The Elizabethan era was also the Age of Exploration that began the Golden Age of Piracy as depicted in movies such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which is set a century after Elizabeth the First's reign). Many Elizabethan explorers became known as pirates from their attacks on the Spanish treasure fleet and the Spanish colonies. Far from discouraging this practice, Queen Elizabeth the First was happy to let her 'pirates' raid her enemies, particularly Spain, making a majority of them "Privateers" - legitimate pirates - and giving them "Letters of Marque", giving them official sanction to raid and plunder England's enemies. Therefore she, as the monarch, could claim a large size of their bounty. As a result, their pirate activities brought wealth and power to England.

The Spanish Main was a favorite hunting ground for many pirates of the Elizabethan age. Spain was branching out into the New World, establishing colonies throughout the coastal regions of the Americas surrounding the Caribbean Sea. Many of the Elizabethan Pirates used Caribbean islands as their bases, one of which would become the legendary pirate haunt of Tortuga a century later.

Many of these Elizabethan 'Privateers' or 'Pirates' became very wealthy from their profits, even when sharing them with Queen Elizabeth I. Sir Frances Drake, one of the most famous Privateers of the time became one of the most wealthy men of the Elizabethan era. Other famous Elizabethan pirates include Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Sir Martin Frobisher, Sir Richard Grenville,, Sir Richard Hawkins and his son Sir John Hawkins. Notice that they're all "Sirs"?

All of these men also held respected positions in the Elizabethan Court and fought the Spanish Amarda during the great war of 1588. Despite their acts of 'piracy' or maybe because of them, they were also considered true patriots and assets to England and the Court of Queen Elizabeth the First.