Blackbeard

Lore & Background

Teach captured a French slave ship known as La Concorde, renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge, equipped her with 40 guns, and crewed her with over 300 men. His nickname derived from his thick black beard and menacing appearance. He was reported to have tied lit fuses (slow matches) under his hat to frighten his enemies. He formed an alliance of pirates and blockaded the port of Charles Town, South Carolina, ransoming its inhabitants. He then ran Queen Anne's Revenge aground on a sandbar near Beaufort, North Carolina. He parted company with Stede Bonnet and settled in Bath, North Carolina, historically known as Bath Town, where he accepted a royal pardon. However, he was soon back at sea, where he attracted the attention of Alexander Spotswood, the governor of Virginia. Spotswood arranged for a party of soldiers and sailors to capture him. On 22 November 1718, following a ferocious battle at Ocracoke, Teach and several of his crew were killed by a small force of sailors led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.

Reader's Guide

Blackbeard remains one of history's most well-known pirates, romanticised after his death and becoming the inspiration for an archetypal pirate in works of fiction across many genres. He was a shrewd and calculating leader who spurned the use of violence, relying instead on his fearsome image to elicit the response that he desired from those whom he robbed. His flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, was discovered by divers in November 1996 in Beaufort Inlet off the coast of North Carolina. The discovery of the wreck has contributed to ongoing public fascination with his life and legend. Despite the uncertainty surrounding many details of his biography, his iconic appearance and dramatic death have cemented his place in popular culture as the archetypal pirate.

Did You Know?

• Little is known about Blackbeard's early life; he may have been a sailor on privateering ships during Queen Anne's War.
• His nickname derived from his thick black beard and menacing appearance; he reportedly tied lit fuses under his hat to frighten enemies.
• He captured the French slave ship La Concorde and renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge, equipping her with 40 guns.
• His flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, was discovered by divers in November 1996 in Beaufort Inlet off the coast of North Carolina.