William Kidd: Good Guy, Bad Guy

July 2026
1min read

Most overrated:

Capt. William Kidd (c. 1645-1701) of New York City. His reputation as our outstanding pirate is a gross exaggeration, although he did hang for it. Had he been half the pirate his punishment suggested, Kidd would have left some valuable treasure buried somewhere.

 

Most underrated:

My nomination goes to the same William Kidd, the sea captain. As a householder, a family man, and a leading citizen, he was devoted to civic causes. Trinity Church could not have been built without Kidd’s generous contributions.

Help us tell the story of America.

For over 75 years, American Heritage has chronicled our nation's history like no other publication. Please support our trusted, non-partisan historical writing and the volunteers that sustain it by donating today. We rely on contributions from readers like you to survive.
Donate

Related stories

Blackbeard's Terror

by Lindley S. Butler
Artifacts pulled from the wreck of Blackbeard's flagship Queen Anne's Revenge offer a glimpse into the bloody decades of the early 18th century, when pirates ruled the Carolina coast.

Pirate

by Richard Zacks

The Shores of Tripoli

by Kevin Baker
America's first fight against international terrorists

Barataria

by Frederick Turner
With astonishing tenacity, the people of the rich river-mouth region of the Mississippi have remained what and where they are through two and a half centuries

The U.S. vs. International Terrorists

by Gaddis Smith
A Chapter From Our Past

The Boys In The Boat

War Makes Thieves, Peace Hangs Them

by Roger Burlingame
In an era that condoned smuggling and lawbreaking the transition from privateer to pirate was easy

About American Heritage

For 75 years, American Heritage has been the leading magazine of U.S. history, politics, and culture. Read more about the magazine >>

The magazine was forced to suspend print publication in 2013, but a group of volunteers saved the archives and relaunched the magazine in digital form in 2017. Free subscription >>  

American Heritage is published by the National Historical Society,  a non-partisan 501(c)3 membership society. Please consider a donation to help us keep this American treasure alive. Support with a donation >>

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

© Copyright 1949-2025 American Heritage Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. To license content, please contact licenses [at] americanheritage.com.

AMERICAN HERITAGE
Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949
 
X