Plundering Paradise: Florida Tech Speaker Explores Florida Piracy

– Florida Tech instructor of humanities and communication, Matthew Ruane, will present “Plundering
Paradise: The Cultural Legacy of Piracy in Florida” on April 29 at 2 p.m. His talk will be at the Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue.

Pirates remain part of Florida history, from the days of Spanish settlement in St. Augustine, to the legends of Jose Gaspar. In fact, another name for
pirates is the name of a professional football team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pirates are celebrated in a series of annual festivals, in ongoing museum
exhibitions, and by treasure hunters throughout Florida.

A popular speaker and historian in the area, Ruane will explore how much of this unending interest in pirates and piracy is based in history. He’ll also
look at what, exactly, is the cultural legacy of pirates.

For more information, call the library at (321) 952-4514.