Blackbeard History

Calling all Buccaneers to the Outer Banks

The Outer Banks is an area rich in history, boasting places such as the location of the first flight in Kill Devil Hills and the site of the first English settlement and Lost Colony on Roanoke Island. However, there is yet another reason why the Outer Banks is steeped in history, this one having to do with adventures and swashbuckling pirates. There is a huge pirate culture prevalent the Outer Banks, celebrated by restaurants, festivals, shops, activities and more. But where did this obsession with Pirates in the Outer Banks come from? You can thank one person in particular: The most terrifying of all buccaneers of his time, the Pirate Blackbeard. While you’re staying in one of your Outer Banks rental, have your own adventure when you check out one of our many pirate-themed attractions. But first, here is a little history on the famous Outer Banks pirate.

With its shallow inlets, the Outer Banks became a popular place for pirates during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The most popular pirate of all, Blackbeard, called Bath, North Carolina his home as he spent much of time plundering and pillaging ships off the coasts of the Outer Banks. Blackbeard, although terrifyingly immoral, was an incredibly interesting character. His real name was actually Edward Teach, which is a hardly a name that would invoke fear in anyone’s heart. He was born around 1680 in Bristol and all that is known about his pre-pirate years is that he served as a privateer in Queen Anne’s Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1716, Teach joined the crew of Benjamin Hornigold, one of the most notorious pirates before Blackbeard.  When they captured a French slave ship the next year, Blackbeard became the captain of the stolen vessel and renamed the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge. After arming the ship, he spent the next few months harassing ships up and down the eastern coast of North America.

It was not long after that Blackbeard grew his long black beard that covered most of his face earned him his nickname. For a chilling effect, Blackbeard would tie hemp to the ends of his beard and under the edges of his captain’s hat so that smoke would billow out theatrically around his face. He was also known to wear a crimson blood colored coat and always carried two swords on his waist and several pistols and knives in his pockets. It was this image that struck terror into the hearts of whomever he came across. The vicious pirate was known to hide out in the inlets of the Outer Banks and attack unsuspecting ships.  Because of Blackbeard, the waters surrounding the Outer Banks have been nicknamed the graveyard of the Atlantic.

For more pirate-y fun while you’re staying at your Outer Banks rental, stop by to dine at Pamlico Jack’s Pirate Hideaway Restaurant in Nags Head for a dinner fit for even the most hungry pirate. If you have kids, take the whole family on a pirate adventure of a lifetime withPirate Adventures of the Outer Banks for a swashbuckling good time. If you’re interested in pirate lore and paraphernalia, go shopping at Teach’s Hole for your own treasure to take home before you leave the Outer Banks and your Carolina designsOuter Banks vacation rental.