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Pirates Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
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Pirates Trivia

Pirates Trivia Quizzes

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27 Pirates quizzes and 285 Pirates trivia questions.
1.
Best of the Best  Famous Pirates
  Best of the Best: Famous Pirates   top quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Ahoy, matey! Avast ye and heave ho! Savvy?*
Easier, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Jul 20 15
Easier
ponycargirl editor
860 plays
2.
How to Be a Better Pirate
  How to Be a Better Pirate   best quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
... or '10 Steps to Becoming a Highly-Effective Buccaneer'. This quiz will see what you know about some famous pirates of the past. Can you identify these pirates? It's YARRRR call! Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, kyleisalive, Mar 25 13
Average
kyleisalive editor
2723 plays
3.
The Pirate Crew
  The Pirate Crew    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
It took a surprising amount of organization in order to sail a successful pirate ship. Cast off and see how much you know!
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Jul 07 20
Average
ponycargirl editor
Jul 07 20
658 plays
4.
Best of the Best Famous Female Pirates
  Best of the Best: Famous Female Pirates   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Ahoy, me hearties! Wenches amidships! Turn to! Cast off!*
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Jul 22 15
Average
ponycargirl editor
586 plays
5.
Pirate Master
  Pirate Master   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
This quiz features questions on infamous pirate masters, some of the wealthiest, cruelest and most infamous people who ever lived.
Average, 10 Qns, Joepetz, Jul 24 15
Average
Joepetz gold member
460 plays
6.
Caesar and the Pirates
  Caesar and the Pirates   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Two ancient sources give information about Caesar's abduction by pirates. What do you know about this incident in his life?
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Jul 25 15
Average
ponycargirl editor
502 plays
7.
Pompey and the Pirates
  Pompey and the Pirates   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Plutarch and the Cilician pirates are back! It's been seven years since Caesar was captured, held for ransom, and subsequently had his captors crucified. Let's pick up on the story!
Tough, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Aug 06 15
Tough
ponycargirl editor
477 plays
8.
Under a Black Flag
  Under a Black Flag    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Throughout history, pirates and privateers have roamed the seas. In this quiz, only ten are presented. Enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, DeepHistory, Jul 22 15
Average
DeepHistory gold member
527 plays
9.
  Do You Know Pirates ?   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here is a brief quiz to see how much you actually know about pirates and their colorful history.
Average, 10 Qns, rhyano19, Jun 26 20
Average
rhyano19
Jun 26 20
4409 plays
10.
  History of Pirates   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the history of piracy and pirates at sea.
Average, 10 Qns, reenarage, Oct 10 17
Average
reenarage
Oct 10 17
5526 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Benjamin Hornigold was the tutor to which famous pirate?

From Quiz "All Right, Me Maties!"




