In December 1716, merchant captain Henry Timberlake gave a deposition about a pirate attack he’d recently survived—one of the first written documents to mention Edward “Blackbeard” Thatch.

For centuries, history books have pointed to North Carolina, or even England, as the birthplace of Blackbeard, the world’s ...

This week he sails into more modern sinful waters with a consideration of Blackbeard the pirate. In the annals of human wickedness, some place must […] Skip to content. All Sections.

A half-dozen films centered on his exploits followed, and he emerged as the quintessential cinematic pirate. In 2006, he garnered his own miniseries detailing his search for Captain Kidd’s treasure.

Pirate portrayals—from Blackbeard to Captain Kidd—are more fantasy than fact. How we think famous swashbucklers walked, talked, and dressed didn't come from the history books, ...