The Golden Age of Piracy is the common designation given the period roughly spanning from the 1650s to the 1720s.

The decade of 1715-1725 experiences a substantial increase in the number of pirates operating throughout the Caribbean, the American coast, the Indian Ocean, and the western coast of Africa.

It is also from this period that the modern conception of pirates as depicted in popular culture is derived.During the early 18th century, many European and colonial American sailors and privateers find themselves unemployed.

Factors contributing to piracy include the rise in quantities of valuable cargoes being shipped to Europe over vast ocean areas, reduced European navies in certain regions, the training and experience that many sailors have gained as conscripts in European navies (particularly the Royal Navy), and ineffective government in European overseas colonies.