11.
  The Pirate Museum editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Arrr! Avast me hearties, step right up into the pirate museum where you'll learn all about pirates, buccaneers, picaroons and cutthroats! Watch your step or you'll end up walking the plank! Arrr!
Average, 10 Qns, catamount, May 22 14
Average
catamount
4881 plays
12.
  A Pirate's Life for Me    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Ten questions on the life of a pirate and a few pirates that sailed the seas.
Easier, 10 Qns, pennie1478, Aug 18 18
Easier
pennie1478 gold member
Aug 18 18
318 plays
13.
  Yo-ho-ho!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the pirates (and no, Johnny Depp is not one of them!) who plied their naughty trade on the high seas. You won't have to walk the plank if you don't score 10/10.
Average, 10 Qns, Cymruambyth, Dec 06 05
Average
Cymruambyth gold member
1709 plays
14.
  Pirates!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Pirates today often wear three- piece suits and are found in oil companies, big business and government. Once upon a time, however, they were more open and more colorful.
Average, 10 Qns, robert362, Apr 07 14
Average
robert362
6427 plays
15.
  The True Pirates of The Caribbean   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
These questions are about the actual pirates of the Caribbean. The questions are derived from the book "Under The Black Flag."
Average, 10 Qns, shanteyman, Oct 23 15
Average
shanteyman
1522 plays
16.
  A Small Pirate Ship is Called a Thug-boat   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some pirates were thugs, some were aristocrats, some were ladies, and some were all three! Follow me on a gentle pillage through the annals of pirate history both fact and fiction...
Average, 10 Qns, Rowena8482, May 19 14
Average
Rowena8482 gold member
598 plays
17.
  Be Ye A Pirate?    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Avast there landlubbers - belay whatever ye be doing. Do ye have what it took to be a great pyrate in the Golden Age of Piracy? Answer these questions correctly or ye'll be walking the plank - aaargh!
Average, 10 Qns, dgcox, Nov 11 14
Average
dgcox
1800 plays
18.
  Robert E. Lee Meets Blackbeard    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
Robert E. Lee wrote a book called "Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times". This Robert E. Lee was a law professor but is no relation to Robert E. Lee the Virginia General from the Civil War.
Average, 25 Qns, Taltarzac, Jan 27 15
Average
Taltarzac gold member
303 plays
19.
  Buccaneer Pirates   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
While pirates are a romantic ideal in many films and novels, how much do you know about the real dark history of the true pirates? Aargh! Shiver me timbers, and enter if you dare!
Tough, 10 Qns, ardhoniel, Apr 01 15
Tough
ardhoniel
1270 plays
20.
  Pirate Flags   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Ahoy me pirate lovers, come and test your knowledge on pirate flags! Good luck, have fun and arrr me hearties!
Average, 10 Qns, catden, Mar 22 17
Average
catden
901 plays
21.
  Lady Pirates and Pirate History    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about lady pirates, pirate history, and what happened to them.
Average, 10 Qns, LadyKnight101, Sep 13 22
Average
LadyKnight101
Sep 13 22
3532 plays
22.
  Real Pirates Of The Seven Seas   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Featuring characters from the so-called "Golden Age Of Piracy".
Average, 10 Qns, logcrawler, Oct 28 16
Average
logcrawler gold member
568 plays
23.
  Sailors of the Black Flag    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about the pirates of old and all that stuff you might have learned in Pirates of the Caribbean!
Easier, 10 Qns, edibleshrapnel, Jun 18 23
Easier
edibleshrapnel
Jun 18 23
503 plays
24.
  Terror of the seas ... Blackbeard!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Pirates were the kings of the seas in the 17th and 18th centuries, apart from Mary Read and Anne Bonny who were the Queens of the ocean! See how much you know about one of the most well known pirates - Blackbeard.
Average, 10 Qns, Maialese, Feb 23 15
Average
Maialese
690 plays
25.
  Pirates of the Caribbean    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about real pirates, not a movie.
Average, 10 Qns, Babilonia, Sep 03 13
Average
Babilonia gold member
331 plays
26.
  Men of the Jolly Roger    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Were Pirates black-hearted knaves, men of honour or just your garden-variety psychopaths? Find out as you sail the Seven Seas onboard the good ship 'Jolly Roger', and watch your step as you buckle your swash!
Average, 10 Qns, dgcox, Apr 07 14
Average
dgcox
718 plays
27.
  All Right, Me Maties!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quick quiz all about pirates, privateers, buccaneers and corsairs.
Average, 10 Qns, bwfc10, Jul 11 19
Average
bwfc10
Jul 11 19
263 plays

Pirates Trivia Questions

1. What nationality was William "Captain" Kidd?

From Quiz
All Right, Me Maties!

Answer: Scottish

William Kidd (c.1645-1701) was a privateer, born in Scotland, who only became a pirate in middle age. His legend was made into a 1945 movie "Captain Kidd" starring Charles Laughton as Kidd.

2. The rules that pirates lived by while on ship were known as?

From Quiz A Pirate's Life for Me

Answer: Articles

Every pirate ship had its own articles; some were common to all ships such as no women allowed on ship, punishment for stealing, running away, or keeping secrets was death, and the crew shared the bounty equally. Everyone had to follow the rules, even the captain.

3. When was the "Golden Era of Piracy" in the Caribbean?

From Quiz Pirates of the Caribbean

Answer: 1650 to 1730

Piracy existed in the Caribbean for many years, even till the mid 1800s, but after the Golden Era, attacks became less frequent because ships would sail in fleets accompanied by other ships to protect the treasure: in other words, they sailed in convoy.

