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Pirate Facts Main
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Anne Bonny
Bartholomew R.
Beniowski, M.
 Edward
Teach
Henry Morgan
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Mary Read
Samuel Bellamy
Sir Francis Drake
Stede Bonnet
William Kidd
Pirate Facts
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Edward "Blackbeard" Teach was undoubtedly was one
the most feared and most despised pirates of all time. Edward Teach is thought to
have lived in England before his pirate career, although his exact origins are
unknown. He was named "Blackbeard", for his large black beard that almost
covered his entire face. To strike terror in the hearts of his enemies Blackbeard
would weave hemp into his hair, and light it during battle. Edward Teach was an
unusually large man, carrying two swords, numerous knives, and pistols- he was
feared by his own crew.
At the sight of this pirate, many of his victims were quick to surrender
without a fight. If they did, he would often times just take their valuables, rum,
and weapons— allowing them to sail away. However, if the vessel resisted capture,
he would either kill the crew, or maroon them. Blackbeard needed to maintain his
devilish image in order to maintain the respect of his crew (very few members of the
crew doubted that he was the devil himself, very few didn’t fear him, and
therefore they obeyed him).
Blackbeard began his pirating career sometime after 1713, as an ordinary
crewmember aboard a Jamaican sloop commanded by the pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In
1716, Hornigold supplied Teach with a small crew, and a small captured vessel to
command. By 1717 Hornigold and Teach were sailing in alliance, and together were
feared throughout the seas. In November 1717, Hornigold and Teach were able to
capture a 26 gun French vessel called the Concorde (recent research has shown
that the vessel had originally been built in Great Britain). Blackbeard’s pirate
partner, Hornigold, decided to take advantage of a recent offer of general amnesty
from the British Crown- and retire in comfort. Teach rejected the offer and resolved
to convert the captured French vessel Concorde into his flagship. Teach
increased her armament to 40 guns, and re-named her the Queen Anne's Revenge
.
Soon Teach and the Queen Anne's Revenge
met another pirate vessel. She was the ten-gun pirate sloop Revenge from
Barbados, commanded by Stede Bonnet. Soon after agreeing to sail together,
Blackbeard thought that Bonnet was a poor leader and an incompetent sailor. He
promptly appointed a different pirate to command the Revenge, and made Bonnet
a "guest" aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge
, where he remained until the ship finally wrecked six months later.
In the winter of 1717-1718, Blackeard sailed the Caribbean with his two ships.
While plundering vessels, Teach decided to add two more captured vessels to his
group of pirating watercraft. in the Spring of 1718 Blackbeard was in command of
four pirate ships, and well over 300 pirates.
In late May, Blackbeard’s flagship was lost at Beaufort Inlet, and a smaller
vessel of his fleet was lost that same day while trying to assist the stranded Queen
Anne's Revenge
. Before leaving Beaufort Inlet, Blackbeard left twenty-five members of his crew on
a deserted rocky ledge, and stripped the Revenge of her provisions. Stede
Bonnet helped the marooned men, and in return they agreed to obey his commands.
Together with his crew, Bonnet resumed his lawless ways aboard the Revenge,
which he re-named the Royal James.
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