Blackbeard: The World's Most Notorious Pirate

Little is known about the infamous Blackbeard's early life; in fact, the first documentations of him are not recorded until the early 1700s, long after his childhood. Yet with so little knowledge of him, he is arguably regarded as the most notorious pirate in history due to his fearsome personality, distinguished look, daring acts of piracy, and stalwart death.

Long before he became the legendary, "Blackbeard," Edward Teach was from the town of Bristol in England. He served as a privateer (a pirate under the orders of a Monarch) in Queen Anne's war, which went from 1701-1714. When the war ended, Teach, like many other privateers, decided to continue his life as a pirate and pursued dangerous endeavors. In the year of 1717, Teach stole a ship and claimed it his own, naming it, Queen Anne's Revenge. With this ship he outfitted forty cannons and created one of the most devastating ships ever to roam the seas by a pirate. His arsenal was large enough to compete against naval ships from the Spanish and English.

Up until this time Teach was still known by his natural name, but once his pirating excursions began, he started to form his iconic disposition from which his fame came.

He grew his beard out, which was a deep black color and extended up to his eyes. It was luxuriously thick and he would light matches within it to have a fiery look upon which he gazed at his enemies. It was terrifying for those who met him in person and he was described as a

sight from hell by some. He had such a daunting personality that often times people would surrender or lose the will to fight merely from seeing him.

Blackbeard's most bold adventure took place in the port of Charleston, South Carolina in which he took hostages and held t...

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... in an astonishing fashion to let his legend continue through the centuries. His integrity, motives, and actions can all be questioned morally, but without a doubt one has to admit his character and personality are worthy of interest. For obvious reasons Blackbeard's notoriety and fame will continue propel him through the ages as one of the greatest pirates in human history.

Works Cited

Butler, Lindley. "Blackbeard's Revenge." American History 2000: 18-24. ProQuest. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

DeGregory, Lane, Staff w. "Edward Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard) a Wild and Crazy Guy Men Sent by Virginia's Governor Finally Ended His Life of Piracy." Virginian - Pilot. 22 Aug. 1993. ProQuest. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.

Graham, Nicholas. "The Life and Death of Blackbeard the Pirate." This Month in North Carolina History 2003: UNC Libraries/North Carolina Collection. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.