4. When was Blackbeard born?

From Quiz Robert E. Lee Meets Blackbeard

Answer: Circa 1680

Despite the fact that many pirates tried to hide the details of their lives before becoming buccaneers, their approximate ages were not that hard to determine from witnessed accounts of their actions as well as from whatever evidence was available of their pasts.

5. What is the name of the flag generally associated with pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries?

From Quiz Sailors of the Black Flag

Answer: The Jolly Roger

The Jolly Roger usually consists of a skull and two diagonal bones, but some pirates used more elaborate versions including various red flags and versions of the Jolly Roger with up to three skulls. There have also been occasional reports of ships (especially submarines) in regular navies sometimes flying the Jolly Roger, usually as an act of triumphalism or in a dare-devil spirit.

6. Who was this Scotsman, who as a privateer, loaned the runner and tackle from his ship for hoisting the stones that were used in construction of New York's Trinity Church? (He was later hanged in chains in England as a pirate.)

From Quiz Real Pirates Of The Seven Seas

Answer: William Kidd

As a member of a joint French and English crew that sailed in the Caribbean, William Kidd and other members of the crew mutinied and removed the captain of the ship on which they sailed and renamed it the "Blessed William". It is disputable if he was actually a pirate or a privateer, but at any rate he was hanged in chains in England as a pirate in 1701. The belief that he left buried treasure "somewhere" has enhanced the legend of Captain Kidd.

7. During the "Golden Age of Piracy" just two women were ever convicted of piracy. One was Anne Bonney, but who was the other?

From Quiz A Small Pirate Ship is Called a Thug-boat

Answer: Mary Read

English woman Mary Read spent her childhood disguised as a boy by her mother. This was because her older (legitimate) brother had died, and their mother wanted to keep getting money from his paternal grandmother. Mary stayed living as a man until she fell in love with a soldier, and revealed herself as a woman so they could be married. After the untimely death of her husband, she took ship for the West Indies. When the ship was attacked and boarded by pirates, Mary joined them. In 1720, Mary took the "king's pardon" turned and Privateer, and then joined forces with Anne Bonney and her lover Jack Rackham after they took her ship. The three, along with their crew, were captured that same year and sentenced to death by a court in Jamaica, but both Bonney and Read were spared as they were pregnant. Records show that Mary Read died in childbirth, in jail in Jamaica, in 1721. It was not recorded what happened to her child, but it is assumed he or she died too.

8. What was Blackbeard's real name?

From Quiz Terror of the seas ... Blackbeard!

Answer: Edward Teach

I wouldn't want him teaching at my school!

9. Which Welshman became notorious as a pirate leader after conquering and looting the Spanish Panamanian strongholds of Portobello and Santiago Castle?

From Quiz The True Pirates of The Caribbean

Answer: Henry Morgan

Henry Morgan conducted several raids on Spanish fortresses and garnered a large and loyal crew. He succeeded by raiding the fortress from land at night instead of by sea. He amassed a large fortune and lived out his days as a plantation owner. He died of natural causes in 1688. Don Juan de Guzman was president of Panama at the time. Thomas Modyford was an early governor of Port Royal. Blackbeard was another notable pirate.

10. When you think of Pirates you think of the Caribbean, white sand beaches, tall ships, brave captains and tricorn hats. This idea comes from the "golden age of piracy". When was this?

From Quiz Buccaneer Pirates

Answer: 1650-1730

The "golden age of piracy" was between about 1650 and 1730. At this time piracy was common in the Caribbean.

11. What is the name of the pirate flag that is famous in the media?

From Quiz Pirate Flags

Answer: Jolly Roger

Pirates generally had their own flag customised but this is the media famous one. It is thought pirates such as Emanuel Wynne, Edward England, Thomas Tew and Henry Every used this flag.

12. What was the real name of the famous pirate "Blackbeard"?

From Quiz Do You Know Pirates ?

Answer: Edward Thatch/Teach

Edward Thatch (aka Teach) was nicknamed for his phenomenal beard. He became a pirate after capturing a French warship in 1717.

