Blackbeard
Edward Thatch/Teach
c. 1680 - November 22, 1718
Blackbeard (1726 engraving)
Nickname:
Blackbeard
Type:
Pirate
Place of birth:
Bristol, England
Place of death:
Ocracoke, North
Carolina
Allegiance:
None
Years of service:
1712 – 1718
Rank:
Captain
Base of
Operations:
Atlantic
Commands:
Queen Anne’s Revenge
Edward Teach or Edward Thatch (c. 1680
– November 22, 1718), better known as
Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate
in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic
during the early 18th century, a period re-
ferred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. His
best known vessel was the Queen Anne’s
Revenge, which is believed to have run
aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina
in 1718.[1]
Blackbeard often fought, or simply showed
himself, wearing a big feathered tricorn, and
having multiple swords, knives, and pistols at
his disposal. It was reported in A General
Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the
Most Notorious Pyrates that he had hemp
and lit matches woven into his enormous
black beard during battle to intimidate his
enemies. Blackbeard is often regarded as the
archetypal image of the seafaring pirate.
Early life
Little is known about Blackbeard’s early life.
He was most likely born in around 1680[2] in
the British port town of Bristol.[3] It has been
suggested that his father was also a sailor
aboard privateers in the waters off Port Royal
in Jamaica, during the War of the Grand Al-
liance from 1688 to 1697.[3]
His birth name is usually given as either
Edward Teach or Thatch,[3] though other
sources have suggested Edward Drum-
mond. His first biographer, Captain Charles
Johnson, claimed Blackbeard went to sea at
an early age and served on a British ship in
the War of the Spanish Succession, privateer-
ing in the Spanish West Indies and along the
Spanish Main.[4]
After Britain withdrew from the War in
1713, Teach, like many other privateers,
turned to piracy. His first experiences in pir-
acy were as a crew member for Benjamin
Hornigold, who was based in Jamaica. When
Hornigold decided to retire from