ABSTRACT
In 1810, Cheng I Sao was the terror of the Chinese government. Cheng I Sao was not always a pirate; her name means “widow of Zheng” and she did not become famous until she married the sea robber, Zheng Yi. It is said that she would only consent to marry Zheng Yi if he agreed to make her his partner and give her half of his plunder. Zheng Yi must have agreed, because after they were married Cheng I Sao began helping run the Red Flag Fleet pirates. Cheng I Sao was determined to keep their empire alive, so she started working with other pirate groups to make a pirate-run government that was stronger than the official Chinese government. When Grace O'Malley was young girl she wanted to be a sailor like her father and brothers. But in the 1540s, proper young ladies did not work as sailors.
