Who was Blackbeard? What to know about real-life pirate mentioned on ‘Outer Banks’
Throughout its run, Netlix’s hit “Outer Banks” series has made no shortage of references to real North Carolina places, people and things.
It perhaps was only a matter of time, then, that the popular show, set along North Carolina’s coast, would give a mention to the man who was perhaps the most infamous and notorious pirate connected to the state hundreds of years ago.
Yes, we’re talking about Blackbeard.
The pirate, whose real name was Edward Teach, gets name-dropped in the third season of “Outer Banks,” which dropped on the streaming service Feb. 23.
If you’re from North Carolina, the name probably rings a bell for you. Maybe you learned about Blackbeard in school, or you heard about him on a trip to the coast (or in the classic 1968 Disney movie).
But if it’s been awhile since you’ve heard that name, you might find yourself wanting more information about the pirate.
Look no further. We’ve compiled information to bring you everything you need to know about Blackbeard and his connections to North Carolina.
Who was Blackbeard the pirate?
Before Blackbeard was a pirate, he was a privateer — essentially, a legal pirate who was given authority by the British government to use “private ships to attack and capture enemy merchant vessels, with the proceeds divided between the Queen and the crew of the privateer,” as described by NCpedia, an online resource about North Carolina history.
Blackbeard, then going by his real name of Edward Teach, served as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War from about 1702 to 1713. But after the war ended, NCpedia says, Teach’s opportunity to privateer ended — and he instead turned to piracy.
For several years after the war, NCpedia says, Teach served under another captain as a pirate, but in 1717, he stole a ship and formed his own crew.
Aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge” ship, Teach and his crew “captured a number of valuable cargoes off of the coasts of Virginia and the Carolinas,” NCpedia says.
It was during his time “terrorizing commercial ports along the coast of North America” that Teach became known as Blackbeard — yes, he had an intimidating black beard — and became “widely feared for his violence.”
How is Blackbeard connected to North Carolina?
Blackbeard spent lots of time in North Carolina, both pirating and hiding out.
In the fall of 1717, Blackbeard sailed to North Carolina and agreed to a loyalty pledge with England, taking an oath to end his pirating activities, the National Parks Service says. At this time, he went to Ocracoke Island, on the Outer Banks, and anchored his ship “between the Ocracoke Inlet and a natural fresh-water well on land in what is now called Teach’s Hole Channel.”
In the summer of 1718, Blackbeard lived in Bath, on the Pamlico River. There, he was “was known to have socialized with Governor Eden,” who “was widely rumored to have ignored the illegal activities of the pirates in exchange for a share of the spoils,” NCpedia says.
Blackbeard then returned to pirating on the sea “to maintain his lavish lifestyle,” NCpedia says.
While North Carolina and its governor were “willing to shelter the pardoned pirate,” the neighboring colonies of Virginia and South Carolina weren’t so sympathetic.
In late 1718, the British Royal Navy, authorized by Virginia Gov. Alexander Spotswood and led by Lt. Robert Maynard, attacked and defeated Blackbeard and his crew.
Blackbeard, suffering an estimated five gunshot wounds and 20 stab wounds, was killed, then beheaded, by the British sailors in Ocracoke in November 1718.
How to watch ‘Outer Banks’ on Netflix
“Outer Banks” is available for streaming on Netflix.
Season 3 premiered on Feb. 23, with all episodes becoming available on the platform that day. Seasons 1 and 2 are also available.
If you’re not subscribed to Netflix, you can learn more about subscription plans at netflix.com/signup.
