#Queen Anne’s Revenge – The Flagship of Blackbeard the Pirate

[myhauntedsalem]

Queen Anne’s Revenge – The Flagship of Blackbeard the Pirate

Before she ran aground in 1817, Queen Anne’s Revenge haunted the waters off the Eastern United States during the early 1800s, sending fear into her victims at the mere sight of her. The ship had the ability to intimidate visually just as her Captain, William Teach did. He was more commonly known as Blackbeard the Pirate. Blackbeard himself is said to haunt the waters where he met his demise off the coast of North Carolina to this day.

Built in 1710, the British cargo ship Concord, was captured by the French shortly afterward and rechristened La Concorde. The French enlarged the ship to carry more cargo as it was used to ferry slaves to market. In 1716, La Concorde had an encounter with the pirate Benjamin Hornigold who then converted it to do battle, fitting it with 20 cannons. Hornigold terrorized the Guinea coast before setting said for the Bahamas and the Americas. It is thought that Blackbeard derived the name of the ship from Queen Anne’s War in which he participated in.

In late 1717, Horgnigold turned his ship over to one of his crew members, Edward Teach. Captain Teach renamed the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge and fitted her with twice the number of cannon, making her one of most intimidating warships of the day, a devastating weapon to be used in the name of piracy. Teach amassed a flotilla of ships, using Queen Anne’s Revenge as his flagship. His menacing appearance with a long braided beard with black bows and his reputation earned him the nickname Blackbeard. He would destroy any ship or person who resisted his attacks.

At one point in his notorious pirating run, Blackbeard and his devilish flotilla blockaded the city of Charleston, South Carolina and held it for ransom. Upon his departure from the city while fleeing pursuing ships, he hastily ran the Queen Anne’s Revenge aground while trying to enter Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. He transferred his flag to another of his ships named Adventure, thus ending the Queen Anne’s Revenge reign of terror.

There have been no consistent reported sightings of Queen Anne’s Revenge as a phantom ship, although some claim that one of the ghostly vessels of Whites Creek off the coast of Virginia, is that of Blackbeard and his men. There are those that believe that Blackbeard hid some of his treasure there in the coastal forests and that he returns in his ship on occasion to make sure that his treasure is safe.

In 1996, a team of researchers discovered what they believe to be the remains of Queen Anne’s Revenge off the coast of North Carolina, retrieving one of the cannons, anchor, and other artifacts from the ill fated vessel. Many of the artifacts are on display at the North Carolina Maritime Museums.

[ltwilliammowett]

An anchor of the Queen Anne's Revenge (1709) in a conservation reservoir

The Queen Anne's Revenge was the flagship of the English pirate Blackbeard. The ship was probably built around 1709 in France or the Netherlands for the Atlantic triangular trade. She went on a privateer voyage in 1710 and was converted into a slave ship in 1712.

She sailed under the French flag under the name La Concorde until she was captured by a pirate fleet under Captain Benjamin Hornigold and Captain Blackbeard in 1717. Under Blackbeard's command, she terrorised the Caribbean and the American east coast in 1718. In 1718, the ship was lost when it ran aground in Beaufort Inlet.

[problematic-ship-tournament]

Problematic Ship Tournament: Round 1, Match 2

Queen Anne's Revenge: The flagship of pirate Edward Teach, better known by his nickname Blackbeard. He only used her for a year before running her aground, but won many fights with her.

RMS Titanic: Arguably the world's most famous shipwreck, the Titanic was a state-of-the-art ocean liner rumored to be "unsinkable". On its maiden voyage, it collided with an iceberg and sank, taking over 1500 people with it.

[penguicorns-are-cool]

looked up Israel Hands to see if he was Jewish (as far as we know he wasn't) and found this in his wikipedia article

Blackbeard then made Israel Hands captain of the Adventure and began sailing for North Carolina.[4][5] Later, in June 1718, Teach ran his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, aground at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. He requested assistance from Hands with the Adventure in an effort to kedge the Queen Anne's Revenge off the bar. However, the Adventure also grounded and was abandoned. Teach, Hands and Stede Bonnet then took approximately half the pirates, marooning the rest, and set sail for Ocracoke.[6][7]

this is great news for the Steddyhands fans

[originalleftist]

Historical Trivia for this week- on May 22nd, 1718, the pirate Blackbeard (actual name likely Edward Thache*) commanding his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge and three smaller boats, blockaded Charleston North Carolina. The blockade lasted approximately a week, with Blackbeard taking several vessels and keeping the port blockaded until he ransomed it in exchange for a chest of medicine.

Blackbeard ran his ship aground a couple weeks later and sought a pardon, but quickly returned to piracy. He was killed in combat with Royal Navy sailors in the fall of 1718.

Image from: https://www.dncr.nc.gov/blog/2011/06/09/blackbeard-fiercest-pirate-them-all

*See "Blackbeard Reconsidered", by Baylus Brooks.

[poecamerondavies]

Edward Teach,

The Legendary Life and Final Voyage of Blackbeard the Pirate

Edward Teach, better known by his fearsome moniker "Blackbeard," remains one of the most infamous pirates in history. His name conjures images of terror on the high seas, with tales of plundering, battles, and his striking appearance fueling his legend. But behind the fearsome facade was a man whose life and eventual downfall offer a glimpse into the turbulent world of piracy in the early 18th century.

