Blackbeard

At a Glance

• Given name: Edward Teach (Thatch)
• Born: c. 1680
• Died: 22 November 1718
• Active period: 1716–1718
• Fleet size: Up to 4 vessels
• Known for: Blockade of Charleston, fearsome image, Queen Anne's Revenge
• Fate: Killed in battle off Ocracoke Island by Lt. Robert Maynard

An English Pirate who sailed the Caribbean and Atlantic aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, formerly a French merchant vessel which he captured and outfitted with forty cannons. He turned pirate after serving as a privateer for Britain during the Spanish War of Succession. He was nicknamed for his menacing appearance and large black beard. Rumor has it he adorned his thick beard with hemp wraps and lit matches during battle. Though he was romanticized posthumously in fictional works as barbarous and bloodthirsty, in actuality Blackbeard rejected violence and behaved benevolently toward those he commanded. There is no evidence he ever murdered or even harmed his crew or anyone under his captivity.