There be three major pirate time periods. The early pirate period (1540-1690) can be divided into two sections the Elizabethan Sea Dog Era and then the Age of the Buccaneer. The middle period be called the Golden Age of Piracy (1680-1740). The last time period be the Late Pirate Era (1770-1840), around the time of Napoleonic wars. Jean LaFitte be the most famous of pirates in this era. Privateers be very popular during this era.