Piracy and privateering in the Caribbean proceeded in accordance with the claims of European powers for the establishment of their own administration in the area. While Spain established its rule in the Caribbean in the early 16th century after the Spanish discovery of the New World, other European powers – France, England and Holland – established their rule by founding colonies from the 1620s. By founding its colonies in the New World, Spain monopolized administration of the area and repelled penetration of other European powers. Although the initial arrival of European powers to the New World was accompanied by intentions of commercial activities in the newly discovered area, the Spanish disruption of their activities resulted in appearance of piracy and privateering that bypassed Spanish regulations in the New World. French corsairs were the first to penetrate the Caribbean in the first half of the 16th century while the Caribbean became a theater of international conflicts from the second half of the 16th century when open conflicts between English and Dutch pirates and privateers against Spain arose. Pirates reached their peak in the second half of the 17th century with the arrival of the buccaneers, pirates who settled in the newly established French and English colonies in the Caribbean and whose activities were directed against Spain. The end of the period of buccaneers in the late 17th century was brought about by forming friendly relations between Spain and other European powers and the consequent disabling of the buccaneer activities. The golden age of piracy began in the early 18th century and lasted until the 1730s. During this period there occurs massive increase in piracy, as well as the mass captures and executions of pirates who captured the world’s attention and became famous, and with their suppression piracy never again appeared in such abundance.