Blackbeard

1. Blackbeard's Mysterious Origins & Privateering Past

Even today Blackbeard remains something of an enigma.

Obscure beginnings. Little is definitively known about Blackbeard's early life before he became a pirate. Contemporary accounts, primarily from Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 book, suggest he was born Edward Teach (or Thatch) in Bristol, England, around 1680. However, historical records from Bristol do not conclusively support this claim, leaving his true origins uncertain.

Bristol's maritime heritage. Bristol was a major port city, deeply involved in transatlantic trade, including the lucrative but brutal slave trade. Growing up in such an environment would have exposed a young man to seafaring life and tales of adventure and plunder. Bristol also had a history of privateering and even piracy dating back centuries, providing a potential cultural context for his later career choice.

Privateering experience. Before turning pirate, Teach reportedly served as a privateer out of Jamaica during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713). Privateering was state-sanctioned piracy against enemy shipping during wartime. This experience would have honed his skills in seamanship, navigation, and naval combat, preparing him for the transition to outlaw life when the war ended and thousands of privateers were left unemployed.

2. The Rise of New Providence as a Pirate Haven

For a few brief years New Providence would also become the pirate capital of the New World.

Post-war unemployment. The end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 left thousands of experienced privateers jobless, particularly in the Caribbean. With limited legitimate work available, many turned to piracy, seeking continued opportunities for plunder and a life free from the harsh discipline of merchant or naval service.

Ideal location. The Bahamas, particularly the island of New Providence with its sheltered harbor at Nassau, became a magnet for these disaffected seamen. The islands offered:

• Proximity to major shipping lanes (Florida Straits, Windward Passage)
• Numerous shallow cays and reefs providing refuge from larger warships
• A lack of effective government or defenses after Spanish raids and proprietary neglect

Lawless community. By 1715, Nassau had transformed into a bustling, lawless pirate haven. It was populated by pirates, former logwood cutters, traders, and hangers-on. Power was often held by the most successful pirate captains, creating a unique, albeit chaotic, social order based on shared plunder and defiance of authority.

3. Joining Hornigold: Apprenticeship in Piracy

Clearly the pirate captain recognized the potential of his new recruit as Blackbeard flourished under his tutelage.

Meeting Hornigold. Blackbeard's entry into full-fledged piracy is closely linked to Captain Benjamin Hornigold, a prominent English pirate operating out of New Providence. Hornigold, a former privateer himself, was one of the first major pirate captains to base himself in the Bahamas after the war. He likely recognized Teach's skills and boldness from his privateering days.

Mentor and protégé. By late 1716, Teach was serving under Hornigold, quickly rising through the ranks. Johnson's account suggests Hornigold gave Teach command of a captured sloop, indicating a level of trust and recognition of his abilities. This period served as Blackbeard's apprenticeship, learning the ropes of pirate command and strategy from an experienced leader.

Shifting loyalties. Hornigold initially maintained a pretense of only attacking French and Spanish ships, claiming his privateering war hadn't ended. However, his crew, including Teach, grew impatient with this restriction, wanting to attack lucrative English and colonial vessels. This led to Hornigold's eventual deposition by his crew, a pivotal moment that freed Teach to pursue piracy without restraint.

4. Seizing the Queen Anne's Revenge: A Formidable Force

Blackbeard had served as a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession, and he recognized a dream ship when he saw her.

Caribbean cruise. After parting ways with Hornigold (or perhaps just before his deposition), Blackbeard, commanding his own sloop, cruised the waters off the North American coast in late 1717. He captured several vessels, demonstrating his growing prowess as an independent captain.

Capture of La Concorde. In November 1717, off the island of Martinique, Blackbeard captured a large French slave ship, La Concorde. This vessel, originally a privateer, was fast and well-built, displacing 200 tons and carrying 14-16 guns. Blackbeard immediately recognized her potential as a flagship.

