Edward Teach "Blackbeard" 16??-1718
Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, is one of the most well known pirates in history. Blackbeard was born Edward Drummond of Bristol, England. Despite his origin of England, his pirating home is considered to be North Carolina, where he established a reputation of being "a swaggering, merciless brute." (Rankin, 1981)
Blackbeard began a career on the sea as a merchant seaman. After an exciting stint of serving in Queen Anne's War, a restless Edward Teach joined the crew of Captain Benjamin Honigold. Once proving he was an able captain, Honigold granted Blackbeard permission to command a vessel of his own. Blackbeard's vessel became the well known, Queen Anne's Revenge.
After claiming the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard traveled the seas. With each endeavor he encountered, word of Blackbeard's fearsome reputation spread. One source describes Blackbeard by saying, "He was a tall man, and of powerful physique. His long, bushy, pitch-black beard gave him his name. Before any action he would plait this beard into little pigtails which he tried up with colored ribbons. Some of these braids were twisted back over his ears. And just before doing battle he would secure several of the long, slow burning matches used to touch off the cannon. These he would tuck under his hat, lighted, allowing them to dangle around his face, the curling wisps of smoke adding to the frightfulness of his appearance." (Rankin, 1981)
Blackbeard soon transformed the North Carolina shores into his safe haven, changing North Carolina coasts frequently for hideouts, yet favoring Ocracoke Inlet. The king offered pardon to any pirates that turned themselves in. He surrendered himself to Governor Charles Eden in the town of Bath. There were rumors of a fiscal trade off for protection between the governor and Blackbeard. Blackbeard remained on shore for some time, trying to adjust to life on the mainland, even marrying a young lady, who was said to be his fourteenth wife.
It wasn't long, however, that life on shore made Blackbeard restless, and he soon began getting in contact with his old crew. Testing his relationship with the governor, Blackbeard would go rob ships out at sea and bring them back to the North Carolina shores. Eventually the people of North Carolina sought help from the governor of Virginia. When Blackbeard brought his latest prize to Ocracoke Inlet, a crew was selected to go check out the activities of Blackbeard. Once evidence was gathered of pirating activities aboard his ship, Lieutenant Robert Maynard severed Blackbeard's head from his body and put it on display on a hoisted sail.
Blackbeard began a career on the sea as a merchant seaman. After an exciting stint of serving in Queen Anne's War, a restless Edward Teach joined the crew of Captain Benjamin Honigold. Once proving he was an able captain, Honigold granted Blackbeard permission to command a vessel of his own. Blackbeard's vessel became the well known, Queen Anne's Revenge.
After claiming the Queen Anne's Revenge, Blackbeard traveled the seas. With each endeavor he encountered, word of Blackbeard's fearsome reputation spread. One source describes Blackbeard by saying, "He was a tall man, and of powerful physique. His long, bushy, pitch-black beard gave him his name. Before any action he would plait this beard into little pigtails which he tried up with colored ribbons. Some of these braids were twisted back over his ears. And just before doing battle he would secure several of the long, slow burning matches used to touch off the cannon. These he would tuck under his hat, lighted, allowing them to dangle around his face, the curling wisps of smoke adding to the frightfulness of his appearance." (Rankin, 1981)
Blackbeard soon transformed the North Carolina shores into his safe haven, changing North Carolina coasts frequently for hideouts, yet favoring Ocracoke Inlet. The king offered pardon to any pirates that turned themselves in. He surrendered himself to Governor Charles Eden in the town of Bath. There were rumors of a fiscal trade off for protection between the governor and Blackbeard. Blackbeard remained on shore for some time, trying to adjust to life on the mainland, even marrying a young lady, who was said to be his fourteenth wife.
It wasn't long, however, that life on shore made Blackbeard restless, and he soon began getting in contact with his old crew. Testing his relationship with the governor, Blackbeard would go rob ships out at sea and bring them back to the North Carolina shores. Eventually the people of North Carolina sought help from the governor of Virginia. When Blackbeard brought his latest prize to Ocracoke Inlet, a crew was selected to go check out the activities of Blackbeard. Once evidence was gathered of pirating activities aboard his ship, Lieutenant Robert Maynard severed Blackbeard's head from his body and put it on display on a hoisted sail.
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthewater/exhibition/1_5.html
http://www.sabotagetimes.com/life/judith-tebbutt-and-the-history-of-pirates-from-blackbeard-to-somalia/
Stede Bonnet "The Gentleman Pirate" 1688-1718
Stede Bonnet was a Major in the English army. After having retired, Bonnet abandoned his family, purchased a ship, which he named Revenge, and hired a crew to help with his endeavor-breaking all the rules of a pirate wanting to create a reputation for himself.
