Blackbeard the Pirate

Blackbeard the Pirate

The Man Behind the Stories Picture a pirate in your mind. Do you think of a cartoon pirate with a beard, an eye patch, and a parrot? Three hundred years ago, real pirates did sail the seas. One pirate had a name that scared everyone. He was known as Blackbeard.

Becoming Blackbeard Blackbeard's real name was Edward Teach. He was born in England about 1680. When he was old enough, Edward learned to sail a ship. England was at war. Edward joined the crew of a ship that attacked enemy ships to help the English navy. Soon, he decided it would be better to join a pirate crew, instead!

The leader of the pirate crew put Edward in charge of a pirate ship. They attacked so many other ships that everyone was afraid of them.

One day, Edward and his pirate crew took over a large, fast, French ship that they had captured. The pirate leader gave the ship to Edward as a reward. Edward added more cannons to make it a very dangerous ship. Then he gave his ship a new name-the Queen Anne's Revenge. The Queen Anne's Revenge and Edward soon became very famous. No ship wanted to see the fast ship and its black pirate flag chasing them. Edward was now Blackbeard, the pirate.

Blackbeard Ruled the Sea Blackbeard scared everyone who saw him. He was a huge man with a thick, braided, black beard. He stuck burning fuses in his beard so it looked as if his beard was on fire.