Pirates of the Caribbean: Redcoats Came Too Early

The bright red uniforms in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean” are a bit early for their time. The film is set in the 1720s, but the British military didn’t adopt the famous scarlet red coats until 1747. Before that, soldiers wore a darker, cheaper shade called madder red, with the bright scarlet reserved for officers and sergeants.

This color shift was due to cost and dye availability. The movie captures the swashbuckling spirit of the era but adds a splash of red that’s a few decades ahead of schedule, giving history buffs a little chuckle amidst the high seas adventure.