Transformation into a warship. Blackbeard and his crew converted La Concorde into a formidable pirate vessel. They stripped her of non-essential structures, added more guns (eventually mounting up to 40), and renamed her the Queen Anne's Revenge. This powerful ship, along with consort sloops, made Blackbeard's force one of the most feared in the Americas.

5. The Audacious Blockade of Charles Town

His actions paralyzed the port, bringing maritime trade to a halt.

Targeting Charles Town. In May 1718, Blackbeard sailed his fleet, including the Queen Anne's Revenge and several captured sloops, to the entrance of Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina. This was a major, wealthy port, but its defenses were inadequate against a determined naval force.

Imposing a blockade. Blackbeard's fleet effectively blockaded the harbor entrance, capturing several ships attempting to enter or leave. This bold move, conducted in full view of the town, brought the port's vital trade to a standstill, causing panic among the city's merchants and authorities.

Extortion for medicine. Instead of demanding money, Blackbeard's primary demand was for a chest of medicines, suggesting a health crisis among his crew (possibly yellow fever or venereal disease). He took prominent citizens hostage, including a member of the colonial council, to ensure his demands were met. The authorities, fearing for the hostages and the city, complied, providing the valuable medical supplies.

6. The Calculated Betrayal at Topsail Inlet

Without any doubt Israel Hands was a party to Blackbeard’s scheme, as was the helmsman on the pirate flagship and up to forty of their shipmates.

Seeking a safe haven. After the high-profile Charles Town blockade, Blackbeard knew he needed to lie low. He sailed north to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, an area known for its shallow inlets and relative lack of strong colonial authority. His large flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, was ill-suited for these waters.

Deliberate wrecking. Blackbeard intentionally ran the Queen Anne's Revenge aground in Topsail Inlet (now Beaufort Inlet). His consort sloop, the Adventure, also ran aground, likely as part of the plan. This act effectively dismantled his large fleet, leaving him with only two smaller sloops.

Abandoning the crew. This wrecking was a calculated betrayal. Blackbeard, with a select group of loyal men (around 40), transferred the most valuable plunder and supplies to one of the remaining sloops. He then abandoned the majority of his crew (over 200 men) on the desolate Outer Banks, taking the loot for himself and his chosen few.

7. Seeking Pardon and Finding Refuge in North Carolina

Blackbeard had found his new pirate haven.

Seeking a pardon. Aware of the King's Proclamation offering pardons to pirates who surrendered by September 5, 1718, Blackbeard decided to seek clemency from Governor Charles Eden of North Carolina. He sent Stede Bonnet ahead as a test case, who successfully obtained a pardon.

Dealings with Governor Eden. Blackbeard, with his reduced crew, sailed to Bath Town, North Carolina, and also received a pardon from Governor Eden. He presented himself as reformed, and the lenient Eden administration, lacking the resources or inclination to challenge him, accepted his surrender.

Legalizing plunder. Blackbeard even managed to legalize some of his stolen goods. He claimed to have found a French ship abandoned at sea (a vessel he had actually captured), and Governor Eden's Vice-Admiralty court, based on Blackbeard's testimony, declared it legal salvage. This allowed Blackbeard to sell the cargo (primarily sugar and cocoa) in Bath Town, sharing some with Eden and his secretary, Tobias Knight, as salvage fees.

8. Governor Spotswood's Determination to End the Pirate Threat

Alexander Spotswood was not a man to be trifled with.

Virginia's strong governor. Unlike the more passive Governor Eden, Alexander Spotswood of Virginia was a determined and ambitious former military officer. He viewed pirates as a direct threat to Virginia's trade and his own authority, and was eager to take decisive action.

Political motivations. Spotswood also had political reasons for targeting Blackbeard. He was locked in a power struggle with the Virginia House of Burgesses and sought to demonstrate his effectiveness as a leader. Furthermore, he harbored ambitions to absorb North Carolina into Virginia and saw Eden's perceived leniency towards pirates as justification for intervention.

