Histoy of Blackbeard the Pirate

Throughout history pirates have terrorized the world's seas. There are few men that have been feared as much as pirates were. Names such as pirate, buccaneer, and privateer were given to these men and women that terrorized the seas. Black Sam Bellamy, Bartholomew Roberts, Jean Lafitte, Stede Bonnet, and Ann Bonny are some of the most feared names know to man. These were the names of pirates that dominated the seas during the 1600's and 1700's, a time known as the "Golden Age of Piracy." However, one of the greatest pirates of all time was the great Edward Teach, alias Blackbeard. He terrorized the seas for most of his gruesome life during this era. The "Golden Age of Piracy" marked a time when sea travel was unsafe for everyone, with Blackbeard being one of the lead factors.

The history of piracy dates back more than 3000 years. "It appears that the word pirate (peirato) was first used in about 140 BC by the Roman historian Polybius. The Greek historian Plutarch, writing in about 100 A.D., gave the oldest clear definition of piracy. He described pirates as those who attack without legal authority not only ships, but also maritime cities (http://www.piratesinfo.com/history/history.php)." The most common meaning of the word pirate recognizes them as an outlaw and a thief. Anyone who was caught and tried with the act of piracy would be sentenced to death.

Most people are familiar with the words pirate, privateer, and buccaneer. These words are all names given to groups of pirates. They were all essentially the same thing, with slight differences. In one case, however, you could be considered a legal pirate. These men were called privateers. "A privateer was a pirate who by commission or letter of marque from the government was authorized to seize or destroy a merchant vessel of another nation (http://www.piratesinfo.com/fact/famous.html)." Many kings hired privateers to help weaken their enemies. Privateers would sail the seas and loot and pillage ships in the name of their country. They tended to stay as far from the coast as possible to avoid any navy that might be about. Privateers with a letter of marque were considered legal by international law and they were not supposed to be charged with the act of piracy. However, more often that not, if the enemy managed to seize a privateer, they would often charge them with piracy and have them killed. Two perfect examples of privateers are Sir Francis Drake and Henry Morgan. Both men were so successful that they eventually received knighthood from the crown.

Another famous group of pirates were the Buccaneers. "Buccaneers were initially hunter's of cattle and pigs on the island of what is now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic (http://www.piratesinfo.com/fact/famous.html)." The buccaneer's main source of food was the pigs found on the islands. They got their name from the French word "boucan" which meant barbecue. Often at times, these men were seen barbequing the pig meat on grills. They learned this style of cooking from the Arawak Indians. The buccaneers were men driven out by the Spanish, runaway slaves, deserters, and others who just hated the Spanish. "The word buccaneer soon became common, and by the 17th century was used to describe pirates and privateers who had bases in the West Indies (http://www.piratesinfo.com/fact/famous.html)."

From the late 1600's to the early 1700's, the Bahamas was a haven for pirates and government-sanctioned privateers. They preyed on Spanish galleons laden with gold from the New World, and left behind tales of ruin, revelry, and buried treasure. This was the time knows as the "Golden Age of Piracy". It was during this time that America was still in its beginnings and colonial times. There was no navy anywhere near America, who was still under British rule, at the time. The Caribbean Sea was too far away for Britain to send its navy. Because of this, ships had to sail on their own behalf without the protection of a navy. This is the time when piracy was at its peak. This is the time when Blackbeard ruled the seas.

One of the most famous pirates of all time is Edward Teach. Historians believe Edward Teach's original name was Edward Drummond and that he later changed it to Teach after he became a true pirate. However, there is some mystery that surrounds his real name. There are records showing that he sometimes went by Thatch, Tach, Tatch, and Tash. These names could very well be an alias just as much as the next. With all of these names, Edward Teach was most commonly known as Blackbeard, and that is how he is remembered in history. Blackbeard received his nickname from his long, black, gruff looking beard that covered most of his face. He never trimmed his beard, and because of this, it grew down to his chest and was very bushy. During raids, he would braid his long hair and beard and tie slow burning, hemp fuses to the ends of his beard. He would light the fuses during battle to make his head look like it were on fire, giving him a very scary look. "The effect was terrifying. His face, with its fierce eyes and matted hair, was wreathed in smoke, and he looked to his prey like a fiend from hell" (Botting, Douglas Ð'- The Pirates).

"Blackbeard's background, like that of most pirates, is obscure" (Botting, Douglas Ð'- The Pirates). However, it is believed that Black bead was born in Bristol, England around 1680. Contrary to popular belief, some people believe that he was born in Virginia or Jamaica, but history books recognize Bristol as his home. It is at this time that Blackbeard learned the skills of his trade. He became a privateer for Benjamin Hornigold. Hornigold hired Blackbeard to help him capture ships in the West Indies during the War of the Spanish Succession. After the end of the war in 1713, there wasn't much use for privateers. Countries were coming at peace with one another and no longer needed to hire privateers. Blackbeard couldn't resist the lifestyle of a pirate and soon left the government to become a full-fledged pirate.

"Under the tutelage of Benjamin Hornigold on New Providence, Blackbeard soon distinguished himself as a natural pirate leaderÐ'--tall, enormously strong, wild and brave" (Botting, Douglas Ð'- The Pirates). Upon leaving the side of Hornigold, Blackbeard took with him a French vessel that they had captured off the coast of St. Vincent in the West Indies. The name of this ship was the Concorde. When he became captain, however, he renamed the ship Queen Anne's Revenge, mounted 40 guns on her, and sailed into the Caribbean. Queen Anne's Revenge was a large, yet fast ship with 3 masts and measuring around 90 feet long. She was