The Rise of Blackbeard

Edward Teach's early life is shrouded in mystery. Believed to have been born in Bristol, England, around 1680, little is known about his youth or how he first ventured to sea. Teach likely began his maritime career as a privateer during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), a common starting point for many pirates of his era. Privateers were essentially government-sanctioned pirates, permitted to attack enemy ships during wartime, and it was here that Teach likely honed his skills in naval combat and learned the art of piracy.

When the war ended in 1714, many privateers found themselves out of work. Unwilling to give up the lucrative life of plundering, some turned to piracy, and Edward Teach was among them. By 1716, he had joined the crew of the pirate Benjamin Hornigold, who would become his mentor. Hornigold saw potential in Teach and soon gave him command of a sloop. With this newfound authority, Teach began to make a name for himself, and his transformation into Blackbeard began.

The Infamy of Blackbeard

Blackbeard's reputation as a fearsome pirate grew rapidly. He was known for his terrifying appearance—his thick, black beard braided with slow-burning fuses that, when lit, surrounded his face with a menacing halo of smoke. He would also wear a bandolier across his chest, bristling with pistols, creating an image designed to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.

One of Blackbeard's most notable exploits was the capture of the French slave ship La Concorde in 1717. After seizing the vessel, he refitted it for piracy, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The ship, armed with 40 guns, became Blackbeard's flagship and a symbol of his dominance on the seas. He led a fleet of pirate ships, plundering merchant vessels from the Caribbean to the American colonies.

Blackbeard's most infamous act of piracy occurred in May 1718, when he blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina. For over a week, Blackbeard and his crew held the city hostage, demanding a ransom of medical supplies. The blockade caused widespread panic, but the citizens eventually met his demands, and Blackbeard sailed away unscathed. This bold move cemented his status as a pirate who was both cunning and ruthless.

The Fall of Blackbeard

Despite his fearsome reputation, Blackbeard's reign of terror was short-lived. By 1718, the British government had grown increasingly frustrated with the threat posed by pirates along the American coast. The newly appointed Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, took it upon himself to eliminate the pirate menace. He offered a pardon to any pirate who surrendered, but Blackbeard, having briefly accepted a pardon only to return to piracy, was not among those who heeded the offer.

In November 1718, Spotswood authorized a daring expedition to capture Blackbeard. He dispatched two sloops under the command of Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy. Maynard's ships tracked Blackbeard to his hideout on Ocracoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. On November 22, 1718, the two sides clashed in a fierce battle that would become legendary.

Blackbeard fought ferociously, but Maynard's forces eventually overwhelmed him. According to accounts, Blackbeard sustained multiple gunshot wounds and over twenty cuts before finally succumbing to his injuries. To ensure that the pirate was truly dead, Maynard decapitated Blackbeard and hung his severed head from the bowsprit of his ship as a grim trophy.

The Legacy of Blackbeard

The death of Blackbeard marked the end of an era of piracy in the Caribbean and the American colonies. His demise sent a strong message to other pirates that the British government was serious about eradicating piracy, and within a few years, the Golden Age of Piracy came to an end.

Yet, the legend of Blackbeard lived on. Stories of his exploits and his fearsome persona continued to be told and retold, growing more elaborate with each telling. Blackbeard has since become a symbol of the wild and dangerous world of piracy, a figure larger than life whose name remains synonymous with the age of pirates.

Black beard's larger-than-life persona has been solidified through various forms of media. In literature, while Robert Louis Stevenson’s "Treasure Island" doesn’t feature Blackbeard himself, it helped establish the archetypal pirate that paved the way for many subsequent pirate stories, including those directly focusing on Blackbeard. Books such as David Hair’s "Blackbeard: The Birth of America" delve into his exploits, contributing to the mythos surrounding him.

The world of film and television has also played a significant role in shaping Blackbeard’s image. Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" introduced a fantastical version of Blackbeard, portrayed by Ian McShane. This depiction, with its elements of magic and drama, while not historically accurate, has reinforced Blackbeard’s larger-than-life persona in the popular imagination.

In video games, Blackbeard continues to be a compelling character. The "Assassin’s Creed" series, particularly "Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag," features him as a blend of historical and fictional elements, allowing players to engage with his legend in an interactive way. This portrayal mixes real historical details with creative liberties, enhancing his legendary status.

Edward Teach, or Blackbeard, was not just a pirate; he was a master of psychological warfare, using his terrifying image and bold tactics to strike fear into his enemies. His life, though marked by violence and lawlessness, continues to fascinate and inspire, a testament to the enduring allure of the pirate mythos. Blackbeard's final battle may have ended in his death, but his legacy on the high seas remains immortal.

[cuddlytogas]

@originalleftist left this reply, which I think is worth digging into!

