A Brief History
The 22nd of November is indelibly etched in the public’s mind with the death of a revered hero! (And John F. Kennedy also died on November 22nd.) Yes, pirate aficionados everywhere mourn the 1718 loss of one of the most colorful pirates of all time, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find him born in England around 1680, and at some unknown point, becoming a sailor and finding himself in the West Indies.
Back in the bad old pirate days, pirates often took on an alias to avoid prosecution (the penalty of piracy being death) and Edward Teach may not even have been Blackbeard’s real name.
In any case, he began a life of piracy and terrorized the Caribbean and American coast, presenting a wild image of a large, ferocious maniac with burning “matches” (slow burning cords) and ribbons tied in his wild and bushy black beard. This image has become one of our standard images of what we think of as a pirate. With multiple pistols and a large cutlass, a fearsome image indeed.
Blackbeard and his crew received a pardon for piracy in June 1718, but quickly reverted to piracy. Not quite as bloodthirsty as his reputation, Blackbeard often spared the lives of his captives. Nonetheless, he was a highly wanted man by colonial authorities, and the colony of Virginia offered a reward to go along with a reward from the King.
Lt. R. Maynard of the Royal Navy led a force of 2 ships after Blackbeard and his ship the Adventure (note: Blackbeard is best known for previously commanding a ship he named Queen Anne’s Revenge) and on November 21, 1718 blocked their escape from shallow water off the North Carolina coast. On November 22, 1718 a fierce battle commenced, with the heavy and accurate fire from the Adventure taking a toll of Maynard’s men. Adventure then ran aground and Maynard’s ships were able to pull alongside with Blackbeard’s crew tricked into rushing aboard what appeared to be almost unmanned ships. Maynard and his men rushed from below where they were hiding and after a vicious battle defeated the pirates and Blackbeard was dead!
The legend got an exclamation point when after the battle it was found that Blackbeard, dying like a boss, had suffered at least 20 sword slashes and was shot at least 5 times. Hard man to kill, harder legend to kill!
Question for students (and subscribers): What is your favorite depiction of Blackbeard in popular culture? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more on Blackbeard’s legendary status in popular culture, please play Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and watch Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides.
For a video version of this article, please watch the following:
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="752 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=752">134 Comments
I had no idea he was on a video game, that’s interesting. Will have to say Pirates of the Caribbean was a great movie though!
I saw it in 3D at the theater!
RRRRgggg ye land lubbers! I never realized that both Blackbeard and JFK share the same death anniversaries. And I also didn’t know about the video games – as I am not much of a “gamer.” Yet I knew quite a bit about Blackbeard himself. Very cool!
Nice! 🙂
22 November doesn’t seem to be kind; C.S. Lewis also died on that day (same year as JFK, too).
I did not know about the video games. I do play a lot of video games but most of them are sports games.
I was unaware that Blackbeard was in those video games. I have never played Assassins Creed, as I am not a huge gamer.
I have the game, but I have not tried it yet as I have been focused on grading midterms since it came out.
I did know that Blackbeard was put in a video game. It is pretty cool. I also did not know that he and JFK shared the same death day.
Pirates, sailing, treasure! I find it fascinating that he received a pardon for piracy, then went back to piracy!!!
I did not know about his appearance both in game and movie. However with the gaming and filming industry the amount of topics, without being repeated, is kind of limited – they would get to this piracy and this character topic sooner or later
I am NOT a gamer at all. I honestly never play videogames. Therefore, I had absolutely no idea that he was in the game. At all.
I cannot wait to play the new assassins creed, cannot wait to pirate my way along the Caribbean.
I am not much of a gamer, thus, I do not plan on partaking in the game, nor did I know he was in it.
I never knew Blackbeard and JFK were both killed on November 22. The attack plan to make the other ship appear empty was very clever.
-AD
I find it funny how Blackbeard and his crew got pardoned but still continued to be pirates. Twenty sword slashes and five bullets is a lot to kill a man.
Now I really wish I’d catch up on the Assassin’s Creed games. That is a death not even Hollywood could come up with. It’s a shame his will to live wasen’t enough to keep him alive.
Blackbeard is someone that has lived on in the minds of people due to media. TV, books, and games have propelled Blackbeard into the stratosphere of names known in history. The captain has to lead by word and example and Blackbeard did that in how he fought. The fact it took that much to kill shows how he fought. His name lives in infamy.
As playing the game assassins creed, I remember the battle that occurred when he died. It was actually shocking to me because I never knew it would happen and now I know it actually happened in our history.
Very cool that we get the idea of what a true pirate looks like from Blackbeard.
I wonder if this account of his death has ever been exaggerated. I feel like getting shot even less than five times would take down anything.
Wow! A man like blackbeard must have been very intimidating! Since it took multiple slashes and gun shots in order to take him down. The only way Maynard was able to beat him was due to his strategy of trickery.
