author
Woodes Rogers
d. 1732
A seafaring adventurer turned colonial governor, this English privateer is remembered both for rescuing the castaway Alexander Selkirk and for helping crush piracy in the Bahamas. His life moves from global voyages and dangerous raids to the messy work of restoring order in Nassau.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born around 1679, Woodes Rogers was an English sea captain, privateer, and colonial administrator. He became widely known for leading a privateering voyage around the world in the late 1700s' first decade, and for rescuing the marooned sailor Alexander Selkirk on the Juan Fernández Islands — an episode often linked to the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe.
Rogers later turned from raiding at sea to governing on land. He served as governor of the Bahamas from 1718 to 1721 and again from 1728 until his death, and is closely associated with the campaign to suppress piracy in Nassau. That work made him a central figure in the final years of the so-called Golden Age of Piracy.
He died in Nassau on 15 July 1732. Today he is remembered as a complicated historical figure: part privateer, part empire builder, and one of the key men involved in the transition of the Bahamas from a pirate stronghold to a British colony under tighter control.