Who Was Blackbeard? The True Story of History’s Most Infamous Pirate
What To Know
- Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, became the most infamous pirate in history despite his short piracy career.
- He gained notoriety by capturing the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge, blockading Charleston, and cultivating a terrifying image.
During the golden age of piracy, many pirates terrorized the seas and surrounding townspeople, but perhaps the most famous was Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. While many may be surprised to learn that his real career lasted barely two years, from 1716 to 1718, he remains the most infamous pirate in history. Most historians believe he was born around 1680, possibly in the busy English port city of Bristol. It is thought he may have served as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War, legally attacking enemy ships on behalf of the British crown. When that conflict ended in 1713, many former privateers turned to outright piracy, and Teach appears to have followed suit.
By around 1716, he had joined the crew of Capt. Benjamin Hornigold, one of the most active pirates operating out of the Bahamas. Hornigold was impressed enough to give Teach command of a captured sloop, and his big break came in November 1717, when he captured a French slave ship called La Concorde. Teach renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge, outfitted it with about 40 guns, and filled it with a crew that eventually numbered in the hundreds. With that ship under his control, Blackbeard became a major power in the Caribbean.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
It was also during this period that his terrifying image took shape. Some say he was tall and broad-shouldered, with an enormous black beard he braided into pigtails. To frighten enemies, he reportedly placed slow-burning fuses under his hat so that smoke curled around his face as he went into battle. The goal seemed to be intimidation rather than bloodshed. In fact, there is no verified account of Blackbeard ever killing captives. His most daring stunt came in May 1718, when he blockaded the port of Charles Town, South Carolina. For nearly a week, his fleet stopped ships from entering and leaving the harbor and held prominent citizens hostage.
Blackbeard demanded a ransom not in gold but in a chest of medical supplies. The townspeople gave in; the prisoners were released unharmed, and Blackbeard sailed away with a victory that only increased his notoriety. Not long after, Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, in June 1718. Blackbeard accepted a royal pardon from Gov. Charles Eden and briefly settled down in the town of Bath. However, within months, he was back at sea, raiding ships again.
Public Domain
That defiance finally caught up with him. Alarmed by Blackbeard’s return to piracy, the governor of Virginia sent a naval force to hunt him down. On Nov. 22, 1718, Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy cornered him at Ocracoke Inlet off the coast of North Carolina. A savage hand-to-hand battle followed. By the time it ended, Blackbeard had reportedly suffered multiple gunshot and sword wounds before finally falling. Maynard cut off his head and hung it from the bowsprit of his ship as proof that the reign of Blackbeard was over.
Blackbeard’s death helped close the brief but dramatic golden age of piracy, yet his story was only beginning. Writers like Captain Charles Johnson soon turned him into the larger-than-life villain, inspiring everything from Treasure Island to Pirates of the Caribbean and even Peter Pan. Other real-life pirates left their own marks on history, from gentleman-turned-outlaw Stede Bonnet to the legendary female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but none ever matched the impact of Blackbeard in pop culture and history.
This article originally ran in the April 2026 Swashbucklers Issue of ReMIND Magazine. You can purchase the full issue at the link below.
Remind 
Swashbucklers
April 2026
Celebrating our favorite swashbucklers — brave and bold buccaneers on land and sea.
Buy This Issue