Which 1717 pardon did King George I offer to pirates in the Bahamas?

The King’s Pardon was the amnesty offered to pirates who surrendered before a specified deadline in 1717.

King George I issued the proclamation as part of a campaign to suppress piracy in the Bahamas and nearby Atlantic waters. The pardon offered forgiveness for piracy committed before 5 January 1718, provided qualifying pirates surrendered by 5 September 1718.

The policy helped divide the pirate community. Benjamin Hornigold accepted the pardon, while other captains, including Charles Vane, rejected it. Some pirates accepted the offer temporarily and later returned to piracy.

The pardon was connected with the appointment of Woodes Rogers as governor of the Bahamas. His arrival at Nassau in 1718 combined the promise of amnesty with stronger enforcement and marked a major step in the decline of the Nassau pirate community.