Blackbeard: Dreaded Pirate of the Caribbean

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Edward Teach was born around 1680 in Bristol, England to a wealthy and honorable family. His early career began as a privateer under Queen Anne's direction during the Spanish Succession.

Privateers, with privately owned armed ships, freely attacked and plundered French and Spanish enemy ships near the Caribbean Island of Jamaica. But, after restrictive laws outlawed privateering, but allowed smuggling in North Carolina and other American colonies, Teach joined Captain Benjamin Hornigold and his crew where he was taught piracy.

Teach, a tall thin man made his transformation from gentleman to pirate with a drastic leap. His seafaring name became Blackbeard. During battle he'd place burning canon fuses under his hat to evoke terror. A bandoleer with pistols, daggers and knives crisscrossed his chest.

Additionally, he wore two swords at his waist and a red coat. Ribbons were braided into his long thick black beard that almost covered his face.

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Queen Anne’s Revenge

Sometime after parting ways with Captain Hornigold he took the 14-gun French slave ship, the Concorde, and made it his flagship, added 40-guns and renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge. Thus, began a 7-month reign of terror at sea.

Blackbeard and his crew preyed on lightly armored merchant ships and took grain, molasses, rum, supplies, nautical instruments, rope, tools and ammunition. Those that resisted were killed or marooned and their ships burned.

One such event occurred on November 1717, a week long blockade in Charleston Harbor kept all ships from leaving or entering the harbor. Blackbeard and his crew held a cargo ship full of wealthy passengers hostage in negotiation for a medicine chest.

After receiving the chest the hostages were released, but not before their jewelry and clothing were taken.

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One Last Act

Blackbeard’s main hub was located near the Outer Banks Island in the British colony of North Carolina. In the meantime, after being pardoned of piracy by the King of England he bought a house in Bath, N.C. and married Mary Ormond, the governor's daughter.

Hence, the locals continued to tolerate his exploits because they could get goods cheaper from pirates rather than by British exports.

Government officials also turned a blind eye, because they were being paid off. The governor and secretary of North Carolina held a hearing after Blackbeard's last act of piracy. They deemed the ship, that he had plundered, "abandoned", thus pardoning Blackbeard and split the booty amongst themselves.

The last straw came when several plantation owners outraged that North Carolina politicians were just as a guilty as Blackbeard of piracy demanded that the ‘dreaded one’ be hunted and ran out of the Carolinas.

They turned to Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia, who sent troops by land to Bath and Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy to Ocracoke by sea.

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The End of the Golden Age

On the morning of November 22, 1718 Lt. Maynard and Blackbeard fought a bloody battle which left Lt. Maynard wounded. But, Blackbeard having sustained 20 sword wounds, 5 gun shot wounds and his throat slashed had died.

His head was then cut off, his body thrown over board and his head was suspended from the bowsprit of the Adventure and taken back to Virginia for all to see.

This marked the end of the Golden Age of Piracy that began during the late 17th century and ended the early 18th century.

All-and-all, 50 ships were taken as prizes by Blackbeard among many other priceless items. But, the secret of his buried treasure died with him

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REFERENCES

_{Jennifer Kirkpatrick - Blackbeard: Pirate Terror at Sea
Marine Insight - The History of Black Beard – The Most Famous Pirate
QAR Online - Blackbeard: History of the Dreaded Pirate}