The sack of Madeira occurred in 1617 when Algerian pirates known as

Barbary Corsairs The Barbary corsairs, Barbary pirates, Ottoman corsairs, or naval mujahideen (in Muslim sources) were mainly Muslim corsairs and privateers who operated from the largely independent Barbary states. This area was known in Europe as the Barba ...

sacked the Island and took 1,200 inhabitants as slaves.White Women Captives in North Africa: Narratives of Enslavement, 1735-1830
K. Bekkaoui Springer, The attack occurred during the height of

slavery on the Barbary coast Slavery on the Barbary Coast refers to the enslavement of people taken captive by the Barbary corsairs of North Africa. According to Robert Davis, author of '' Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters'', between 1 million and 1.2 million Europeans wer ...

. Madeira was at that time a part of the

Iberian Union The Iberian Union is a historiographical term used to describe the period in which the Habsburg Spain, Monarchy of Spain under Habsburg dynasty, until then the personal union of the crowns of Crown of Castile, Castile and Crown of Aragon, Aragon ...

headed by the

Monarchy of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

. The Algerians had established a base on the islands of

Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...

from which they operated against ships in the Atlantic.The Verneys: Love, War and Madness in Seventeenth-Century England
Adrian Tinniswood Random House, In 1617 the Algerians arrived in

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

with 8 vessels and 800 men. They plundered the island and enslaved 1,200 inhabitants. During the sack, the Algerians burned the island's archives and sacked much, including church bells. It is also said that they had emptied the island of

Porto Santo Porto Santo Island () is a Portuguese island and municipality northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe an ...

in the

Madeira archipelago Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of the Canary Islands, Spain, wes ...

enslaving 663 inhabitants. In 1649 the French historian Pierre Dan described the 1617 invasion of Madeira:

"For having left Algiers on the fifteenth of July, with a squadron of eight well-armed vessels, they descended on the Island of Madeira, which depends on the Crown of Spain. When they approached, with eight hundred Turks whom they put to the ground, they ravaged the whole island, pillaged the ornaments and jewels of the Churches; took away the bells, and made slaves twelve hundred people, men, women, and children, whom they took to Algiers. As they were a league away, they discharged all the artillery of their ships as a sign of rejoicing; so that by this signal, those of the City, informed of their return, came to see them arrive".

Ten years later Algerian pirates took 400 people as slaves in a raid on Iceland and at least a 100 from

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

in Ireland in 1631.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madeira 1617 History of Madeira 1617 in military history Slave raids by the Regency of Algiers Looting in Portugal 17th century in the Regency of Algiers Naval battles involving Portugal Naval battles involving the Regency of Algiers 1617 in Portugal Barbary slave trade Barbary slave raids 17th century in slavery