Morgan, Sir Henry (1635?-1688), was the most famous English buccaneer (pirate). In his day, England and Spain were rivals for trade and colonies. Morgan raided Spanish ships and towns in Spain’s colonies in the Caribbean region, Central America, and South America. In 1671, he caused the destruction of Panama City, Panama, the largest Spanish city in Central America.
Early career.
Morgan was born in Wales. Little is known of his early life. In 1655, he arrived in the Caribbean as a soldier with an English expedition. This expedition captured the Spanish colony of Jamaica. By 1666, Morgan had become a buccaneer. Thomas Modyford, the new English governor of Jamaica, thought the buccaneers were Jamaica’s best defense, and he directed them to attack the Spaniards.
In 1668, Morgan led about 500 English buccaneers in a raid on Portobelo, Panama. Morgan proved his skills as a commander by capturing the city. At one point, he used captives, including priests and nuns, as a human shield while attacking a fortress.
In 1669, Morgan gathered about 500 buccaneers and eight ships for a raid on Maracaibo, Venezuela. On his way home to Jamaica, he easily defeated three Spanish warships that had been sent to capture him.
Morgan returned to Jamaica to discover that England and Spain were negotiating a peace treaty. With the treaty nearly approved, Modyford hesitated to permit the buccaneers to attack the Spanish again. But after a Spanish attack, and before news of the signing of the treaty had reached Jamaica, Modyford let Morgan sail again.
Attack on Panama.
In December 1670, Morgan sailed for Panama in his final and most famous raid. He led a force of 38 ships and about 2,000 men. He captured several towns and finally faced the Spanish army just outside Panama City in 1671. The Spaniards stampeded a herd of cattle at the buccaneers, but Morgan’s men scattered the cattle and slaughtered the Spanish army. Some Spaniards then set fires in Panama City in hopes of slowing the buccaneers’ progress. The fires got out of control and destroyed the city. The Spaniards had earlier moved their wealth out of the city, and the buccaneers found little loot to share.
Shortly after Morgan reached Jamaica in 1671, Sir Thomas Lynch succeeded Modyford as governor of Jamaica. The English government had decided to replace Modyford because of his support of the buccaneers. The new governor arrested Morgan for his attack on Panama and sent him to England for trial. But King Charles II forgave Morgan and knighted him in 1674. Morgan was appointed deputy governor of Jamaica in 1674 and served until 1683. He died on Aug. 25, 1688.
