Although most of us girls wish otherwise, there weren't that many female pirates historically.
HOWEVER.
There were at least four that I'm aware of.
If anyone knows more besides these, post 'em here!
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Anne BonnyPerhaps the most famous of all female pirates, Anne eloped with the pirate captain 'Calico Jack' Rackham of the
Revenge, supposedly disguising herself as a man to join his crew. In October of 1720, the
Revenge was attacked, and only Anne and Mary Read were sober enough to fight. They were captured and taken to trial, but managed to escape being hung by 'pleading their bellies': they were pregnant, and it was a crime to murder the child for the sins of the mother. From there, Anne Bonny disappears from history. It is widely believed that her wealthy father ransomed her - however, another accepted theory is that she received a secret pardon and vanished with yet another lover into the American frontier.
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Mary ReadMary Read was disguised as a boy named Mark by her mother as soon as she was born. She had a long and varied sailing career, was happily married to a sailor until his tragic death, and then returned to the seas (disguised again). Mary got on a ship bound for the West Indies, which was attacked by Rackham and his crew (including Anne Bonny). Anne and Mary became close friends, and Anne one day discovered Mary's secret accidentally. Rackham, growing suspicious of Anne's new and very close friend, was made aware of the secret as well - he allowed Mary to stay on as part of his crew. The entire crew was eventually told, but this doesn't seem to have affected her tenure as a pirate. After being captured following the October 1720 attack, Mary was granted a stay of execution due to her pregnancy. However, she died in prison, either from a fever or by childbirth.
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Gráinne Nà Mháille, a.k.a. Grace O'MalleyFamed as the Irish Pirate Queen, Grace O'Malley has a long history of independent behavior, acting as chieftain of the O'Malley clan. She had several children and several marriages, and is famed for her capability as a sailor. She also famously met with Queen Elizabeth I in petition, and the two women are said to have grown rather to like each other. It is believed that she died in 1603, the same year as Elizabeth.
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Ching Shiha.k.a. Madame Ching, Hsi Kai, Shih Yang, Kai Ching Yih, or Ching Yih Saou/Ching Yih Saoa/Cheng I Sao/Zheng Yi Sao. Shih Shiang Gu was her name as a pirate.
Shih Shiang Gu began as a prostitute, but in 1801 married the pirate commander Cheng I (Zheng Yi). He died in 1807, leaving her in control of a fleet of 400 ships and over 70,000 sailors. Eventually, she expanded this to include 2,000 ships - she is considered by some to be the most successful pirate in history. She later married their adopted son, Cheung Po Tsai, whom she had made lieutenant of the fleet. Her fleet strictly followed a code of laws - the disobediant were treated just as brutally as her opponents. This code included harsh punishment for raping/fornicating with female captives, being away without love, or stealing from the treasury or villages that regularly aided the pirates. Other pirates proved more of a threat than the government, particularly a rival called O-po-tae. Eventually, he sought and was granted a pardon for his fleet. Ching Shih followed suit - the government was freed to focus entirely on her fleet. She died at the age of 60 in 1844, running a brothel and gambling house in Guangzhou.
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