Disturbers

Piracy was a really difficult profession. Even the most famous pirates didn’t really last very long. Think about it: Many were killed or injured in battle, there were fights amongst themselves and don’t even think about going to a doctor. In fact, even Blackbeard, probably the most famous of pirates, was only active for 3 years, from 1719 to 1722.

Other pirate facts:

The didn’t really do the whole treasure-burying thing. In fact, most of the loot gathered after a raid was split among the crew, and it also included perishables.
Women pirates were uncommon, but not unheard of.
It was not uncommon for some merchants to join a pirate ship when they were raided. The ‘honest’ work at sea was even tougher.
Piracy was not limited to just poor people trying their luck at see. Many were from higher social classes and they just happened to turn to piracy.