Not very smart by Blackbeard and his men to go onto the ship. Also, playing devil’s advocate, maybe he was killed and then someone slashed and shot him more because he was such an disliked individual.
It’s ironic how Blackbeard got ambushed, because that is more of pirate way, than a naval ship, when it comes to fighting.
Blackbeard sounds so much more intimidating than Edward..
This is intense. I think that pirates are super interesting
It is funny that Blackbeard has gained such a reputation over the years. Whether or not he was as ruthless as legend says, he was certainly an interesting character. The description of his death is so crazy. It just tops off a crazy story for an equally crazy/cool man!
I would really be interested in the Blackbeard movie. Watch it in class perhaps? Haha
Pirates are very interesting to learn about. I’m not a “gamer” at all but it pretty cool that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag was made after Blackbeard
Blackbeard is who everyone thinks of when we say the word pirates, and rightfully so! The guy was a total B.A.!
Nice!
I love pirates… what more needs to be said? — DAVID WARDLE
Black flag is a great game, really enjoyed it. And i never knew much history about Blackbeard, pretty interesting stuff
I had no clue this had to do with the video game !
When people think of pirates, this is who they think of! Blackbeard represents what all awesome pirates should be. Hard to be a legend though.
Blackbeard is most definitely the name that comes to mind when you think of pirates. I had no idea he inspired the video games and movies. That’s awesome. Truly a badass
Blackbeard seems like a badass. Didn’t realize this was the video game as well!
Interesting, this is the second post that spoke about Blackbeards death. I’m just as surprised as the first time I read it.
wow, he even went out like a boss
It’s almost unbelievable that he could go through that much before he finally died.
He seems like he lived a pretty BA life! I also didn’t know that he was the inspiration for video games and movies we have today, it’s cool to see history integrated into modern society.
What a legend! The fact that it took that much to kill him does not surprise me.
funny how he was pardoned, but immediately reverted back to pirating. Badass.
I never knew Blackbeard had another ship. AC4 only has him sailing the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which is a pretty ferocious-looking ship in the game.
N.W.
Its cool that Blackbeard influenced so many things we have today. I didn’t realize that he died the same day as JFK. And the way he died is crazy.
I did not know that, that was the way these movies/ games were crreated. Of course they started off because of Blackbeard, but i have never played or watched the series to know how he fought and how he was able to conquer so much in his “pirate life.”
I find it so interesting that he was shot 5 times and slashed at least 20 times before he died. That is one tough guy! I can barely handle a scratch from my cat without wanting a band-aid!
Blackbeard sounds awesome! He totally was a boss. As I was reading about him, I was picturing Jack Sparrow in my head, especially because of the fact that he wore very colorful clothes.
Wow, that is very interesting that he spared the lives of most of his victims. I’m trying to picture his death, and I’m imagining it went down like the “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” scene where the black knight has his limbs chopped off. lol!
Just imagining a large man with matches burning from his beard is terrifying. Maynard and his men must have had a lot of guts to go up against a guy like that.
November 22nd- interesting day. Blackbeard, JFK, and CS Lewis each died.. But that’s my birthday! GW
I am surprised that Blackbeard often spared the lives of his captivities, he seems like a pretty brutal guy. Movies make pirates seem so cool, but pirates in real life are pretty awful.
Shot 5 times and slashed 20 times before he died. Not only did he act bad ass, he was badass!
I was impressed how much it took for Blackbeard to die! His influence on games and movies was interesting, too. I was picturing the Pirates of the Caribbean while reading this!
I have grown up hearing the legions of blackbeard thougth movies and stories but none ever seemed to betray him as this article did. It is also amazing that a man can still be breathing after 20 lashes and 5 gun shot this is just truly amazing.
I played through Assassins Creed IV and it was phenomenal. The representation of the pirates and of Blackbeard just emphasizes how much of an influence that he had. Being able to survive all of the harm that came his way is a crazy thing to fathom
I’ve heard about Blackbeard throughout my childhood. The stories about him always fascinated me and hearing that he was slashed multiple times and was shot at 5 times truly amazes me.
The name Blackbeard is kind of humorous to me. How does one come about having a nickname like that? I have never been a big “gamer” so all Asassins Creed references I cannot relate to. Reading about pirates is interesting to me, because as a child I always thought of them as such make believe, unrealistic characters, and that concept grew with me as I got older. It is still hard to wrap my mind around real pirates that aren’t just characters in Pirates of the Caribbean.
Blackbeard truly is a legend!
One of my favorite games and the fact that exploits like his
are still inspire games and movies means he left an everlasting mark on history
How does it take that long to die? Twenty slashes and being shot 5 times?! Most people die after only one or two of those injuries… not 25
I absolutely love stories about pirates and Blackbeard was always among the most popular. That dude truly was a legend.
