Captain Kidd Hanged for Piracy

William Kidd, the Scottish privateer turned accused pirate, was hanged at London's Execution Dock after a sensational trial.

William Kidd, a privateer commissioned to hunt pirates who was himself convicted of piracy and murder, was hanged at Execution Dock in London on May 23, 1701, his body later gibbeted at Tilbury Point as a warning to sailors. His case remains a cautionary tale about the blurry line between privateering and piracy in the age of empire.

William Kidd, a privateer commissioned to hunt pirates who was himself convicted of piracy and murder, was hanged at Execution Dock in London on May 23, 1701, his body later gibbeted at Tilbury Point as a warning to sailors. His case remains a cautionary tale about the blurry line between privateering and piracy in the age of empire.

Also on May 23

More culture history