I imagine that most everyone in America has at least heard of Blackbeard the pirate. According to what I read, Blackbeard was the most notorious pirate in the history of seafaring. Little is known concerning his origin, but documents suggest he was born in Bristol near London, England. Some say he was born in America, but that is highly unlikely. He was probably born around 1675, and his real name was thought to be Edward Teach.
Though most publications mentioning the pirate by name over the past couple of centuries have identified him as Edward Teach, the majority of primary source documents written during the time of his activities indicate that "Thatch" or some other phonetic derivation (i.e., Thach, Thache, etc.), was actually the name he was going by at the time. The name Drummond is mentioned by one early source, but this is not supported by the vast volume of other documentation.
As a young seaman, he likely served on a British privateer that was based in Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean. Privateers were privately owned, armed ships hired by governments during time of war. The privateers' mission was to attack the ships of the enemy. Queen Anne of Britain allowed Teach's privateer to plunder French and Spanish ships during the War of the Spanish Succession and to keep stolen goods. By war's end, Teach had become an experienced sea robber. He then joined a group of fierce Caribbean pirates.
In A General Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates it says that Blackbeard was a tall man, well over six feet, and that he often fought, or simply showed himself, wearing a crimson coat, a big feathered tricorn hat, and having multiple swords and knives about his waist, and bandoleers stuffed with pistols across his chest. He braided his beard and tied the braids with black ribbons, and then stuffed burning rope or cannon fuses under his hat to make him self look more ferocious and menacing. With a beard that almost covered his face, he would strike terror into the hearts of his victims.
The sight of Blackbeard was enough to make most of his victims surrender without a fight. If they gave up peacefully, he would usually take their valuables, navigational instruments, weapons, and rum before allowing them to sail away. If they resisted, he would often maroon the crews and burn their ship. Blackbeard worked hard at establishing his devilish image, but there is no archival evidence to indicate that he ever killed anyone who was not trying to kill him.
Blackbeard made a home base in North Carolina, a British colony, near a string of islands called the Outer Banks. From there he preyed easily on ships traveling the American coast. Local townspeople tolerated his presence because they liked to buy the goods he stole, such as cloth and sugar. Pirate goods were usually cheaper than imported English goods. The colony's ruling officials turned a blind eye to Blackbeard's “import” business.
Blackbeard's piratical career lasted only a few years, from 1713 – 1718, but his fearsome reputation has long outlived him. Blackbeard had worn out his welcome in the Carolina’s when in November 1718, Virginia’s governor Alexander Spottswood sent Lieutenant Robert Maynard with two sloops to attack Blackbeard. Maynard sailed from the James River on November 11, 1718, in command of thirty men from HMS Pearl, and twenty-five men and a midshipman from HMS Lyme. Spotswood gave Maynard command of two hired sloops, the Ranger and Jane. Maynard found the pirates anchored in a North Carolina inlet on the inner side of Ocracoke Island, on the evening of November 21.
Early the next morning, the Ranger and the Jane closed in on Blackbeard’s ship, but both sloops were temporarily grounded in pursuit. Blackbeard killed several of Maynard's men with cannon grapeshot and tossing grenades. He boarded Maynard’s sloop thinking he had the advantage in men, but Maynard's remaining troops rose from hiding spots in the hold and a fierce fight ensued. During the struggle, Maynard fought Blackbeard and shot him in the shoulder, but Blackbeard kept up the fight until another officer came up from behind and gave him a fatal blow with a sword. Upon seeing their leader fallen, the others quickly surrendered, and the battle ended. Blackbeard was no more.
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