Pirates are such an interesting topic in history. They are something that I tend to overlook as if they were actually fictional characters. The legend of Blackbeard is one of the most well known pirates. Very exciting article.
very cool article. i found it very intersting that blackbeard and JFK share the same date for when they both died.
Blackbeard is definitely the greatest pirate of all time. He
was a master of instilling fear in his enemies and intimidating everyone he came
across. The fuses he put in his hat was one of my favorite scare tactics he
used.
It’s amazing how he survived being stabbed and shot. Pirates are a cool topic to talk about in history, and how they impacted us.
I assumed Blackbeard was much older when he died, but he hadnt even reached 40.
Blackbeard became the embodiment of all pirates. I am surprised how long he last on the seas. Just glad he went out swinging.
Pirates are very interesting. Blackbeard was one of the most famous pirates. That’s pretty sweet that they share the same death date.
Pretty neat that a famous pirate shares the same death date as JFK. Wonder if that maybe a sign or signal of something else. We will never know.
Blackbeard seems like the type of person that could stop you with just a glance. He’s not the kind of person I would want to meet in a battle it sounds like he did have a legendary death though.
At least Blackbeard went out with a fight instead of a coward. So he can continue to be a legend in my book.
Blackbeard definitally was brave if not just crazy
Glad to learn he went down swinging instead of some public execution.
Blackbeard was definitely an interesting man.
Blackbeard automatically becomes beast from surviving allof thosegunshots and slashes
He really must have been a hard man to kill, with all those wounds and he was a fighter.
Blackbeard is a badass. So is Assassins Creed!
Talk about a legacy – dying like a boss and inspiring Assassin’s Creed!
Rasputin would be laughing at this thinking would’ve lived no problem. Quite a legacy though.
blackbeard is a boss. literally. did not stand down to anybody.
Blackbeard was one of the most successful pirates ever what a savage
Blackbeard was a beast. I only really knew of him from the pirates of the carribean, but it was cool finding out who exactly he was and how awesome he was.
My image of Blackbeard is from Pirates of the Caribbean but he was insane. The fact that he endured 20 sword slashes and 5 gun shots makes him a legend.
Suffering from at least 20 sword slashes and 5 gun shot wounds is insane! The cliche reputation of pirates is that they are all fearless and strong, and Blackbeard certainly fits this image more than anyone.
The description of Blackbeard is exactly what I think of when I imagine any pirate. I think this has to do with Pirates of the Caribbean, but apparently Blackbird inspired some things in those movies. Taking 20 sword wounds and 5 gun shots is very impressive for Blackbeard’s time.
He put up a tough fight surviving 20 sword slashes and 5 gun shot wounds! This description of him fits exactly how I would picture a pirate.
I actually recently played Assassins Creed 4, as I had been playing the games in order, and I have to say that the game did an excellent job of bringing the character of Blackbeard to life. I think that what I liked about those video games and movie franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean is that they generate interest in history. I think after playing the game it made me more interested to read about the character of Blackbeard.
The legend of Blackbeard sounds like 50 cent in todays day and age getting shot so many times and living but unfortunate for Blackbeard his story ended with him dead. He put up a heck of a fight sustaining that many hits to the body and still fighting back. A true image of a pirate.
Any article which references Assassins Creed is good with me. Blackbeard embodies the classic stereotype of a pirate which so many of us grew up with. It is odd to know that he is actually more merciful than most think.
Blackbeard is the most famous pirate ever, but I was surprised to read that he was merciful and spared the lives of some of his captives. I have heard the stories of how he was eventually killed off the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard will always be remembered, living on in video games and movies.
Having read all the previous articles about ships sinking I do not know why people would want to be pirates! To be honest, I had never heard of Blackbeard before, but he does indeed seem like a legend. Surviving 20 sword slashes and 5 gun shots is pretty incredible; it only reassures us of the strong nature of pirates.
Watching pirate movies like Pirates of the Caribbean who would not want to be a pirate! But, as we know, pirates did not really live glamorous lifestyles. They had rough nature about them, and we see that with Blackbeard taking 20 sword slashes and 5 shots!
Finding out that Blackbeard spared most of his captives softens his pirate status a little. Even his strength of fighting after being wounded many times before he fell dead is empowering.
How Blackbeard died is incredible, because it seems that people wanted him dead since he had twenty sword slashes and five gun shots. However, it is surprising that he would not kill the people he capture and he was not motivated to do mass killings. Even though he was a pirate, it seems he was not a cruel one.
I never knew Blackbeard was the inspiration for pirates of the Caribbean or that he was actually a real pirate. I just assumed Blackbeard was a legend or a sort of symbolic person representing all pirates at that time. Interesting that it took so many injuries to kill him! He definitely seems to live up to his legendary status.