There is some truth to this, particularly that many pirates were seeking both an escape from and revenge for the harsh conditions of lawful maritime employment at the time (though I'm not sure if the Roberts quote is genuine). But I'm pretty sure a lot of this is incorrect, especially the claim that Golden Age pirates as a group were seeking to abolish nations, which is probably pure wishful thinking from modern anarchists. To the extent that they involved themselves in national politics, a bigger concern was whether the House of Stuart sat on the English throne (the name of Blackbeard's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, is thought to be an allusion to this). I will also note that, ahistorical or not, dismissing the freedom to love as a diluted concept of freedom is simply contemptuous of the queer community, treating their rights as an afterthought, and is a great example of how a certain brand of Left wing politics makes the reductive mistake of treating economic class conflict as the sole issue, to the exclusion of all other concerns.

okay, fair enough on the quotation: nothing in the General History should exactly be taken at face value! XD but it still shows what was understood to be part of Roberts' - and by extension his contemporaries' - motives in turning pirate, so it's still useful

but the rest of your reply is mostly a misunderstanding of my point! so, terribly sorry, but this is about to get long...

firstly, I didn't mean to say that golden age pirates explicitly aimed to abolish nations. you're right, that's a very modern anarchist value. but multiple historians (Rediker in particular, but he's not the only one; I wish I'd digitised my notes already to give proper sources!) identify their uniquely anti-national - or perhaps non-national - energy. previous generations of C17th buccaneers and pirates often retained their nationalism, seeking letters of marque, or targeting the ships/ports of enemy nations. (Henry Morgan was knighted and made Governor of Jamaica after his buccaneering ended!) they were explicitly or tacitly endorsed by european officials as tools in the struggle for mercantile and naval dominance.

in contrast, the 1710s-20s pirates were much less discerning. the post-War of Spanish Succession period saw a (slave) trade boom in the Caribbean/North America, plus a flood of unemployed navy/privateer sailors, predictably leading to increased piracy. but now, they attacked ships indiscriminately, and denied - in action and sometimes word - national allegiances. and the authorities recognised this! merchants and officials begged for help, and the English cracked down harder than ever, because these pirates were no longer useful to crown interests, but a threat to all trade.

this included pardons in 1717 and 18, but also increased naval presence; active campaigns like Woodes Rogers' in 1713 and 18 against the Madagascar and Bahamas pirates respectively; and expanded anti-piracy laws in 1717 and 1721, reinforcing a 1698 act to set up colonial admiralty courts to try pirates rather than sending them to England, and treating the assistance, protection, or trade with pirates as piracy itself, rewarding/punishing sailors who defeated/surrendered to pirates. it was a violent cycle: by the 1720s, the navy and dwindling pirates were both growing increasingly brutal and indiscriminate.

(for more on pirates and labour, especially practices of asking a boarded crew how their captains treated them, there's a talk by Rediker on youtube. pop it on 1.5x speed, he's a slow talker XD)

as to Jacobitism, I honestly think this is a neglected area of research, and I'm yet to find proper, thorough work on it. (suggestions always welcome!) but of course, this period aligns with the 1715 Jacobite rebellion and its aftermath, following Anne's death and the end of the war. many rebels were jailed and executed, or fled, including to the "new world". the 1717 piracy pardon came two months after a Jacobite one.

however, I don't think we can infer much from pirate ship names like Queen Anne's Revenge and Royal James, or reports of pro-Stuart toasts. for one, Jacobitism seems like an easy way to further slander someone accused of piracy. more importantly though, it's very unclear how earnest these declarations were!

these pirates often exhibited a dark sense of humour. they were committed to (quoth Roberts via Johnson again) "a merry life and a short one", and are consistently reported as feasting, drinking, and carousing. Anstis' crew apparently spent a 1721 holiday running mock piracy trials of each other.

such people toasting the Pretender seems less a political statement than general anti-authoritarianism. they certainly never materially assisted Jacobite causes, nor (AFAIK) targeted Hanoverians. in my opinion, the evidence suggests that these toasts and ship names were generally provocative, an abstract allegiance with treason/disruption rather than a sincere political endorsement.

all this to say: I didn't mean that golden age pirates were political anarchists trying to abolish nationhood. but their practices - allying with their own, democratic communities rather than any state - contains anti-national energies that I wish were more often expressed by modern pirate media. again, if we're going to valourise these pirates, we might as well extrapolate the highest of their actual ideals, and wouldn't that non-national, radical-democracy energy be a great place to start?

as to "dismissing the freedom to love as a diluted concept of freedom [compared to class conflict]"... I mean - come on. that's obviously not what I meant. my frustration isn't with the freedom to love as an abstract political concept, and TBH, as a righteous queer, I don't appreciate being accused of 'treating queer rights as an afterthought'.

my frustration is with how modern popular media utilises a shallow and unchallenging idea of 'freedom to love' to epitomise rebellion, while also erasing the actual rebellions. queer rights aren't advanced by endless anodyne, straight romances in pirate movies with a veneer of defiance because they're a noblewoman and a pirate (sometimes also a nobleman in disguise).

like, we could talk about how class/racial marriage equality paved the way for same-sex marriage; how cross-class relationships were and are oppressed; Anne Bonny/Mary Read's freedom in pirate relationships compared to on land; homosocial male communities and potential freedom from anti-sodomy laws; etc etc etc. all of which would be fascinating, exciting lenses through which to examine piracy historically and in modern media!

but golden age pirates themselves didn't mention that. to repeat the original post, what these pirates expressed - and what's left out of mainstream pirate media - was a specific response to specific social and economic oppressions. the erasure of this isn't frustrating to me because I'm a leftist focused on class struggle above all, but because it ignores and defangs actual political history.

