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Women of the WavesMary Read: Pirate in Disguise MaryReadwasborninenglandaround1690.shelivedmostofherlifedisguisedasaman.Asateenager,lookingforadventure,shedressedasaboyandgotajobatsea.later,asayoungwoman(stillpretendingtobeaman),shegotworkonashipandsailedtotheCaribbean.

ononejourney,piratesattackedMarysship.insteadoffighting,shejoinedthem.butMaryhadtobecarefulbecausemanypirateshipshadarule:nowomenallowed.ifthemendiscoveredhertrueidentity,theymightshootandkillher.soatfirstMarystayedbyherselfandavoidedtheothers.butoneday,shemadeasurprisingdiscovery:oneofthepiratesontheshipwasactuallyawoman!Annebonnywasthecaptainsgirlfriend,butshewasalsoapirateherself.MarytoldAnnehersecret,andthetwowomenbecamegoodfriends,andpowerfulfighters.Theyfoughttogetheruntiltheywerecapturedin1720.

Ching Shih: Pirate Queenintheearly1800s,pirateChingshihterrorizedtheChinesecoast.Whenherpowerfulpiratehusbanddied,controlofhis500junkstransferredtoChingshih.Whileshewasboss,herfleetgrewtoalmost2,000ships.

Afearlessfighter,Chingshihlednearly80,000piratesbothmenandwomen.TheytargetedshipsandtownsalongthecoastofChina.foryears,leadersthroughouttheregionfailedtostopher.eventually,Chingshihretired,1arichandrespectedwoman.1 If you retire, you decide to stop working completely. Ching Shih controlled

almost 2,000 junks.

Throughout history, the majority of pirates have been men. But were there any women pirates? Absolutely! Below are two from

different parts of the world.

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