Gathering intelligence. Spotswood actively gathered intelligence on Blackbeard, including information from pirates abandoned at Topsail Inlet who made their way to Virginia. The capture and trial of Blackbeard's former quartermaster, William Howard, provided further evidence and legal justification for action, despite jurisdictional complexities.

9. The Final, Bloody Battle at Ocracoke Inlet

It was clear that the heavily wounded pirate was running out of strength, or in Captain Johnson’s words, “he stood his ground and fought with great fury, ’till he received five-and-twenty wounds, five of them by shot.”

Spotswood's plan. Determined to eliminate Blackbeard, Spotswood organized a secret expedition in November 1718. He chartered two sloops, the Jane and the Ranger, and manned them with sailors from HMS Pearl and HMS Lyme. The force, led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard, was dispatched to Ocracoke Inlet to find and capture Blackbeard.

Surprise attack. Maynard arrived off Ocracoke on the evening of November 21 and found Blackbeard's sloop, the Adventure, anchored inside the inlet. Blackbeard, complacent after months of relative peace, had only a small crew with him. Maynard waited until dawn on November 22 to launch his attack, using the shallow-draft sloops to navigate the inlet.

Fierce hand-to-hand combat. Blackbeard's sloop ran aground during the approach, but he prepared for battle. Maynard ordered most of his men belowdecks to avoid the pirate's devastating first broadside, which inflicted heavy casualties. The two sloops grappled, and a brutal hand-to-hand fight erupted on the deck of Maynard's vessel. Blackbeard, fighting ferociously despite multiple wounds, was eventually killed by Maynard's men.

10. The Aftermath: Trials, Politics, and Lingering Questions

With the death of Blackbeard’s crew, Alexander Spotswood was able to concentrate on his two remaining problems, the first of which was the division of the spoils, the second being the equally agreeable business of discrediting Governor Eden.

Pirate trials. The surviving pirates captured at Ocracoke were taken to Williamsburg, Virginia, and put on trial. Despite some legal complexities regarding jurisdiction and the validity of pardons, most were quickly convicted and hanged. Israel Hands, Blackbeard's mate, was pardoned, possibly in exchange for testimony against Tobias Knight.

Political fallout. Spotswood used the trial and the seized plunder to attack Governor Eden and Tobias Knight, accusing them of complicity with pirates. He seized goods from their properties, claiming they were pirate loot. This sparked a bitter political and legal dispute between the Virginia and North Carolina administrations.

Knight's defense and death. Tobias Knight defended himself vigorously against Spotswood's accusations, arguing the evidence was flimsy and based on coerced testimony. While he was cleared by the North Carolina Council, the legal battle continued until his death shortly thereafter. The controversy highlighted the tensions between colonial governors and the complexities of enforcing law on the frontier.

11. Blackbeard's Enduring Legacy and the QAR Discovery

For all we know about Blackbeard, he remains a somewhat enigmatic figure.

Myth vs. reality. Blackbeard's fearsome appearance and dramatic death, popularized by Captain Johnson's General History, cemented his image as the archetypal pirate. Over time, fiction and Hollywood embellished the legend, often portraying him as a cartoonish villain, overshadowing the more complex, perhaps even calculating, man he may have been.

Unjust killing? Captain Johnson later suggested that Blackbeard might have been unjustly killed, arguing there was no conclusive proof he had returned to piracy after receiving his pardon from Governor Eden. This perspective challenges the official narrative and adds another layer to the enigma surrounding his final months.

The QAR shipwreck. In 1996, a shipwreck believed to be the Queen Anne's Revenge was discovered off Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. Archaeological work has recovered thousands of artifacts, including cannons and other items consistent with a large, early 18th-century vessel. This ongoing discovery provides tangible links to Blackbeard's history, offering new insights into his ship and potentially his life, even as the man himself remains shrouded in mystery.

Last updated: June 1, 2025