Captain Kidd — Pirate or Patsy? The Man Hanged for a Crime He May Not Have Committed

He was hired by the British government to hunt pirates. Then they turned around and hanged him as one. Was Captain Kidd a pirate — or was he sacrificed to protect the powerful men who sent him? In 1696, William Kidd set sail with a royal commission to hunt pirates in the Indian Ocean. He had powerful backers — lords, earls, and politicians who funded his voyage and shared in the profits. Three years later he was back in England — in chains. Tried for piracy and murder. Hanged twice because the rope broke the first time. But the evidence against him was questionable. Key documents that could have proved his innocence disappeared before trial. And the powerful men who sent him never faced a single question. In this episode of Forgotten Mysteries Chronicles, we ask the question historians have debated for 300 years: Was Captain Kidd a pirate — or a patsy? Subscribe for a brand new forgotten mystery every single day. Find us wherever you listen to podcasts. #CaptainKidd #PirateHistory #ForgottenMysteries #1600s #BritishHistory #UnsolvedMysteries #HistoricalMysteries #DarkHistory #MysteryPodcast #TrueCrimeHistory #Piracy #ForgottenTruths #ForgottenMysteriesChronicles