Saturday, May 7, 2011

Pirate of the Day: Blackbeard

Edward Teach or Blackbeard
Years active: 1716–1718
Location: East coast of North America and the Caribbean Sea.
Fate: Killed in battle against English Navy.




Successfully blockaded the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.  Also known for his flamboyant appearance and dark, full beard (to which he tied lit fuses as a method of intimidation during battle) which earned him his namesake.
Perhaps the most famous pirate ever, a claim that can likely be attributed as much to his catchy nickname as to his piratical prowess.  Much to his credit, however, was the fact that he managed to mobilize a rather large fleet of pirate ships which he led into various assaults.  Most notably, the flotilla under the leadership of Blackbeard (now referring to himself as Commodore) managed to blockade the harbor at Charleston, SC for several days.  During the blockade they captured several ships and took many hostages, all of which were eventually exchanged for various medicines required by his crew.  Teach terrorized the West Indies and the Atlantic coast for years at the helm of the Queen Anne’s Revenge before finally being bested by an English assault at the Battle of Ocracoke off the coast of North Carolina.  In his final moments, Teach is said to have fought off a multitude of Englishmen before succumbing to his wounds, which totaled at least five gunshots and over twenty sabre cuts.

SOURCE: AOM


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