Who Was Blackbeard (Edward Teach) The Pirate?

Captain Blackbeard himself

Who Was Blackbeard (Edward Teach)?

Blackbeard, or Edward Teach to his pals, is probably the most famous real-life pirate of all time. Sure, fictional felons Jack Sparrow and Long John Silver may have exceeded Blackbeard’s fame in recent years, but if you’re after a real life nautical naughty man, then Blackbeard is your pirate.

Find out if Blackbeard really had a black beard here.

What Was He Famous For? (Or Should That Be Infamous?)

Born, probably, in 1680 in the English city of Bristol, we know little about the life of Edward Teach. We do know that after an early career as a Privateer during the ‘War of the Spanish Succession’, he really hit his Pirating stride in 1716. It was in 1717 that he captured and converted a French Merchant ship into a 40 gun monstrosity; The Queen Anne’s Revenge.

With his deadly flagship, Blackbeard caused havoc and outrage in the Caribbean Sea. He became super famous back home for his bad boy anticz, gathering the tabloid fame that would make even a Kardashian jealous.

How Did Blackbeard Meet His End?

However, his pillaging and plundering ways did not last for long. In 1718 he was tracked down and killed by a British naval force under the command of Lieutenant Robert Maynard. During his final battle, Blackbeard apparently fought like a deranged demon, he suffered ‘five gun wounds and 20 cuts by sword or cutlass’ but nothing could bring the bad lad from Bristol down.

That is until, with Maynard about to be killed at his feet, Blackbeard had his head hacked off by an unseen foe. Popular legend has it that when Blackbeard’s decapitated body was flung into the water where it swam around the ship several times before sinking without a trace.