Which historical period is depicted in the main story of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag?

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag depicts the Golden Age of Piracy.

The game is set primarily in the Caribbean during the early eighteenth century, when pirates, privateers, colonial powers, and merchant fleets competed for control of important sea routes. Edward Kenway begins as a Welsh privateer and pirate before becoming involved in the Assassin–Templar conflict.

Black Flag features historical figures including Blackbeard, Benjamin Hornigold, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and Charles Vane. Its world includes Nassau, Havana, Kingston, and numerous islands and coastal locations. Naval exploration and ship combat are central to the experience.

The period should not be confused with the Italian Renaissance of Ezio's games or the French Revolution of Unity. Although the game includes fictional characters and altered events, its setting is firmly linked to the early-eighteenth-century Caribbean piracy era.