The Golden Age of Piracy, spanning from the late 17th century to the early 18th century, was a period of rampant maritime lawlessness characterised by pirates such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, and Anne Bonny. These pirates operated in the Caribbean, the Atlantic, and other major shipping routes, preying on merchant vessels and occasionally even seizing coastal settlements. It ultimately ended due to increased naval enforcement and changing global dynamics.