’s Caribbean colonies in the late 1600s. Inconspicuously sanctioned by England, Morgan became the head of the Jamaican fleet and successfully undermined Spanish rule, hampering normalcy in the West Indies. He may have pillaged upwards of four hundred ships throughout his piracy career. His greatest achievement was capturing the very wealthy Panama City with thirty ships and 1,200 men, acquiring his largest plunder yet. It was due to his raid on Panama City that he was arrested and brought back to England, but because battle resumed between England and Spain, King Charles II knighted Morgan and released him as deputy governor of Jamaica. There, he lived a very well respected planter until his death.