maybe it's just the Radical Rediker talking, but there's something pointed in the way that, say, popular pirate media like Pirates of the Caribbean dilutes the pirate's freedom to "bring me that horizon" as opposed to, say, "plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power" (Bartholomew Roberts).

broadly speaking, most pirates chose the life in order to escape and revenge the hard labour, corporal punishment, overworking, and unequal pay of merchant/navy/privateer ships; or the privations of their sudden unemployment once a war was over, ignored as soon as their ability to die for the state was unneeded. yes, many were thugs, but, consciously political or not, they were responding to a particular, material reality.

the pirate's desired freedom was from the effects of exploitative modes of statehood and capital production. but popular media usually shifts this into a general desire for freedom: freedom to roam, freedom to love (usually merely a cross-class white, heterosexual union), or freedom from the personal pressures of social norms. it's a vague, ahistorical, post-Enlightenment, libertarian ideal rather than a response to a real social and economic situation.

to be clear, this only really applies to specifically the late golden age of piracy, in the first quarter of the 18th century. earlier generations of pirates/buccaneers often displayed nationalist/religious motives, and were lauded, tolerated, or even encouraged by the French and English states for aiding their fights against the Spanish and Portuguese. only the last gasp of age of sail pirates had a truly anti-national energy, and both figured themselves, and were figured by the imperial powers, as the enemies of all nations.

but if we are to valourise the late golden age pirate, at his best, his ideals were for true democracy, and the abolition of nation, hierarchy, and labour exploitation; not "the horizon". he was striking out in response to specific political, social, and economic oppressions, rather than a general individual restlessness, and that reality - and its similarities to our own - are important.

I dunno, I just... have a lot of thoughts about the defanging of piracy in modern media. obviously there were a lot of things bad about them, too, and the level of egalitarianism varied between individual people and ships. but again, if we're going to be valourising them anyway... there were idealists. and they weren't subtle about they wanted.

"I shan't own myself guilty of any murder", said William Fly in 1726. "Our captain and his mate used us barbarously. We poor men can't have justice done us. There is nothing said to our commanders, let them never so much abuse us, and use us like dogs. But the poor sailors --"

[raybizzle]

lack Caesar was a notorious pirate who lived between the 17 th and 18 th centuries. Originally from West Africa, Black Caesar was captured and sold into slavery. The ship he was in, however, sank off the coast of Florida but Black Caesar survived, and began his career in piracy, eventually rising to notoriety. Eventually, Black Caesar’s reign of terror came to an end in 1718, when he was convicted for piracy and executed.

While black pirates were not unusual, many of their names have been lost to history. One of those still remembered today is Black Caesar. According to legend, Black Caesar was a West African chief prior to becoming a pirate. He is said to have been tall, strong, and intelligent. During that time, the European colonists in the New World needed African slaves to work on their plantations, which provided impetus to the slave trade

The story goes that Black Caesar had been targeted by slavers but managed to escape their grasp several times. In the end, however, it was deception that brought about his capture. A captain managed to catch the African chief’s attention with a gold watch and promising greater treasures. He succeeded in luring Black Caesar and his men onto his slave ship. Once on board, the soon-to-be slaves were given food, while being enticed with silks, jewels, and music. While they were thus distracted, the ship began to set sail and by the time Black Caesar realized it, it was already too late. Although the Africans fought back they were subdued by the ship’s crew.

Thus, began Black Caesar’s forced voyage across the Atlantic to the New World. During the journey, Black Caesar refused to eat or drink. He would have died had it not been for a kind sailor who fed him his meals and the two became friends. The ship ran into a hurricane while off the coast of Florida, and the ship sank, killing almost everyone on board. The only two survivors were Black Caesar and the sailor, who got into a longboat filled with ammunitions and supplies and escaped.

Black Caesar and the sailor now turned to a life of piracy. Their modus operandi was to pose as shipwrecked sailors, and to hail passing vessels for help. Once they were on board a ship, they would drop their disguise, rob the ship, and take the loot back to their hideout. This went on for several years and the two men were able to amass a great fortune.

Black Caesar had a falling out with his partner, resulting in the death of the latter. The conflict was caused by a woman they had seized from a ship. Both men wanted the woman for himself and a duel ensued, during which Black Caesar killed his friend. Black Caesar continued his piratical activities and recruited some ships and men with the loot he had gained, which allowed him to raid ships in open water. Legend has it that Black Caesar had his pirate loot buried somewhere in Elliott Key.

Most sources claim that Black Caesar eventually joined the crew of another infamous pirate, Blackbeard. Apparently, he was made lieutenant of Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. In 1718, Blackbeard was killed by Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy. Black Caesar was one of the few pirates who survived that battle. He was captured and brought to trial in Williamsburg, Virginia. He was found guilty of piracy and hanged.

Interestingly, Cindy Vallar points out that the Black Caesar who was part of Blackbeard’s crew was in fact not the same man as the Black Caesar who operated in the Florida Keys. Vallar notes that the former was actually a slave owned by a Tobias Knight of North Carolina before he became a pirate. Thus, it is possible that there were two Black Caesars and that their stories were conflated, in which case the ultimate fate of the Florida Keys Black Caesar is perhaps lost to history.

