Captain Henry Morgan as a Pop Culture Icon
- josephinebardot
- Mar 19, 2021
- 2 min read

Morgan was best known by the historical accounts of Alexandre Exquemlin, a Franco-Dutch writer n' a sailor who wrote the "History of the Bouccaneers of America." Exquemlinwas a barber-surgeon in Morgan's crew, perceived to have resented Morgan for his renegade nature n' his reputation for torture. He didn't speak favorably o' him in his accounts!
Henry Morgan would not appear in outright published fiction until 1922, in "Captain Blood," written by Rafael Sabatini. Even then he merely provided the inspiration for the eponymous hero, Peter Blood. Sabatini however, enjoyed basing his works of historical fiction very heavily on the history that inspires him. John Steinbeck's first novel, "The Cup of Gold" was also heavily inspired by the Legend himself!
13 Years after "Captain Blood" was written, a live action movie version was released with Erroll Flynn in his first starring Hollywood role! It be a much looser interpretation o' Henry Morgan, but it still be a fine testament to Pirates in Media. A foothold that Henry Morgan holds to this day, though entertainment may not even be the greatest part of his career! In 1944, the Seagram Company created the first incarnation of Captain Morgan's Rum. O'er the rest of the 20th-century hotels in the Caribbean would pop up with names incorporatin' the name, "Captain Morgan" to woo tourists and hark to the tales of old. In 2001, Captain Morgan Rum was acquired by London-based Diageo.
Suffice it to say Morgan be a Legend among Pirates. He lived long enough to retire from the Life and even became a Governor! Which makes him a great all Gentlemen (and Ladies) o' Fortune!
Pirate facts and history is interesting to hear. People enjoy listening to the stories. If you want to make this even more enjoyable then book a tour on a pirate cruise in St Pete Beach, FL. The crew members will tell you a lot of stories and conduct pirate shows on the cruise.



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