Fierce pirate and warrior, but even has a soft spot for his captives. The amount of fantastic stories revolving around Blackbeard is incredible. My favorite being tying burning fuses to his beard to intimate others. Truly a man worthy of being called a legend. It’s no wonder why he has so many modern-day adaptations, from movies to television to video games.
This guy was a tank, taking 20 sword lashes and 5 gun shots?! Little soft by sparing his captives wouldn’t expect that from him but every guy a slight soft spot to them somewhere, I will admit it.
20 sword slashes and 5 gun shots before going down? Blackbeard seems to have truly lived up to his reputation here. The amount of myths and legends surrounding Blackbeard is something to behold and makes you wonder if much of what is said through those stories is true. It’s interesting to find out that we might not even know his real name and that he wasn’t as ruthless towards his captives as many have probably thought.
What a leader Blackbeard must have been to set the tone and image for piracy for decades to follow. As soon as he was granted pardon for piracy, he returned to his old acts. This is probably because the life of a pirate was the only life he ever knew, and because of the success he experienced with it earlier in life.
Blackbeard must have been a powerful man to have set the tone for pirates for decades. It is amazing that he was able to fight for so long and not die until being slashed 20 times and shot 5 times. He must have been one tough man.
It is surprising that Blackbeard was such a fierce pirate, but had a soft spot for his captives. He must have been one strong and tough man to have not died until being slashed 20 times by a sword and shot 5 times. It is cool to know that the image we all have of a pirate’s appearance dates back to Blackbeard.
That is pretty interesting we get are pirate imagine from Blackbeard, and he seemed to be one tough pirate when it took so much to kill him.
Maynard’s ambush is almost as impressive as Blackbeard’s toughness. The brains beat the brawn in this battle.
I never knew this is where the image of the pirate came from! Pretty neat! Huge Pirates of the Caribbean fan, too! Loved reading this article.
I feel the need to watch Pirates of the Caribbean now. I think they did a great job making him as terrifying in the movie as he is described above
He definitely to me signifies what a pirate was and what they did. That’s probably why a lot of the pirate shows and reenactments have been inspired by him somehow.
It took 20 sword slashes and at least 5 gun shots to kill the guy? That’s insane.
Man did he live such a colorful and interesting life! Makes you kind of wish pirates of this kind were still around. Pirates have always intrigued me.
Blackbeard has to be the most famous pirate that has ever lived. I cannot believe it took 5 gunshots and 20 slashes from a sword to kill him.
Hmmm, not so into assasians creed but ive played it a little its Lit, such as its fire , such as its a real nice game to play. Back to the pirate thing, its the truth we had these & you can tell they dont go down easily.
wow, five shots ans twenty stabs wounds! This terrifying man was not going down without a fight. I think it was smart of them to hide down under the boot to make it appear that no one was on it.
It’s crazy to think about how many injuries it took to take him down! He obviously wasn’t going down without a fight.
That was a lot to kill one person 20 sword slashes and 5 shots wow. just shot me once and i am down
Blackbeard has the coolest pirate name out there. Who would’ve known he would attach ferocious maniac with burning matches up to his black beard??
It’s quite a coincidence that Blackbeard’s death and JFK’s death were on the same date.
I play the Assassins Creed games (total gaming nerd) but it is interesting to me that Blackbeard wasn’t as murderous and crazy as he is made out to be.
Have you seen Black Sails?
I have not
The chronology of events is off, but it is otherwise a fantastic show with numerous historical personages.
I seen the movie Pirates of the Caribbean and they had Blackbeard portrayed differently in that movie.
It’s incredible the amount of times this man was slashed and shot at because he just simply wouldn’t die.. that must of been a horrible feeling
I find it fascinating that the stareotypical pirate was actually based off of Blackbeard.
I have heard about Blackbeard igniting his beard to terrify his enemies, but apparently he didn’t need to do that. All he needed to do was just show his enemies that he couldn’t be killed.
In high school history we never talked about Pirates and I find the story of Blackbeard so interesting not to mention he DID die like a bossssss.
What other historical figures would you say “died, LIKE A BOSS?”
I love assassins creed!!
It is quite interesting that Blackbeard inspired Assassins Creed. I wasn’t aware of the history of the game.
I wonder what Blackbeard would think today if he ever found out that he was the inspiration for a series of movies and games.
Undoubtedly he would only be concerned about the royalties!
i find it interesting Blackbeard’s appearance became the image we associate pirates with now. Take Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, with bows and beads in his beard, and multiple pistols, and of course the whisky!
I’m fascinated with the age of Pirates. It has always been a favorite of mine.
love pirates I wish I was a pirate that would be cool I would be like jack sparrow. Edward Teach should really stick with blackbeard
i would love to be on the ship with blackbeard. I love adventure. but theres not way that he could survive 20 slashes and 5 shots…