THE NOTORIOUS PIRATE BLACKBEARD, aka Edward Teach (c. 1680 - 22 November 1718), was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of the American colonies during the early 1700s. Originally a study under Pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold, Blackbeard quickly rose to command his own vessel. When Hornigold retired in 1717, Blackbeard captured a French merchant vessel and renamed her the Queen Anne's Revenge. Blackbeard's fierce reputation, along with his ship's newly installed 40 guns, struck fear into the hearts of his victims and resulted in him rarely having...