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The Real-Life Captain Morgan Was More Interesting Than His Rum
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May 12, 2025
Sir Henry Morgan doesn't sound like the name one of the most terrifying pirates in the Caribbean - but the ruthless Captain Henry Morgan propelled himself to fame and riches by terrorizing his enemies and seizing a fortune in gold from the Spanish. The history of piracy is full of surprises, and these Henry Morgan facts are no exception.
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When you hear the name Captain Morgan, you may think of spiced rum fueling loud conversations at a sweaty college party
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But while there were plenty of pirates whose reputations were built on boozing it up with bar wenches
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the real Captain Morgan was not one of them. While Sir Henry Morgan might not sound like the name of one of the most terrifying pirates in history
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the man propelled himself to fame and riches by ruthlessly terrorizing his enemies
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and seizing a fortune in gold from the Spanish. Today, we're going to take a look at how the real Captain Morgan was way cooler than the rum named after him
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So, if there's one thing that's clear from the advertising for Captain Morgan's rum
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it's that Captain Morgan was a pirate. Except, he wasn't. Tactically, the real Morgan was a privateer
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licensed by the British government to attack the Spanish any time the two countries were at war
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which, much to his good fortune, was pretty much all the time in the 1600s
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When Captain Morgan did things like raid the fortified Spanish town of Portobello in 1668
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it was completely legal. That being said, Morgan could be as dastardly as any pirate
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When he took Portobello, he defeated the town's numerous guards by using their Catholic faith against them
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The captain anchored his ships far away to conceal his attack and struck at night by canoe
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Two of the three Spanish forts quickly fell, but to take the third, Morgan had to use captured nuns as human shields
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The real captain was not so easygoing as rum captain, but his nun shield paid off
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The captain took the city and a handsome pile of gold for his trouble
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Capturing Portobello was only the first step. Captain Morgan knew the Spanish would pay pretty much anything to get the port back
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since all the gold and silver from Peru passed through Portobello on the way to Spain
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That being the case, he sent a ransom note for the entire city to the governor of Panama
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He demanded 100,000 pieces of eight, which was the Spanish coin-based currency of the time
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If he got all his money, he would return the port and its inhabitants
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If he didn't, he'd burn the place to the ground. Spicy. Then, in what has to rank among the cockiest things anyone has ever done
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Morgan sent the governor a pistol, along with a message that it was so easy to take the city
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that he would return in a year and do it again to get his pistol back The frightened governor paid the entire ransom News of Captain Morgan success in Portobello spread and the fame helped him recruit even more followers
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Morgan was known to reward his men for their service, and he was often even more generous than the Royal Navy
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In 1670, as he planned his assault on Panama, Morgan drew up what was essentially a contract with his followers
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The captains of each ship would receive a hefty share of the treasure, while every man was covered by disability compensation
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in case they were harmed during the raid. The pirates could even get a bonus of 50 pieces of eight for bravery
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Most amazing of all, Morgan only claimed 1% of the profits for himself
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sharing the rest with his men. However, that generosity ended when it came to prisoners
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Captain Morgan had no chill when it came to using violence. If he needed information out of a prisoner
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Morgan would happily strap a leather cord around the person's head and tighten it with a metal bar until his eyeballs popped out
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Like all clever pirates, Captain Morgan was adept at taking advantage of enemies who underestimated him
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In 1669, Morgan sailed seven ships to the Venezuelan port of Maracaibo
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Although they outnumbered the Spaniards, the Spanish flagship had more firepower than Morgan's entire fleet
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But Captain Morgan still sent a demand for surrender to Don Alonso del Campo y Espinoza, who led the Spaniards
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Espinoza refused, a choice he would soon regret. Morgan ordered his men to pack one of their seven ships with explosives and aim it toward the Spaniards
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Espinoza learned of the plan from an informant, but he dismissed the tip because he felt the pirates lack the wit for such an advanced tactic
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Captain Morgan sent 12 men on the ship, which was disguised with wooden guns and packed with explosives
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At the last minute, those men lit the ship on fire and aimed directly at the Spanish flagship
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Fire quickly spread in the Spanish ships, and the pirates easily took Maracaibo
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earning 250,000 pieces of eight in ransom money. Captain Morgan was one of the most successful privateers in history
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And because his devilish raids were so profitable, men were lining up to join him
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By the raid on Portobello in 1668, the captain already had 500 followers
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The next year, that number had risen to 650. And after taking the 250,000 pieces of eight, Morgan had even more men eager to sail with him
