Historians consider Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, to be the most ruthless pirate of all time. He gained this reputation in part because of his physical appearance, his treatment of women, his crew, and his captives, and his notoriously brutal death.

First of all, Blackbeard's appearance was enough to frighten the bravest of men. His beard was grizzly and black in a time that most men did not have beards. His hair was long and braided into pigtails, some of which were swept behind his ears, while others were tied with brightly colored ribbons (Day 18). Captain Johnson, who sailed with Blackbeard, stated that, "Captain Teach assumed cognomen of Blackbeard, from that large quantity of hair, which, like a frightful meteor, covered his whole face and frightened America more than any comet that has appeared there along time" (Cordingly 13).

Blackbeard's size greatly added to his frightful appearance. He stood six feet four

When it was time for battle, Blackbeard added to his image to frighten his enemies. He stuck lighted matches under his tri-cornered hat. The matches were actually slow burning hemp cords, used in those days for firing cannons and grenades. When they were lit, these slow burning fuses created a swirl of smoke around the head of Blackbeard, giving him the appearance according to Captain Johnson, "of a fury from hell" (Sherry 235).

Also, Blackbeard went into battle "armed to the teeth." He carried a naked cutlass in his leather belt, and three pairs of loaded pistols kept in a bandoleer across his chest (Sherry 235). Carrying six pistols was not only to frighten the enemy, but it was also a wise precaution. Flintlock weapons were unreliable at sea, so if one misfired, the extra ones could end up saving his life (Cordingly 14).

Blackbeard's treatment of women was another reason that sailors considered him to be the most brutal pirate of all time. It is reputed that he had no fewer than fourteen wives, most of them teenage girls. One of his wives, a sixteen-year-old girl, was often forced to have sex with any member of Blackbeard's crew who pleased him in anyway. Captain Johnson stated that, "He would force her to prostitute herself to them all, one after another, before his face" (Sherry 236-237). Blackbeard would change wives quite often. When he became bored with one particular wife, he locked her away with his treasure and left her to starve to death (Feder 45).

Would you want to be a pirate aboard one of Blackbeard's ships?

All of these stories and facts contribute to the fierceness and ruthlessness of Blackbeard. He was without a doubt the most infamous pirate ever. He was a large, ferocious man that treated everyone like scum. There were few people that had met him that were not afraid of him. As Sherry put it, "He was the savage giant, the terrible Captain Teach, better known as Blackbeard. He was a monster. Tall, burly, enormously strong, he spoke in a booming voice, and his appetites were as ferocious as his temper" (Sherry 234-235). Sherry also stated that, "Many who knew him thought him insane. He had an explosive natur

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