Initially hunter’s of cattle and pigs on the Island of what is now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Buccaneers got their name from the meaning of the French word "boucan" (which means barbecue), as they were frequently seen barbecuing their meat on grills (they learned this form of cooking from the Arawak Indians).

The buccaneers were driven out by the Spanish, and the persecuted hunters banded with groups of runaway slaves, deserters, and other’s who hated the Spanish and sought vengeance on their vessels. The word buccaneer soon became common, and by the 17^th century was used to describe pirates and privateers who had bases in the West Indies.