They all sailed "the Spanish Main" during the days of frigates and sloops, brigs, schooners and galleons.
The heyday of the buccaneers was from circa 1650-1725 when working either individually or in great pirate fleets out of strongholds like Port Royal of Jamaica, they raided as far north as Canada and as far south as Brazil and equatorial Africa. Their targets of choice were not only Spanish treasure galleons and rich merchant vessels but also coastal towns and cities in Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela and the many small but valuable islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles chains of the Caribbean Sea. Though mainly a 17th and 18th century phenomenon, piracy in the Caribbean did have a brief resurgence around 1820 before disappearing.
Some swashbucklers operated legally, by commission, in time of war such as the privateers (private vessels licensed by their government with a "letter of marque" to prey upon enemy commerce) which abounded during the naval wars of the 1600s, the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. Others were entirely outside the law. Still others moved in and out of legality with ease as the circumstances suited them.
They were Englishmen, Scotsmen, Welshmen, Dutchmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Portuguese, Danes, Americans, Indians and Africans. Some were loyal to their king, some to their fellow buccaneers and some only to themselves. Some had impeccable manners, some were implacable thugs. Now and again they would gather and celebrate the success of a great raid from which all returned laden with booty.
But in 2008 it is all in good fun with the Buccaneers' Ball!
Yohoho... Avast there matey... Pieces of eight, pieces of eight... Dance a proper jig or walk the plank. Booty for all and plunder a'plenty. Shiver me timbers and boarders away... A r r r r ...
When: The evening of June 21st, 2008 at 7PM
Where: The old "Armory" building (aka Grace Sparkes Prescott Activity Center) at 824 E. Gurley St. in Prescott
Fashion: Historical or Piratical attire is required for this Ball, either historic reproduction attire or at least a modern attempt at looking piratical. Wear piratical or nautical attire or any historic attire from the 1650s to the 1820s. Alternately dress modern but with piratical touches such as a bandana over the head or an eye patch. Some male pirates wore loose skirts. This could be an option for those who don't have slops or breeches. Other than fashion exceptions particular to this Ball, the rest of our We Make History "House Standards" still apply. See the House Standards with Exceptions below and please Email us if you have any questions.
Music & Dance: Featuring "Bahama Becky" along with "The Plankwalkers", the music will be live and lively and the dancing an enjoyable mix of simple historic styles which we will teach. (After all, most pirates probably didn't know much beyond a jig or two!)
Booty: There will be light refreshments and a number of excellent (and thematic) door prizes will be given away. Everyone attending will receive a ticket with a year on it from the age of piracy. To win you must be drawn and be able to recite an historical fact relevant to that specific year ... or be left to the mercy of the crew.
Passes: In advance we ask a contribution of $25 for adults and $20 for those under 21. Advance requests must be received by Monday, June 18th. Please send your check along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to We Make History, P.O. Box 12874, Scottsdale, Arizona 85267. We will also offer admittance the evening of the event at a higher donation ... that is if the ship is not already full. (As a comparison, a pirate ball we are aware of on the East Coast asks $200 per person. Arrrr, now that's hefty booty!)
Alternately, you may use your credit card to order via PayPal below.
Adult Passes
Student Passes
Please note that a small additional fee applies to help cover postage and PayPal expenses.
What ship is that?
Required! Compulsory! Mandatory! All attending as pirates must have a pirate name and be ready to say "A r r r r r r....." If ye don't have a pirate name we'll assign on to ye on the spot! Arrrrrrrr!
The Buccaneers' Feast
In the Ships' Galley immediately after the Ball.
The Buccaneers' Bowl
Football and a Picnic in Pirate Attire the day after the Ball. Yaaarrrrrr!
Click here for
Visit the
A R R R R R R R R R R R R R R !
Allow us to state the obvious.
The real pirates of history were not nice people.
No one wants to recreate negative aspects of their behavior or activities in any actual or literal sense.
But after 300 years of time passage and accompanying cultural drift, the idea of a pirate has become a mere caricature, a light hearted bit of play acting which many have a good time with.
For us the idea of the Buccaneers' Ball is simply to "open things up a bit" with an unusual theme for our guests to enjoy and in which to exercise their creativity and imaginations.
Join the Crew!
Prepare to Board
Study your Charts
18th Century Reenacting in Arizona
The American Heritage Festival
Return to Port
Message in a Bottle
Music playing is
"Trafalgar Hornpipe"
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House Standards for Historic Balls
We are grateful to our wonderful guests who make the effort with us to create a special ambience and atmosphere of respect. We uphold these standards out of regard for our much-appreciated friends and for the sake of the integrity of our events.
1. The use of either tobacco or alcohol is prohibited.
2. Videotaping is not welcome other than by our house videographer. We work hard to create a special and comfortable historic ambience that all will enjoy. Discreet photography is welcome but please leave video equipment at home.
3. No unauthorized distribution of literature is allowed. Nor is this event an opportunity to recruit persons for purposes either modern or historical. Please allow all of our guests to enjoy the evening in peace. That is why they came.
4. These are historic balls and we ask that even those dressed modern conform to certain historic standards. All clothed in modern attire must be at least at a semi-formal level. Modern gentlemen need to be wearing tuxes or suits. As per historic standards, jackets and ties need to be on at all times. Modern ladies should wear long gowns, preferably at or near ankle length - not short dresses or skirts and blouses. (Note: Section 4 is different for the Buccaneers' Ball. Historical or Piratical attire is required, either historic reproduction attire or at least a modern attempt at looking piratical.)
5. Appropriate footwear is required. (i.e. historic footwear, dress shoes, dancing slippers, ballet flats, etc.) Please no sandals, flip-flops or athletic shoes. For the sake of your safety as well as event ambience dancing barefoot is impermissible.
6. We ask that one not enter to be an observer, chaperone or curiosity seeker without having a ticket and being properly attired.
7. Please either order advance tickets by the publicized cut-off date (in time to be mailed back to you) or be prepared to obtain your tickets at the door (if available) for a higher amount. These events are publicized far in advance in order to serve you well. They do sometimes fill up early.
8. We do not offer refunds or exchanges.
9. Our standard age policy is that ages 13 and up are welcome to participate and that ages 10-12 may participate if parents deem them to be sufficient in manners and maturity. The dress standards for these young ladies and gentlemen are the same as those for adults. (Please see #4 above.)
10. Gracious and respectful conduct & conversation are expected of all, to all and at all times.
11. We desire to be good stewards of the facilities we use, to treat them with care and to leave them in at least as good of condition as when we arrived.
12. For the good of all, any who might consider themselves exempt from any of the above may be asked to leave.
Please also see our “Etiquette & Expectations” page as well as our "All About Us" page.