Three Centuries After His Beheading, a Kinder, Gentler Blackbeard Emerges
Recent discoveries cast a different light on the most famous—and most feared—pirate of the early 18th century
By Andrew Lawler
November 13, 2018
Since his head was separated from his body 300 years ago this month, Edward Teach (or Thache), also known as Blackbeard the pirate, has served as the archetype of the bloodthirsty rogues who once roamed Caribbean and Atlantic coastal waters.
Only in the past few years have genealogists, historians and archaeologists, thanks to a combination of hard work and good luck, unearthed surprising clues that reveal the man behind the legend, one that Blackbeard himself helped spawn. In his day, merchants whispered his name in fright. Reports circulated of a large man with “fierce and wild†eyes who kept a brace of three pistols on a holster across his chest and a tall fur cap on his head. Lighted matches made his luxurious beard smoke “like a frightful meteor.â€
Read more:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/three-centuries-after-his-beheading-kinder-gentler-blackbeard-emerges-180970782/#coClJLCXsjG8sJxs.99
