Time:
Born in England around 1680 — Died 1718.
Place:
West Indies and Atlantic coast of the United States.
Also known as:
Edward Teach, Edward Thatch, Edward Drummond.
Lets face it; Blackbeard is a way cooler name for a pirate. Picture this: a massive ship pulls alongside yours. A hoard of scary, hairy pirates prepare to come aboard. A lone voice rings out against the sound of rifles and canon. "Avast, me hearties! Chill yer blood an shiver yer bones: ere comes the dreaded Mister Edward Drummond..." See? The Blackbeard name was really the way to go.
Claim to fame:
Possibly the scariest pirate of all time. He even put lit rope in his hair to make people think he was a demon with blazing hair.
Typical headline if on 10 o'clock news:
Blackbeard Battles British Boats.
After the Break: Is Your Cat Reading Your Email? Channel 9 investigates.
Likely to say:
"If any Man shall steal any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a Piece of Eight, he shall be marroond or shot."
Unlikely to say:
"Aaaarrrr!" Unless one of those flaming ropes in his hair burnt his ears.
Who would play Blackbeard in a movie?
Lets go with Johnny Depp.
Failing that, Ewan McGregor.
Gift to Democracy:
Pirates ran their lives according to complex rules of conduct, and each pirate on a ship had a vote in electing a captain and making decisions. Because of this, it's said that pirates had democracy long before the Colonies developed it.
Favorite ice cream:
Rum and Raisin. Rum was often carried on ships because water went bad on long trips. Rum was even added to water to take the taste away: this was called grog.
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