[ainews]

It may seem like a strange and specific question, but have you ever wondered why mastoids – the bony protrusions behind your ears – are hairless? While you may not think much of it, the smooth and glabrous nature of these structures actually serves a very important purpose in the world of piracy and sea-faring adventures.

The mastoid process is a part of the temporal bone, located behind the ear. Its main function is to provide attachment for several neck muscles and serve as a point of leverage for head movements. But its smooth and hairless surface also makes it an ideal spot for a very specific group of individuals – pirates.

During the Golden Age of Piracy, which lasted from the 1650s to the 1730s, mastoids became an important symbol among pirates. It was said that these bony projections were proof of a pirate's fierce and brave nature. In fact, one of the most famous pirates of all time, Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard, even named his flagship "Queen Anne's Revenge" after the queen's mastoid process was said to be particularly prominent.

So why did pirates specifically value mastoids? The answer lies in the classical mythology of the sea. In Greek mythology, cyclops were one-eyed giants who lived in caves and were known for their tremendous strength. One of the most famous cyclops was Polyphemus, who was blinded by the hero Odysseus. According to legend, these mythical creatures also had a single hairless eye in the center of their forehead.

Pirates, who often looked to the sea for inspiration, saw themselves as modern-day cyclops – fierce, fearless, and unbeatable. They believed that their hairless mastoids were a sign of their connection to these monstrous beings of the sea. As a result, they would often shave their heads and keep their mastoids exposed to show off their resemblance to the cyclops and intimidate their enemies.

In addition to serving as a symbol of strength and bravery, the hairless mastoids also had a practical purpose for pirates. Sailing the high seas for months on end meant dealing with harsh weather conditions, including rain and saltwater. For pirates, having hairless mastoids meant avoiding the painful and irritating feeling of wet hair sticking to their skin and the added discomfort of saltwater drying in their hair.

In conclusion, while originally intended for practical purposes, the glabrous nature of mastoids has taken on a deeper significance in the world of piracy. For pirates, the smooth and hairless surface served as a symbol of their fearsome nature and a reminder of their connection to the sea and its mythical creatures. So next time you look at your hairless mastoids, you can thank the pirates for their continued association with cyclops and their enduring legacy on the high seas.

[abicartsstudio]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: 3D Model Pirate Ship The Queen Ann’s Revenge Building Kit Metal Puzzle.

[ashortdropandasuddenstop]

The crack of Blackbeard’s pistol echoed across the waves, and James Norrington barely flinched as the bullet struck the helm's pedestal, splintering wood mere inches from his hand. The force of the impact showered him with fragments, but he didn’t so much as waver. Instead, he turned toward the rail.

"So, the Mad Devil thinks he can rattle us," he muttered under his breath. His green eyes locked onto the wild figure of Blackbeard leaning over the rail of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, taunting him. Norrington drew his pistol with deliberate calm, leveling it with the pirate’s broad chest.

“Strike your colors, you black-hearted scoundrel!” James roared, his voice carrying across the tumult of cannon fire and crashing waves. His bullet glanced off the iron rail of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, close enough to cause the pirate crew to duck in alarm.

“Commodore, the chain shot—she’s targeting the masts!” shouted Gillette from the deck below, his face pale but his voice steady. The familiar whine of chain shot whistling through the air was unmistakable as the pirate ship’s cannons unleashed their deadly barrage. A loud crack followed as part of the Interceptor’s topsail tore free, the lines snapping like whips.

“Belay your panic, Mr. Gillette!” Norrington commanded sharply, steering the Interceptor into a hard turn that seemed impossible for a ship of its size. The brig responded swiftly, the smaller vessel cutting through the water with an agility the lumbering Queen Anne’s Revenge couldn’t match. The Interceptor danced just out of reach, the frigate struggling to adjust her massive bulk to keep up.

“Keep her turning! Use our speed to confound them,” Norrington shouted. “They may have the firepower, but we have the wind!”

The crew sprang into action, adjusting sails and bracing for the next volley. Despite the chaos, they moved with the practiced precision of sailors under the command of a seasoned leader.

“Return fire! Aim for her bow—let’s see how well Blackbeard maneuvers without a rudder!” Norrington ordered. The gunners worked quickly, sending their own cannonballs hurtling toward the Queen Anne’s Revenge. Though outgunned, they struck true, splintering part of the pirate ship’s foredeck. The damage wouldn’t slow her much, but it was a statement—this crew would not yield.

“Commodore,” Gillette called, his voice urgent as he approached. “The Dauntless is on patrol not far from here. If we can lead her toward the fleet—”

“Precisely what I was thinking, Mr. Gillette,” Norrington replied, his lips curling into a grim smile. “The Queen Anne’s Revenge may be fearsome, but she won’t stand long against the might of His Majesty’s Navy. Signal the crew: we’ll lure her toward the Dauntless. Keep to tight turns and force her to follow. She may be large, but that will work against her.”

“Aye, sir!” Gillette saluted and hurried to relay the orders.

Norrington’s mind worked quickly as he turned the wheel again, weaving the Interceptor into another sharp tack that caused the Queen Anne’s Revenge to overshoot her pursuit. For all her size and firepower, the pirate flagship struggled to match the brig’s maneuverability.

