Few figures in maritime history command the chilling fascination of Blackbeard, the legendary pirate who terrorized the Atlantic in the early 18th century. His name, Edward Teach, became synonymous with dread, and his exploits indelibly linked him to the waters of North Carolina, making him arguably the state’s most infamous swashbuckler. While not a native son, his reign of terror and eventual demise deeply intertwined his story with the Tar Heel State.
The origins of most pirates are shrouded in mystery, and Edward Teach, later known as Blackbeard, is no exception. Though some accounts suggest his birth name was Edward Drummond, he began his seafaring life as an honest merchant sailor from Bristol, England, a port notorious for producing pirates in the 17th and 18th centuries. His first true taste of adventure arrived during Queen Anne’s War (1701-1713), where he served on a privateer operating out of Kingston, Jamaica, preying on French shipping. This period of legalized piracy undoubtedly honed his skills and perhaps sparked the darker inclinations that would soon define him.
The Ascent of a Pirate Captain
With the return of peace, the structured life of a privateer no longer sufficed for Edward Teach. Restlessness led him to join Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s pirate crew, sailing from New Providence in the Bahamas. Teach quickly distinguished himself through sheer strength, unwavering courage, and a devil-may-care attitude that impressed his captain. Their plundering expeditions off the North American coast proved highly successful, yielding rich prizes. After careening their ship in Virginia, they embarked on their return voyage to the islands.
During this journey, a French merchantman, engaged in trade between Martinique and the African coast, was sighted, overtaken, and captured. Teach recognized the potential in this well-built, fast vessel and saw an opportunity to realize his own ambitions. He proposed to Captain Hornigold that his demonstrated energy and leadership merited his own command. Hornigold, recognizing Teach’s capabilities, granted his request, making him captain of the captured French ship. This pivotal moment marked Edward Teach’s true path to becoming a legendary figure in the annals of piracy.
Upon reaching New Providence, the town buzzed with news of the King’s proclamation offering clemency to pirates willing to reform. Hornigold, now wealthy, chose to accept the pardon and, remarkably, dedicated his efforts to assisting the new governor, Woodes Rogers, in capturing other pirates. Teach, however, harbored no such intentions. He rechristened his new command the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and swiftly equipped it with 40 formidable cannons. This immense firepower allowed him to target even the largest and best-armed merchant ships. His first major triumph, the capture of the Great Allan, a large merchantman laden with valuable cargo near St. Vincent, solidified his reputation. After plundering its riches and putting the prisoners ashore, the Great Allan was set ablaze. Edward Teach had begun his career as a pirate captain in spectacular fashion.
Forging a Fearsome Image: The Birth of Blackbeard
The Queen Anne’s Revenge and its crew soon faced a true test when the Scarborough, a 30-gun British warship, set out to hunt them. Sighting their quarry, the man-of-war closed in for what it expected to be an easy kill. Yet, Teach was more than ready. The two ships exchanged relentless broadsides for several hours in a bloody engagement. In a shocking turn of events, the British battleship was forced to pull away, limping towards the nearest port in Barbados. News that Teach had bested a Royal Navy warship in combat spread like wildfire, amplifying his already growing notoriety.
It was around this time that Edward Teach truly embraced the moniker that would strike terror into the hearts of sailors: Blackbeard. Cultivating a fearsome name was excellent business for a pirate; an evil reputation often persuaded prospective victims to surrender quickly with minimal resistance. To this end, he deliberately exaggerated the menacing aspects of his character. He was a tall man of powerful physique, and his long, bushy, pitch-black beard was his namesake. Before any action, he would intricately braid his beard into small pigtails, tying them with colored ribbons, some even twisted back over his ears. Most dramatically, just before battle, he would tuck several long, slow-burning matches, typically used to ignite cannons, under his hat. These would dangle around his face, the curling wisps of smoke adding an almost demonic aura to his appearance. His belt bristled with pistols, daggers, and a cutlass, while across his chest, a bandolier held three braces of pistols, all six primed, cocked, and ready for instant firing. Indeed, Blackbeard in his battle dress was an utterly terrifying sight, feared by sailors almost as much as the Devil himself.
Strategic Raids and audacious Demands
Blackbeard’s reputation as an invincible terror of the seas surged after his victory over the warship. After this encounter, he sailed to the Bay of Honduras, where he crossed paths with Stede Bonnet, the
