Prompt Cast
The Stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Reid: Pirates and LGBTQ+ Icons in the 1600s
TLDR Anne Bonny and Mary Reid, two women pirates from the 1600s, provided a safe haven for gay women and transgender individuals on pirate ships. While the historical accuracy of their stories is difficult to determine, their tales of bravery and defiance continue to captivate audiences today.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Piracy and pirate ships provided a haven for gay women and transgender individuals in the 1600s.
02:42
Mary Reid and Anne Bonny were two women pirates who were known for being tough fighters and active during the golden age of piracy, but the historical accuracy of their stories is difficult to determine due to embellishments and inaccuracies in books and sources about pirates.
05:15
The book "General History of Pirates" is likely filled with embellishments and inaccuracies, as it was written by a pen name and attributed to either Daniel Defoe or Nathaniel Mist, but regardless, we should still discuss the stories of Anne Bonny and Mary Reid.
08:03
Anne Bonny was born in Ireland and had a rough childhood, being the illegitimate daughter of an attorney who dressed her as a boy to hide her illegitimacy, but eventually the scandal got out and her father lost his practice, so they moved to Carolina, likely settling in Charleston.
10:35
Mary Reed and Anne Bonny were both pirates who worked with Calico Jack Rackham, and while there are some speculations and fictionalized accounts about their relationships, the documentary evidence confirms that they were both on board Rackham's ship.
13:04
Mary Reed and Anne Bonny were captured and tried for piracy, with witnesses testifying that they fought as pirates and even killed men who they considered cowards, and they were eventually caught and tried in Jamaica along with the rest of their crew.
15:34
Mary Reed and Anne Bonny avoided being hanged for piracy by pleading the belly, as they were both found to be pregnant, and while Mary Reed died shortly after, Anne Bonny was let go and her whereabouts after that are unknown.
Categories:
Society & Culture
