Many notorious pirates operated off the coast of North Carolina between1713 and 1718. Some of which were Captain Pain, Christopher Moody, John Cole, Robert Deal, Charles Vane, Richard Wonley, "Calico Jack"Rackam, Anne Bonny and Francis Farrington. The most feared pirate of them all was Blackbeard. Blackbeard didn't turn to piracy until 1716. By the Spring of 1718, when he moved to the Carolina Banks. He had gotten a fleet of 4 vessels manned by 400 pirates. These pirates ended up capturing at least 25 ships of its opposing force. Out of those they sank 2 vessels and marooned 17 troublesome pirates on uninhabited OuterBanks, to keep his own wealth. The Governor of Virginia attacked because Blackbeard raided ships of cargo. Blackbeard was outnumbered 2 to 1 in vessels and manpower. However, he did have an advantage. He had 8 guns, the others didn't. Blackbeard struck a shoal and got stuck. The pirates waited until two vessels came together and they threw grenades. As they exploded, they swarmed aboard, eager to complete to kill. Blackbeard was stabbed, shot, etc., 27 times beforehe died. It was then that the pirates surrendered. The pirates had 9 killed and 15 captured and the governor had 8 killed and 8 wounded. On November 22, 1718, Blackbeard died. They hung his head from the bowsprit and returned home.

Stick, David. The Outer Banks of NC. Chapel Hill: University of NorthCarolina Press, 1958.

By Krista Martin and Lester Farrow
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