Ahoy! I, Captain Cache, decided to further me education this fall by enrollin’ in Pirate History 101. Not all pirates be illiterate ye know.
I’m lovin’ the class ‘cept I have a HUGE research paper to write on the infamous Blackbeard, and I can’t use Wikipedia! Luckily for me, I’ve got access to the Answer Cache provided by the Poudre River Public Library District. They have subscriptions to sites like EBSCO Host, an online encyclopedia with plenty o’ approved academic sources, Proquest News, an online gateway t’ over 850 newspapers, the Gale Virtual Reference Library containing a vast collection o’ primary sources, and many others.
I be knee deep in research already! Did ye know that the infamous Blackbeard had a crew o’ 300 followers?
The Story o’ Captain Blackbeard
Blackbeard, the scourge of the seven seas, was born in 1680 and died in 1718. Not much be known ’bout his birth place or parentage ’cause no one has proo’ o’ his real name. While he o’ten be referred to as Edward Teach, he has also been called Thatch, Thach, Tach, Tash, and even Drummond (Lindley 2014).
Blackbeard, like many others, became a pirate in 1714 after privateerin’ durin’ the War o’ Spanish Succession (“Blackbeard” Almanac o’ Famous People 2014). Privateerin’ was legal piracy, blimey! Soon after, he acquired his infamous flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, which held 40 guns and was as powerful as a vessel in th’ Royal Navy (Lindley 2014).
Tyin’ ribbons in his beard, lightin’ slow fuses, and braidin’ his giant black beard, contributed to Blackbeard’s terrifyin’ image. Captain Charles Johnson, an author o’ pirate history, once wrote, “This beard was black, which he suffered to grow o’ an extravagant length; as to breadth, it came up to his eyes; he was accustomed to twist it with ribbons, in small tails … and turn them about his ears: in time o’ action, he wore a sling over his shoulders, with three brace o’ pistols, hanging in holsters like bandoliers [a belt worn over the shoulder]; and stuck lighted matches under his hat, which appearing on each side o’ his face, his eyes naturally looking fierce and wild, made him altogether such a figure, that imagination cannot form an idea o’ a fury, from Hell, to look more frightful” (“Blackbeard” Encyclopedia o’ World Biography 2014). Aye, Captain Johnson said it best.
In 1718, Blackbeard set up a blockage o’ Charleston’s port with his three ships. The battle lasted a week and the pirates took prisoners for ransom. They wanted medical supplies to heal the crew (Encyclopedia o’ World Biography 2014). Shiver me timbers, Blackbeard kept his word! He released t’ prisoners after gettin’ his loot.
Alas, Queen Anne’s Revenge sunk soon after, and Blackbeard sailed on the Adventure to North Carolina to be pardoned by the Governor o’ North Carolina, the scallywag (“Edward Teach” 2014). He stayed there for four months before Virginia’s governor sent Captain Ellis Brand and Lieutenant Robert Maynard to kill or capture Blackbeard and give no quarter (Lindley 2014).
The melee battle was one o’ the bloodiest on Carolina waters and they blew the man down. Blackbeard died o’ sword and bullet wounds and was sent to Davy Jones’ Locker (Lindley 2014).
Queen Anne’s Revenge was recently found off the coast o’ Beaufort, North Carolina and has been deemed one o’ the most important archeology finds ever (Cameron 2014). The small coastal town also houses the ship’s bell and other artifacts in the North Carolina Maritime Museum (Cameron 2014).
Me hearties, if ye have yer own research paper t’ write, visit the Answer Cache for all yer researchin’ needs at http://www.poudrelibraries.org/research/#articles
References
“Blackbeard.” Almanac of Famous People. Gale, 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 29 July 2014.
“Blackbeard.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Vol. 21. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Biography in Context. Web. 29 July 2014.
Butler, Lindley S. “Blackbeard’s Revenge.” American History 35.3 (2000): 18. Biography in Context. Web. 29 July 2014.
Cameron, Silver Donald. “In Blackbeard’s wake: Beaufort, N.C., is a favourite stop for snowbird sailors. But it was also the home o’ the legendary pirate, whose legacy lives on in souvenir shops and museum exhibits.” Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada] 19 Jan. 2005: R9. Biography in Context. Web. 29 July 2014.
“Edward Teach.” Merriam Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, 1995. Biography in Context. Web. 29 July 2014.