Blackbeard the Pirate

Blackbeard the Pirate

The Man Behind the Myth Picture a pirate in your mind. Do you think of a man with an eye patch, a parrot, and black hat? That colorful picture is not just from cartoons or the movies In the early 1700s, a pirate with a dark beard and wild eyes really did sail the seas. His name brought fear to the hearts of sailors. He was known as Blackbeard.

Becoming Blackbeard Not many facts are known about the man who was called Blackbeard. He may have been born in Bristol, England, around 1680. His real name was Edward Teach. Sometimes his name was spelled Thatch or Teache

Edward Teach became a sailor-a very hard life that paid little money. He soon became an English privateer, robbing enemy ships for England. That led to a job with Captain Benjamin Hornigold, a famous English pirate.

Edward was fearless and bold. Captain Hornigold put him in charge of a captured ship. The two worked as a team, attacking ships and stealing cargo. Soon, they were the most feared pirates on the ocean. In November 1717 Edward took command of a large, captured French ship named La Concorde. He named it the Queen Anne's Revenge and added more cannons to it. His ship was now heavily armed. When Hornigold retired, Edward took over. Within a year, Edward the sailor had become Blackbeard, the pirate.

Blackbeard Ruled the Sea The Queen Anne's Revenge was largefast, and had all that cannon power! Blackbeard himself was also a fearful sight to face! He was a huge man. He wore beads and ribbons twisted into his thick, black beard. He even stuck lit fuses in it, so his beard looked as if it was on fire. Most of his victims were so scared of him that they gave up without a fight.