When it comes to historical shows, they often prioritize drama over real history, which makes sense since most of them are fictional. Few shows manage to balance both history and storytelling. “Black Sails,” a 2014 Starz series, combines drama, action, and fiction with real historical events.
The show acts as a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island while also portraying historical pirates. Some events from the 18th century, like the sinking of the Urca de Lima, are covered in the show, although with an adventurous twist.
What Happens to the Urca de Lima in ‘Black Sails’?
The show’s depiction of the Urca de Lima differs significantly from the actual ship. In “Black Sails,” the ship was built before 1715 to transport the King of Spain’s treasure from the Spanish Main to Spain. As the flagship of the fleet, it carried the most gold, protected by two smaller ships.
The ship’s stores contained about five million Spanish dollars in gold. The first season of “Black Sails” centers around Captain James Flint’s (Toby Stephens) quest to find the Urca de Lima and its treasure.
In the second season, the show reveals the Urca de Lima’s treasure stranded on Florida’s shores, with surviving Spanish sailors and soldiers setting up camp to guard it.
Flint tries to recover the treasure in exchange for a pardon for his crimes, but he fails. The gold is eventually stolen by pirate Jack Rackham (Toby Schmitz) and his crew, who return to the Bahamas with it after a violent clash with the Spanish soldiers.
What Was the Real Treasure of the Urca de Lima?
The real Urca de Lima was a wooden-hulled sailing ship in the 1715 Treasure Fleet, one of the Spanish fleets that sailed between Spain and its American colonies. Unlike in the show, the real ship did not carry gold and silver but transported goods like vanilla, chocolate, and incense.
Although it didn’t carry a large treasure, the Urca de Lima did have chests of private silver. Unfortunately, after leaving Havana, the fleet encountered a hurricane that drove them toward the Florida coast, causing all the ships except the Urca de Lima to sink or run aground. The Urca de Lima was grounded on the sandbank of Fort Pierce but remained mostly intact, with its treasure safe.
Eventually, the Spanish salvaged the remaining goods and silver before burning the ship’s hull to hide its location from English pirates and privateers. However, the ship’s location was not kept secret for long. In December 1715, pirates Henry Jennings and Charles Vane captured the Spanish salvage camp and stole the treasure.
The ship’s wreckage remained hidden until 1928 when William J. Beach rediscovered it. Over the next fifty years, the ship was heavily salvaged. In the 1980s, Florida stopped issuing salvage permits and opened the site to the public. Today, the Urca de Lima is part of Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserve, accessible to the public year-round.
The real Urca de Lima may not be as grand as depicted in “Black Sails,” but it played a significant role in history. It is the only surviving shipwreck from the 1715 fleet and remains well-preserved in its underwater environment.
While it didn’t carry the same treasure that Captain Flint sought in the show, it is still an extraordinary part of history. The legacy of the Urca de Lima continues to captivate historians and enthusiasts alike. While “Black Sails” takes creative liberties, it also brings renewed interest to the true story behind the ship.
The blend of fact and fiction invites viewers to appreciate both the thrilling narrative and the genuine history that inspired it. The enduring fascination with such tales ensures that the Urca de Lima’s story, both real and imagined, will continue to be shown for years to come.
You can currently stream “Black Sails” on Netflix in the U.S.
