Edward Teach, better known by his alias Blackbeard, was one of the most infamous pirates in history. He died on November 22, 1718, on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, in the United States. His surname was also spelled Thatch or Thack.
Blackbeard is regarded as an imposing figure in American folklore. About 1680, he entered the world in Bristol, England.
Blackbeard, Also Known As The Pirate Teach, Was First A Member Of Benjamin Hornigold’s Crew.
In 1718, Hornigold decided to call it quits and retire, taking advantage of an amnesty provided by the British government to reformed privateers. After that, Teach assumed control of his own vessel.
Throughout the next two years, Teach built a reputation for being brutal by regularly attacking coastal communities along the Atlantic coast of North America and the West Indies.
The fact that Blackbeard engaged in a running duel with the British thirty-gun man-of-war HMS Scarborough, which contributed to his infamy, is said to have been related by Charles Johnson.
However, historian David Cordingly has discovered that the Scarborough’s log does not contain any mention of the conflict in question.
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Putting Charleston Under Blockade
The most notable thing that Blackbeard did was blockade Charleston, which is located in South Carolina.
Around the end of May in the year 1718, Blackbeard sailed his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, along with three other, less capable vessels, through the entrance to Charleston Harbor. He pillaged five commercial freighters that were either entering or leaving the port at the time.
Because of the threat posed by the pirate fleet, the harbor was off limits to any other ships that could have been traveling there.
Death
It would appear that Teach had given up his life of piracy after being granted a pardon. But, when Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia discovered that the infamous freebooter was in the area, he got concerned.
Even though Blackbeard was located outside of Spotswood’s jurisdiction, the town of Spotswood made the decision to kill him.
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In Order To Make Himself Appear Even More Menacing, He Ignited Fuses And Hid Them Under His Hat.
It Has Been Demonstrated That:
“At critical moments in the heat of combat, he… concealed lit matches under his hat.
These appeared on either side of his face, and combined with the fact that his eyes naturally appeared fierce and wild, he was altogether such a figure that the imagination could not conjure up an image of a fury, from hell, that would look more terrifying.”
After That, He Became A Member Of The Notorious Pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold’s Crew.
After the war with France, Blackbeard, like many other privateers, was unable to find employment that was both respectable and legal.
As a result, he reverted back to what he knew best: piracy. In the year 1716, he became a member of the famed pirate Benjamin Hornigold’s gang and began sailing out of the Bahamas.
Soon after, Hornigold granted Teach leadership of his own vessel, and the two of them proceeded to terrorize the Caribbean together.
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In The Year 1718, Blackbeard Seized Control Of The Harbor Of Charles Town And Requested Supplies For Medical Care.
In the month of May in 1718, Blackbeard was a part of one of his most daring and well-known exploits. He shut down the port of Charles Town, which is located in the South Carolina province, which was a really audacious move on his part.
He demanded that medicine be sent to him first, and then he would release the town from his hostage hold in which he had kept it.
On November 22, 1718, At The Mouth Of The Okracoke Inlet,
ieutenant Robert Maynard, “an experienced Officer, and a Gentleman of great Bravery and Resolve,” eventually killed Blackbeard in battle. Blackbeard and Maynard fought a sword combat, and Blackbeard was severely wounded throughout the course of the fight, receiving over twenty cuts. But, we are told:
“he refused to give in, fighting fiercely until he was wounded five times by gunfire. Finally, after firing numerous shots, he dropped dead while cocking another Pistol (famously carried three pairs slung over his shoulders).
