ABSTRACT
In the reign of Elizabeth I, relations between England and Morocco had been amicable; however, as the 17th century progressed, this relationship changed. The port of Sallee grew increasingly independent of the authority of the king of Morocco, especially after the influx of thousands of Moriscos,1 and by the 1620s had become a major base for pirates. The multitude of complaints and letters sent to the king and Council during the latter half of the decade attest to the rise of Sallee as a pirate base. The wives and mothers of captives followed the king and Council about importuning them so frequently and vigorously for relief that eventually orders were given to keep them away.2 Complaints about the pirates were also addressed to parliament which met with unusual frequency in the 1620s.
