In pirate society, everyone got their fair share of stolen loot, Kinkor said. Two shares typically went to the captain, 1 1/2 shares to the quartermaster and one share to each crew member. By comparison, captains of merchant ships often got 15 times more than the crew, who at times were left with almost nothing.
Pirates had a form of disability insurance centuries before it became standard. They were paid handsomely if they lost an arm or a leg in battle. If they were killed, their families sometimes received payments.
Up to a third of many crews were black, most of them former slaves, Kinkor said. They had the same right as white pirates to booty and the vote, and some were even elected captains by predominantly white crews.