Once Bonnet set up his ship and crew, they set sail on the Atlantic quietly in the night. He quickly created a successful reputation for himself as a pirate. Bonnet spent quite some time up the Eastern coast of America, favoring the southern coasts to the northern for profitability. He eventually made way for Honduras, where he encountered and befriended fellow pirate, Blackbeard.
Blackbeard deemed Bonnet's inexperience as a weakness and disposed of the partnership by taking Bonnet as prisoner. Bonnet remained a prisoner upon Blackbeard's ship. Upon arriving in Topsail Inlet, Blackbeard offered Bonnet control of the Revenge. Bonnet took up the opportunity to surrender to the King. He traveled to Bath to surrender to Governor Charles Eden. He worked out a deal with the Governor to become a legal pirate, commissioned as a privateer. It wasn't long before Bonnet returned to his old life and went against his surrender to the King. He covered his tracks by renaming himself "Captain Thomas" and his ship "Royal James". Bonnet made way to North Carolina's Cape Fear region. There he and his crew set up post while repairs were being done to the ship. The troubled citizens of North Carolina grew concerned when they learned there was a pirate set up on their coast. Due to the conflicting relationship the Governor of North Carolina had worked out with the pirates, the Governor of South Carolina, Robert Johnson, decided to step in and assist with the removal of the pirates. He sought the aid of Colonel William Rhett to assist him in his task. Soon a plan was in motion to attack the Royal James. They attacked with two ships and after a long battle and much resistance from Bonnet, the Royal James surrendered. Bonnet was taken prisoner and had set up a plan of escape, fleeing for North Carolina. The winds made it impossible to travel up the coast and Rhett was able to capture Bonnet once again. The Governor of South Carolina sentenced Bonnet to be hanged. Bonnet begged in every aspect he could to have his sentence reconsidered, but the Governor remained solid in his decision. Bonnet was hanged on December 10, 1718.
Once Bonnet set up his ship and crew, they set sail on the Atlantic quietly in the night. He quickly created a successful reputation for himself as a pirate. Bonnet spent quite some time up the Eastern coast of America, favoring the southern coasts to the northern for profitability. He eventually made way for Honduras, where he encountered and befriended fellow pirate, Blackbeard.
Blackbeard deemed Bonnet's inexperience as a weakness and disposed of the partnership by taking Bonnet as prisoner. Bonnet remained a prisoner upon Blackbeard's ship. Upon arriving in Topsail Inlet, Blackbeard offered Bonnet control of the Revenge. Bonnet took up the opportunity to surrender to the King. He traveled to Bath to surrender to Governor Charles Eden. He worked out a deal with the Governor to become a legal pirate, commissioned as a privateer. It wasn't long before Bonnet returned to his old life and went against his surrender to the King. He covered his tracks by renaming himself "Captain Thomas" and his ship "Royal James". Bonnet made way to North Carolina's Cape Fear region. There he and his crew set up post while repairs were being done to the ship. The troubled citizens of North Carolina grew concerned when they learned there was a pirate set up on their coast. Due to the conflicting relationship the Governor of North Carolina had worked out with the pirates, the Governor of South Carolina, Robert Johnson, decided to step in and assist with the removal of the pirates. He sought the aid of Colonel William Rhett to assist him in his task. Soon a plan was in motion to attack the Royal James. They attacked with two ships and after a long battle and much resistance from Bonnet, the Royal James surrendered. Bonnet was taken prisoner and had set up a plan of escape, fleeing for North Carolina. The winds made it impossible to travel up the coast and Rhett was able to capture Bonnet once again. The Governor of South Carolina sentenced Bonnet to be hanged. Bonnet begged in every aspect he could to have his sentence reconsidered, but the Governor remained solid in his decision. Bonnet was hanged on December 10, 1718.
http://www.wemakehistory.com/2005BuccaneersBall/BuccaneerLore.htm
Anne Bonny and Mary Read
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/8161804/Privatising-the-pursuit-of-pirates-on-the-high-seas.html
Anne Bonny and Mary Read were two of the most famous female pirates in history. By day, they were women in dresses aboard ship, by robbery they were just another member of the crew ready to strike it rich with a large loot of goods. They did some pirating in North Carolina, but were not as centralized there as Blackbeard or Bonnet.