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After Maracaibo, Morgan called for recruits. A stunning 2 men and 37 ships answered that call at Tortuga on October 24th 1670 Everyone was eager to hear Captain Morgan next target and it was going to be a doozy
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After successful raids in Portobello and Maracaibo, Captain Morgan chose a new target, Panama
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which happened to be the second largest city in the New World. But taking Panama wouldn't be easy
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This would be the biggest city Captain Morgan had ever attempted to take
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and he was leading a much larger force of men than in his previous successful raids
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Moreover, Panama was on the Pacific side of the Isthmus, so Morgan would have to lead about 1,000 men through the jungle
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before they could take the fortified city. Despite danger and difficulty, in January of 1671
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Captain Morgan reached the gates of Panama. He prepared for an assault on the city against the president of Panama
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who led 1,200 men and a cavalry of 400. The assault on Panama began on January 28, 1671
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Captain Morgan's enemies had more men, more mounted fighters, and some oxen they planned to stampede toward the pirates
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But in the end, it didn't matter. The Spanish cavalry was no match for Captain Morgan's sharpshooters
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And when the Spanish infantry charged, Morgan quickly repelled them and turned the battle into a rout
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Not even the oxen fazed the pirates. Most of the cattle simply ran away from the noisy battle
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while the few that made it to the enemy's side were easily killed. Sorry, oxen
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Far from an offensive weapon, the oxen turned out to be more of a gift
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Morgan's men were starving after crossing through the jungles of Panama, and they used the oxen for a victory barbecue
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At the end of the day, 500 Spaniards were gone, while Morgan only lost 15 of his men
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Eventually, Captain Morgan became the leader of a group of pirates called the Brethren of the Coast, and they completely dominated the Caribbean
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The Brethren sprang up around 1618 during the Thirty Years' War. The Spanish were using their colonies in the Caribbean to fund the war effort
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so the Dutch and English encouraged private captains to attack Spanish ships
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By the time that Captain Morgan led the Brethren, they had bases all across the Caribbean
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in places like Port Royal, Nassau, and Tortuga. The Brethren raided Spanish ships, halted the flow of gold and silver to Spain
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and got filthy rich in the process. During their decades of dominating the Caribbean
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the Brethren would also help develop the Pirate Code. These rules would define pirate life for centuries
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but more importantly, they would eventually play a central role in the plot of Disney Pirates of the Caribbean movies The Code Let set forth by Morgan and Bartholomew
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Captain Morgan was a privateer, which meant he had official sanction from the English
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to raid the Spanish during times of war. When the two nations were at peace
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Morgan was to stand down, which he did not do. In fact, during his most infamous attack
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when Morgan took Panama, the Spanish had already signed a peace treaty with England
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So officially speaking, Captain Morgan was an illegal pirate committing war crimes
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And indeed, when Captain Morgan returned to Jamaica after taking Panama, the governor arrested him
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and Morgan was sent to England to stand trial. But Morgan was treated like a celebrity back in England
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and even though the Spanish were furious, King Charles II knighted Captain Morgan in 1674
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The captain eventually returned to Jamaica, where he served as acting governor for several years
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For Morgan, crime does pay. There's something you must know before that
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Here everybody takes orders from me, yes? Captain Morgan's reputation was so powerful
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that he is considered one of the greatest privateers in history. In 1922, Rafael Sabatini even based his famous Captain Blood on Captain Morgan's life
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But Morgan only spent part of his life as a privateer. After the successful raid on Panama
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he retired and devoted the rest of his life to Jamaica. By then, Morgan had used much of his wealth
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to buy up land on the island, and he served as lieutenant governor and acting governor
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of the island until his death in 1688. He was so loved by the English that he
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was given a state funeral. So now, the big question. How did Captain Henry Morgan become associated
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with one of the most popular brands of spirits in the United States. Well, the Seagram Company began using his name in 1944
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though Captain Morgan original spiced rum didn't reach the United States until 1984
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Since then, it has become a quintessential brand, especially among college students in the spring break crowd
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Still, it's kind of odd that Henry Morgan became the inspiration for Captain Morgan's rum
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He was a profound military strategist and planner who was extremely loyal to the King of England and to Jamaica
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and he used his years of piracy to propel himself into the richest classes of society
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Later in life, he also established himself as a politician and proponent of peaceful trade
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leaving behind piracy for life as a rich, respected landowner. Hmm. Captain Morgan
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Enjoy the contradiction. Captain. Captain. Captain. Captain. Captain. Captain