13. The name Blackbeard is synonymous with piracy, and Blackbeard was the epitome of villainy - cruel, corrupt, and cunning. What was his real name?

From Quiz Yo-ho-ho!

Answer: Edward Teach

Teach was born in Bristol, England, around 1680, and took to piracy sometime during the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1713). He was a huge man, standing 6'4" in his pirate boots, and was always armed to the teeth with pistols, cutlasses and daggers. Moreover, he had a penchant for weaving strings of hemp and tapers into his enormous beard, which must have made him even more terrifying to behold - especially when he lit the tapers! Teach made his permanent base in North Carolina and the Governor of North Carolina, Charles Eden, afforded Blackbeard unofficial protection in return for a share of the booty. Teach met his end after a desperate battle with the British Navy on November 22, 1713. It took five gunshot wounds and 20 stab wounds to do him in.

14. If ye be entitled to a double share of the loot and booty ye be the ______.

From Quiz Be Ye A Pirate?

Answer: Captain of the pirate ship

The Captain and, sometimes, the Quartermaster were entitled to a double share of the proceeds of any looting. On some ships the Captain would receive only a share and a half. On some ships the Quartermaster would receive less than the Captain. Pirates also gave cash compensation to crew members who suffered loss of limb while on duty.

15. Perhaps the most famous pirate of all is Captain Kidd. What was his ultimate fate?

From Quiz Pirates!

Answer: He was hanged

Kidd met the fate of many pirates - at the end of a rope.

16. What nationality was Anne Bonney?

From Quiz All Right, Me Maties!

Answer: Irish

Anne McCormac was a pirate and privateer who was born in Cork Ireland. When she married James Bonney, a sailor, her father disowned her. She later fought alongside Mary Read and "Calico Jack" Rackham (whom she married after divorcing James Bonney)

17. After being hired as a privateer to protect English ships, this man became a pirate. What name did he go by?

From Quiz A Pirate's Life for Me

Answer: William Kidd

William Kidd was a privateer who was hired to protect English ships while they were in the Caribbean. He and his crew did their job until his crew got tired of giving away the treasures they confiscated from enemy ships. During a voyage in 1698, William Kidd and his crew attacked an Indian ship called the Quedagh Merchant coming around the tip of India. Kidd and his men boarded the ship and stole their treasure along with the ship. William Kidd was no longer a privateer; he was a pirate. On his way to Boston with his new ship and crew, William Kidd was arrested and sent back to England. He was hanged for piracy and his body was left in a cage in exhibition.

18. What was Blackbeard's real surname according to Robert E. Lee author of "Blackbeard The Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times?"

From Quiz Robert E. Lee Meets Blackbeard

Answer: No one really knows

"Teach, Thatch, Thach, Thache, Thack, Tack, Thatche, and Theach" show up as spellings for Blackbeard's surname in records according to Robert E. Lee's "Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times." Pirates often abandoned the names they had before they joined up especially if they came from prominent families as it seems that Blackbeard probably did from his ability to befriend and have correspondence with men like Tobias Knight, Chief Justice and Secretary of the Province of North Carolina. Drummond shows up as one of the names advanced by Robert E. Lee for Blackbeard's real surname.

19. Which pirate hunter later became a pirate himself?

From Quiz Sailors of the Black Flag

Answer: Sir Francis Drake

Operating under the English flag, Sir Francis Drake (1540-1596) was hired to hunt down notorious pirates and later pillaged along the Spanish Seas. He was also the first Englishman to sail round the world. He was second-in-command of the English fleet that fought the Spanish Armada (1588).

20. Edward Teach, also known more infamously as "Blackbeard", took over a French merchant ship, "La Concorde", and converted it into his flagship. He increased the armament to 40 guns, and re-named the ship. What did he call this ship?

From Quiz Real Pirates Of The Seven Seas

Answer: Queen Anne's Revenge

Blackbeard was born sometime during the latter 1600s, although no one is certain as to an exact date. His life of piracy began somewhere around 1716, when he joined the crew of Captain Benjamin Hornigold, an already well-known pirate. Ocracoke Island in North Carolina was one of Blackbeard's favorite places to lay anchor and it was there that he was killed during a battle with Lieutenant Robert Maynard of HMS Pearl in November 1718.

