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Piracy
The Knights Templar was the world’s first great pirate fleets. They attacked the ships of European merchants as often as they took on the corsairs of the Moors. The Templar fleet, the largest in the world was never captured. It simply disappeared from history. Merchants from the Indian Moghul to the Spanish Main knew better. The same two flags flew. The Skull & Bones was meant to inspire fear. If it was seen by another ship the best thing to do was surrender. If the Skull & Bones was taken down a pure red flag went up. This meant it was too late. All would be killed. Both flags were soon called the Jolly Roger (from Joli 
Rouge in French). The Skull & Crossbones soon meant Resurrection of the Templars.
From Captain Kidd who made his home on Wall Street, to Jean LaFitte who made his home in New Orleans two hundred years later, there was one thing in common. They were connected to New York’s most powerful Masonic family.
That same family has been a prime mover in politics from colonial times to the present day.