Pirates have been an icon of popular culture for decades, inspiring beloved books and movies such as Treasure Island and the Goonies. Despite being active for only two years, no pirate is more famous than Edward Teach, better known by his nickname, Blackbeard. Who was Blackbeard and how much treasure did he have? Has it all been found? Learn the truth about Blackbeard in today's Did You Know.
The Truth About Blackbeard: Did You Know? – Video Transcription
Narrator: 00:05
Pirates have been an icon of popular culture for decades, inspiring beloved books and movies such as Treasure Island and the Goonies. Despite being active for only two years, no pirate is more famous than Edward Teach better known by his nickname, Black Beard. Black Beard was born in England and later moved to the Caribbean. As a young adult, he became an apprentice to an established pirate Benjamin Hornigold. Only a few months later, he had earned himself a crew and his legend began to spread. Black beard was known for placing burning fuses in his beard to create smoke as a form of intimidation. Despite his legacy as a ruthless pirate, dozens of firsthand accounts indicate that he had never killed a single person prior to his final battle. He was also reported to have been a well-spoken gentleman to his crew, as well as as victims. Black beard and his crew traveled the West Atlantic mainly in the Caribbean and Eastern North America coast, stealing all that they could. This put him on the radar of both England and Spain because North America was colonized by the English and the Caribbean islands were colonized by the Spanish.
Narrator: 01:19
These countries would consistently have ships carrying precious cargo such as gold. Blackbeard would plunder these ships every chance he got. In 1718 he held Charles Town under siege and plundered every ship that came into the Harbor for six days. In November of 1718 the Royal Navy caught up to him and overtook his ship. He had received five bullet wounds and 20 sword lacerations before he died. The British soldiers found a very small amount of valuables aboard his ship. Despite the numerous vessels black beard had looted. it is widely believed that he had hidden his fortune knowing that his days were numbered. Black beard accumulated huge amounts of wealth, which would be worth about $14.8 million today. However many believe that this only scratches the surface and that Blackbeard's fortune remains hidden to this day. Call the number below or click on the link in the description to learn more about the value of gold and other precious metals.
