Peg Legs and Parrots: a History of Pirates

Peg Legs and Parrots: The Romance and Reality of the Golden Age of Piracy! "We do not doubt but the World will be curious to know the Original and Progress of these Desperadoes, who were the Terror of the trading Part of the World.” How did pirates act in the age of Black Beard? Were peg legs and colorful parrot pets common like in Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure classic Treasure Island? Did pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow actually exist? Learn the truth about pirates of the past, and separate the myths and legends from the facts!

Cameron R.S. Smith is the Local History Librarian at Cooper-Siegel Community Library and has worked for the University of Pittsburgh and both houses of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. He wrote an undergraduate thesis on pirates in 2015 and has been looking for excuses to talk about them ever since. He loves spending time with friends and family, reading, and discovering/enjoying new East Asian recipes and restaurants.