“You think to scare me, Edward Teach?” Norrington muttered under his breath, his eyes fixed on the black-clad figure on the pirate ship’s deck. “You’ll find I am not so easily cowed.”

As the Interceptor sped away, its sails adjusted to catch every bit of wind, Norrington shouted to his crew. “Brace yourselves, men! Let’s see how long the Devil of the Sea can keep up with us!”

The crew cheered, their fear now replaced with steely resolve. Though outgunned and outmanned, they trusted their Commodore

ᒥ☠ᒧ—        Once La Concorde, the French Frigate was captured by the infamous Mad Devil Pyrate and made his Flagship. She was much larger than the HMS Interceptor, a simple English Brig. Where the Interceptor had speed, she lacked gun power when compared to Queen Anne's two gun decks and 40 canons.

The Queen Anne is struck by canon fire on the portside hull as she pulled closer to the Interceptor's side, but the large Frigate could take the damage with little consequence. Edward's smile twitched, his grip on the wheel tightened until his knuckle turned white. "They want ta fight, ya dogs! We'll give these Brits a fight! Port side, aim and fire!" He shouts, the thrill of a fight making him shake with excitement.

Many threw up a white flag and surrendered seeing the Blackbeard flag, but not this Brit. He was willing to face off, and the rush of a fight, a challenge, the game of warfare had Edward grinning like the madman he was. "Iz, take the helm!" He shouts to his firstmate, stepping away from the wheel and drawing his pistol. They moved in closer and closer to the Interceptor. Canon fire from the 20 portside canons unleashes. Some strike, not all however.

Edward runs to the rail, ignoring canon fire that could strike him at any moment. He lifts his pistol and takes aim at the Commodore and a shot rings out in the air, the helm of the Interceptor is struck by the bullet. The wood splinters on the pedestal, a miss but only by far less than a metre.

"Fucker!" Edward laughs, hoping his too-close-for-comfort shot scared the Englishman shitless.

The Queen couldn't quite catch up to the Interceptor, a larger ship she was bound to be slower. But Edward's plan was to take out the Interceptor's sails to slow her dead in the water. "Load the chain shots, boys! Aim for her masts!! Fire at will!" Chain shots, two canonballs connected by a chain, used to fuck up a ship's rigging, masts, and sails. He was no stupid man, he's played this game so many years that he knew just what to do.

[history-today]

Today In History:

A bit of November 28th history…

1717 - Blackbeard attacks and captures a French merchant slave ship, which he renames as his flagship the “Queen Anne’s Revenge” (pictured)

1720 - Anne Bonny and Mary Read are tried, found guilty of pirating, and sentenced to death in Jamaica; although their discovered pregnancies win them stays of execution

1814 - The Times of London 1st printed by automatic, steam powered presses - makes newspapers available to a mass audience

1893 - Women vote in a national election for 1st time in the world in New Zealand

1895 - America’s 1st auto race organized by the “Chicago Times-Herald”; 6 cars, 55 miles, Frank Duryea wins averaging 7 mph

1994 - Convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer is clubbed to death by fellow inmate in Wisconsin

2016 - “Hamilton” set new record for most money earned in a week on Broadway - $3.3 million 

[cockodemon]

Theres so much!!

Ok theres too much im just going to talk about one ship a lot of people should know, the Queen Anne's Revenge, a beautiful frigate build in 1710 and by France under the name La Concored, on November 28, 1717, she was captured by a pirate you may recognize and his crew, She was renamed to Queen Anne's Revenge and served as the flagship of Captain Edward Teach, more commonly known as blackbeard, until on June 10 1718 she ran aground near the Beaufort inlet in north Carolina where captain Teach met his end.

The Queen Anne's Revenge served a compliment of up to 300 men under blackbeard's command and held a load of 200bm.

With a length of 31.4m and a beam of 7.5m, she must have been a sight to behold, not to mention the 40 cannons she had on board during service in both the french navy, and under blackbeard's command.

In 2004 the wreck of the Queen Anne's Revenge was added to the national register of historic places, her reference number is 04000148, she is currently owned by the state of North Carolina, her wreck located South of the Beaufort inlet is designated 31CR314 by the state.

I should add although she is believed to have carried 40 cannons and that is what documents say she carried, only 30 have been found in her wreck so far.

Meep!! meep!! i know boats!!!!!! i know ships!!!!! ask me things!! ask me questions!!!!!!!! my hyperfixation has been activated like a sleeper agent!!!!!!!!!

:33333333

......tell me about ships

[dailyhistoryposts]

Introduction to Pirates: Pirate Ships

The exact design of ships changes by the time and place of their manufacturing, but they had common builds and terminology.