21. When was Blackbeard born?

From Quiz Terror of the seas ... Blackbeard!

Answer: Date and year are unknown

Most people believe it to be 1680, although this can't be proved.

22. What was the real name of the notorious pirate "Blackbeard?"

From Quiz The True Pirates of The Caribbean

Answer: Edward Teach

Edward Teach was an English pirate in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic during the early 18th century, a period referred to as "The Golden Age of Piracy." Blackbeard often fought wearing a large feathered tricorn hat and sporting multiple swords, knives, and pistols. He had hemp and lighted matches woven into his enormous black beard during battle. Accounts of people who saw him fighting reported that he looked like the devil. Howard Pyle was a pirate illustrator. Robert Newton authored "Blackbeard the Pirate" and Edward Walsh was a trader on St. Mary's Island.

23. A certain activity that pirates enjoyed was not allowed aboard most ships. Whenever the ship made port they would get involved in it. What was this activity?

From Quiz Buccaneer Pirates

Answer: gambling

Gambling was strictly forbidden aboard most pirate vessels and whenever they made port the crew loved to spend their profits on gambling. They also liked drinking and card games, of course. If they were caught gambling on board then they would be severely punished.

24. What design did the infamous Blackbeard have on his flag?

From Quiz Pirate Flags

Answer: A horned skeleton holding an hourglass and a spear pointing at a bleeding heart.

This flag and its owner became infamous through out the Caribbean and was very much feared. It was said that when another ship saw the flag they surrendered straight away.

25. Why was the pirate flag called the Jolly Roger?

From Quiz Yo-ho-ho!

Answer: Who knows?

Nobody really knows why the skull and crossbones flag came to be known as the Jolly Roger. Some theorists maintain that it is a corruption of Joli Rouge (French for 'Pretty Red') because pirates used to fly a flag red with the blood of their victims. What a nice decorative touch! Another story is that Jolly Roger is a corruption of Al Raja, Arabic for 'King of the Sea', and the pirates, who were convinced that they were kings of the sea, appropriated the name and gave it to their flag. I find that theory a bit far-fetched. Old Roger was certainly a pseudonym for the devil in the 16th/17th centuries, but that's a pretty tenuous connection, too.

26. If ye desire to be captain, what be the way?

From Quiz Be Ye A Pirate?

Answer: election by the crew

In most cases the pirate captain was elected by the crew. In many cases his authority could only be exercised regarding choice of victims and leading up to and during battle. The pirates tended to have a very democratic and enlightened system of management.

27. Which pirate went by the name "Blackbeard" due to braiding his beard with lighted tapers so as to appear more fearsome to his victims?

From Quiz Men of the Jolly Roger

Answer: Edward Teach

Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) was one of the most notorious of the pirates. In 1718 Blackbeard actually blockaded Charleston until a ransom (in the form of a chest of medical supplies) was delivered to him.

28. Pirate flags. Most of them are black with various white designs of skulls, bones, swords and so on. Some are red. What do experts suggest is NOT an origin for the "Jolly Roger"?

From Quiz The Pirate Museum

Answer: Invented by the pirate Joseph Liam ("Joe Lee") Roger

The black flag served to strike fear in the hearts of merchants and seamen and to encourage speedy surrender. The red flag meant imminent attack and/or "no mercy". Some privateers flew the black or red flag together with their country's flag. The death of a seaman was marked in the log book with skull and crossbones.

29. 'Blackbeard' is also one of the most famous pirates. What was his real name?

From Quiz Pirates!

Answer: Edward Teach

Maynard is the officer who killed Blackbeard.

30. What nationality was Sir Henry Morgan?

From Quiz All Right, Me Maties!

Answer: Welsh

Henry Morgan (1635-1688) was born in a small village in South Wales and was probably the most famous buccaneer that ever lived. After an act of piracy, he was arrested and sent back to England to stand trial. Instead of being tried, he was promoted to deputy governor of Jamaica by King Charles II.

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Last Updated Mar 23 2024 5:46 AM
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