Blackbeard (Edward Teach)

Most people know the name Blackbeard, but did you know that this legendary pirate was actually a real person? People have been telling stories about this frightening swashbuckler for centuries. A fair number of these tales have become a mixture of fact and fiction. Historians think the man known as Blackbeard was an Englishman named Edward Teach. His life and adventures on the high seas took him to the West Indies—and later to the American colonies. While many details have been exaggerated, Blackbeard was without question one of the most terrifying pirates in history.