Directions on a ship are:

bow or prow (front)

starboard (right, as seen when standing on the ship facing prow)

port (left, as seen when standing on the ship facing prow)

aft or stern (rear)

amidship (in the middle of the ship)

windward (the direction the wind is blowing)

leeward (the opposite of windward, sheltered from the wind or downwind)

Important places on a ship are:

bilge (the lowest part of the ship, the part most likely to leak and be filthy)

crow's nest (a small platform near the top of the mast for lookouts)

fo'cs'le or forecastle (the section of the upper deck in front of the foremast)

helm (the steering wheel. contains the bittacle/bitacola/binnacle, a box which holds the compass)

hold (storage space in the lower part of the ship)

hull (the body of the ship)

keel (the underside of the ship)

mizzenmast (the largest mast. on a ship with three or more masts, the mast aft of a mainmast)

poop deck (the highest deck, usually above the captain's quarters)

main (the longest mast)

quarterdeck (the aft part of the upperdeck)

Depending on the size of the ship, it may have one or multiple decks and masts. The flagship of Blackbeard, the Queen Anne's Revenge, was an English-built frigate. It was a 200-ton, 103 foot long vessel with three masts (the fore, the mizzen, and the main). It allegedly had 40 cannons, though only 30 have since been found (far more than most of the ships it attacked) and as many of four anchors, which could weigh up to 3,100lb and take over an hour to raise.

Vessels such as pirate ships cannot accurately be called boats, this is a pet peeve of many nautical workers.

[ltwilliammowett]

Israel Hands - the fictional and real pirate

Many people know him more as a fictional character in series like Our Flag Means Death, Black Sails or Treasure Island. But Israel or Basilica Hands is a real historical pirate. However, not much is known about him, especially not the early years of his life.

Israel Hands portrayed by David Wilmot in Black Sails (x)

He appears in 1718 as captain of the Sloop Adventure, whose command was transferred to him by Blackbeard after their old captain had refused to join Blackbeard. Later, in June 1718, Teach ran aground with his flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, at Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. He asked Hands with the Adventure for help in trying to heel the Queen Anne's Revenge off the bay. But the Adventure also ran aground and was abandoned. When Blackbeard was captured and killed on 22 November, Hands was not present. This was due to the fact that Edward Teach, Blackbeard's real name, had shot him in the knee and was recovering in Bath, North Carolina.

   "During a late-night drinking party in his cabin with a pilot, Hands and a third man, Blackbeard, without provocation, surreptitiously drew two small pistols and placed them under the table. The third man noticed this and went on deck, leaving Blackbeard, the pilot and Hands alone in the cabin. Once the two pistols were ready to fire, Blackbeard blew out the candle on the table and fired at the two remaining drinking companions. Hands was hit in the knee and lamed for life. The second pistol, however, failed. When Blackbeard was then asked why he had done this, he replied that if he didn't kill one of them now and then, they would forget who he was."

- Captain Charles Jonson in: A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates

Because of this injury, he was unable to escape when the pirates of Bath were captured. After his capture, he and fifteen other pirates were taken to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they were tried. In exchange for a pardon, Hands testified against corrupt North Carolina officials with whom Teach had consorted. What happened to him is not really known, because according to Charles Johnson, he later died a crippled beggar in London.

But in 1721, an Israel Hynde, 29 years old with a lame leg, appears alongside Black Bart Roberts. However, when he died during a battle with the Royal Navy, his entire crew was captured. Hynde was taken to Cape Coast Castle, Ghana and sentenced to death by hanging for piracy on 13 April 1722. Whether it is the same man who merely changed his name cannot be said with certainty, but a certain resemblance exists and is therefore quite probable.

[insipid-drivel]

The Jolly Roger: Its Origins, Pirate Codes, and Other Cool Pirate Stuff

Above is probably one of the most recognizable historical Jolly Rogers! Ironically, this was the flag of “Calico” Jack Rakham, who was one of the least successful pirates of his time. He was the lover of the wicked pirate duo, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but was the only one of the three to be tried and executed for piracy. Anne and Mary eluded prosecution by each getting pregnant, which disqualified them from being executed, and the two later escaped capture and what became of them is still unknown or based upon little more than legend.

We commonly associate the skull-and-crossbones, aka “The Jolly Roger” as the universal flag that means “pirate”, but did you guys know that pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy (approx. 1650~1700-1720) and onward had elaborate codes predating the use of traditional flag languages like Semaphore? Blackbeard himself didn’t actually fly the skull and crossbones above his own ship!

The first iteration of what we recognize as the Jolly Roger flag was first documented as being flown by French pirate, Emmanuel Wynn, around 1700. His flag would become dubbed “The Jolly Roger”, an anglicized bastardization of the French, “joli rouge”, or “pretty red”, as the original pirate flags ever used were actually dark red or blood red in color. Here’s what Emmanuel patented:

In Captain Wynn’s flag, he’s departed from the traditional crimson to funerary black. The hourglass below the skull symbolically represented to his targets and enemies, “Your time is running out.” Wynn’s flag, however, was not the first pirate flag to be dubbed, “The Jolly Roger” or “Joli Rouge”. The first ever flag to be universally symbolic of pirates was the flag flown by former pirate companions, Francis Spriggs and Edward Low:

Edward Low is, in fact, credited for the creation of the red skeleton on the black flag that went on to become recognized as the first Jolly Roger, but after a falling out with Francis Spriggs, Spriggs was the one to go on to be most associated with the symbol. Art theft is a bitch, even to pirates.

So what about Blackbeard?

The most closely associated flag with Blackbeard (aka Edward Teach), looks like this:

However, sources behind this being Blackbeard’s flag are highly spurious, and the only remotely accepted contemporary writing about Blackbeard, “A General History of the Pyrates,” not only gets a lot of scrutiny from historians to this day as to its accuracy since it was published long after Blackbeard’s death, but also illuminates that Blackbeard wasn’t really known to fly a particular flag above his flagship, “The Queen Anne’s Revenge”. Considering how startlingly clever, intelligent, and notorious he was, he may never have had a particular flag he’d fly routinely because it only made it easier for pirate hunters to track him, and a lot of Blackbeard’s tactics involved shock and awe. Especially toward the end of his career and life, Blackbeard was the most wanted man in the entire Western world, and so it doesn’t necessarily make a lot of sense that a guy like Blackbeard would have the equivalent of a maritime bumper sticker fluttering in the breeze that gave his identity away, especially when he didn’t want any witnesses or survivors reporting to the naval authorities they’d seen his ship at all.

Without motors or oarsmen, pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy had to rely heavily upon weather, anonymity, and stealth as they closed the distance on a potential ship to raid, and had to be certain that they would be able to catch up to the ship they were attacking before identifying themselves as pirates. It usually wasn’t until the absolute last second before making contact that a pirate captain would raise their own Jolly Roger and reveal that they were, in fact, pirates. A common tactic to get a target ship to even slow down would be to fly a matching flag to pretend to be a friendly ship or a ship in distress, and then quickly change the flag to the captain’s when it was too late for the other ship to escape. This would help shock the sailors and passengers into willingly parting with what most pirates really wanted: Money. Aside from psychopathic sadists like Charles Vane, most pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy didn’t want to kill anybody if they could avoid it.

Per the code set down by the legendary Benjamin Hornigold, “good” pirates avoided bloodshed as much as possible in favor of shows of non-lethal strength and intimidation. Hornigold even had very strict rules about the treatment of women (probably because he reportedly had a fling with notorious female pirate captain Anne Bonny, who had a habit of stabbing misogynists). Hornigold is the original author behind the Pirate Guidelines frequently discussed and used in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.

A lot of their tactics were more psychological than genuinely violent. Black Sam Bellamy, an admirer of Hornigold’s, was most infamous for 1) Freeing captured slaves and taking them on as fellow pirates with equal wages to their white and POC shipmates, and 2) having everyone onboard strip ass-naked to shock the passengers aboard a ship so much that they could climb aboard their ship before they could really figure out how to react. If the captain of the victim ship agreed to surrender their goods and valuables to the pirates without a fight, then it was considered proper by pirates to leave the ship’s passengers and sailors unharmed, offer to recruit anyone who wanted to join (Black Sam even recruited a 10-year-old boy who begged his mother to let him join Sam’s crew), free any African slaves discovered on board (this one was shaky because racism), and kill only in self-defense as a last resort.

There were of course the psychopathic and sadistic pirates, as any illegal trade will attract, but during the Golden Age of Piracy, a lot of pirates were only pirates out of necessity and didn’t want anything to do with genuinely hurting people. Many pirates would refuse to plunder ships from their home countries and pursue ships flying the flags of their nation’s historical enemies. After the War of Spanish Succession, which bankrupted the British empire in particular, a lot of sailors who had been press-ganged (unwillingly recruited) into the navy were suddenly fired and cut off from an income or even a ride back to their home country, leaving them marooned wherever they happened to be when the war ended. Many of these pirates had no sailing or naval experience whatsoever before the War of Spanish Succession, and were mostly farmers, jobless, or low-level tradesmen effectively kidnapped by order of the King. The captains responsible for them were often brutal and ruthless, leaving them traumatized and terrified of serving aboard a royal ship again. With nothing but their skills as sailors to survive with, pirates were often forced to rob and steal from other ships just to stay alive and, for a lucky few, go back home.

Because pirates were so often put off by violence and bloodshed, they relied upon aggressive symbols and threats to intimidate their target into submission before they even got into range of each other’s cannons. Pirates in general also really did not like maritime warfare, because cannons mean damage to the ship, and repairs were another expense pirates didn’t like dealing with. A pirate captain only stayed captain by vote of the crew, and if you weren’t good at keeping the ship or crew safe and successful, you could be replaced and even marooned on the next nearest body of land or, in Charles Vane’s case, in a dinghy to die (his crew really hated him a lot and he definitely deserved it).

Adopting clear symbols for their individual flags not only warned the other ship of what they were prepared to do to hopefully get the ship to just give up without a fight so nobody got unnecessarily hurt. These symbols also identified other pirate captains to each other. Here are some of the spoopy signals pirates would put on their flags:

-The Hourglass: Time is running out.

-The Sword Arm: We are highly violent, know how to fight, and will kill if necessary.

-The Spear: A violent death is awaiting you if we catch you and you don’t surrender without a fight. We may probably kill you, or at least a few of you, anyway.

-The Bleeding Heart: A slow, painful death is awaiting you.

-The Horned Skeleton/Devil: Torture and inevitable death.

-The Red Flag: Mercilessness and unwillingness to negotiate.

-The Naked Man: We have no shame.

-The Drinking Glass: Toasting death/Satan as an inevitability.

-The Sailor/Pirate: The captain of the fleet is onboard or nearby.

Enjoy patenting your own rebel pirate flags this spoopy season!