American History Tellers - The Age of Pirates | Blackbeard and the Flying Gang | 3

Episode Date: October 26, 2022

In 1717, the pirate known as Blackbeard launched an attack along the Atlantic seaboard, disrupting international trade and striking terror into sea captains and colonial governors. Working with his sidekick, the “Gentleman Pirate” Stede Bonnet, Blackbeard blockaded the busy port of Charles Town and took city residents hostage. Soon, he would find himself in a pitched battle against a secret military force sent by the governor of Virginia – and in a race for his life.Listen to American History Tellers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-history-tellers/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's 1700. You're a customs collector working in Charlestown in the Carolina colony. Your job is to inspect and register all imported goods coming into port. But this morning, your supervisor has dragged you out of the office. Together, you enter a small square not far from the Cooper River. There, a large crowd has gathered around a hastily erected scaffold. A tightly noosed hemp rope hangs from the top.

Everyone seems excited to witness this execution, but not you. Sir, I really think I should go back to the office. There are a number of items on my desk that could use my attention right now. Oh, nonsense. This is an important event. The first public execution of a pirate in the colony. Look, the governor himself is here. Your boss points out a tall man in a powdered wig and leads you to the pirate in the colony. Look, the governor himself is here. Your boss points out a tall man in a powdered wig and leads you to the edge of the crowd. You both watch as armed soldiers lead a man in ragged clothes to the gallows. I don't understand why all these people come out to watch a pirate die. Well, he's a criminal of the lowest type, killer and a thief.

And now that the crown's allowed us to try him, we can hang him ourselves. I tell you, this is a triumph of colonial self-government. But it's all just show. It won't change anything. Your supervisor gives you a puzzled frown. I thought you'd want to see this after what happened to your brother. You glance away. Last year, your brother was first made aboard a vessel captured by pirates off the coast of Florida. He died defending his ship, but all the executions in the world won't bring him back. A hush falls over the crowd as the noose is fitted around the pirate's neck. You hate the sight of violence or death, so you close your eyes.

Well, justice is accomplished. I tell you, I think the era of these sea rogues is coming to an end. You open your eyes and see that the crowd is starting to disperse. But then you notice two men at the edge of the square who aren't moving. They're leaning in the shade of a wall. Their clothing looks expensive, lushly dyed with hues of green and blue. No, sir, I don't think one hanging means the end of piracy. Look over there.

I recognize those two. They arrived with a giant shipment of calico a few days ago. Your supervisor's eyes narrow as he looks at the men. Then he shakes his head. What of them? They're privateers. Sir, they're known pirates. No one just arrives with thousands of

pounds of expensive fabric. Look at their colorful clothes. They're not even trying to disguise it. Well, our economy needs men like them. They bring foreign goods to port. And have we ever once asked them how they got those goods? If you're going to hang one pirate, you ought to hang them all. Your boss just shakes his head and then motions for you to follow him back to the office. But you linger. The two men in brightly colored suits grin from under the shade of their hats as the colony's governor himself

walks over to shake their hands. You realize that all crime is not the same. Although both may perpetrate it, the rich go free and the poor are hanged. As you leave the public square, you know you haven't seen the last of outlaws in this port. It will take a lot more than one hanging to rid the colonies of the scourge of piracy. From Wondering comes a new series about a lawyer who broke all the rules.

Need to launder some money? Broker a deal with a drug cartel? Take out a witness? Paul can do it. I'm your host, Brandon Jinks Jenkins. Follow Criminal Attorney on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Sachi Cole. And I'm Sarah Hagee.

And we're the hosts of Scamfluencers, a weekly podcast from Wondery that takes you along the twists and turns of the most infamous scams of all time, the impact on victims, and what's left once the facade falls away. Follow Scamfluencers on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history. your story. In 1700, the English Crown and the governors who ran its American colonies

renewed their efforts to arrest, try, and execute pirates. With their crackdown, the era of colonial piracy appeared to be nearing an end. But only 15 years later, pirates were once again marauding around the Caribbean and up and down the Atlantic coast. Among them was one captain who went by many names, but would soon be known and feared by one in particular, Blackbeard. Blackbeard would become internationally famous for his daring strikes against colonial authority. He would disrupt transatlantic commerce while evading the English Royal Navy and even lay siege to one of the most

important ports in the American colonies. This is Episode 3, Blackbeard and the Flying Gang. In the year 1700, the English Crown passed the Act for the More Effectual Suppression of Piracy. For the first time, colonies would now be allowed to prosecute pirates on their own, without having to ship suspects back to England for trial. As part of this new law, pirates would be tried in special maritime courts overseen by colonial commissioners, who could hand down sentences without juries, ensuring more pirates would actually be convicted. With these new harsh measures in place, Atlantic piracy nearly vanished, but not for long. Two years later, in 1702, England went back to war against France and Spain.

For eleven years, the conflict known as Queen Anne's War in the colonies drew in more than 1,600 sailing vessels from Florida up the coast to Newfoundland. Thousands of sailors served in sea battles that raged up and down the Atlantic coast. When the war ended in 1713, many colonial sailors found themselves suddenly out of work. One of these was a captain named Benjamin Hornigold. Like many veterans of Queen Anne's War, Hornigold headed south to the warm waters of the Caribbean. He arrived in Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, around 1714. During the war, Hornigold had worked as a privateer,

but with that work all but dried up, he now turned to piracy. Soon, he and his crew, known as the Flying Gang, developed a fearsome reputation for terrorizing merchant ships in the Caribbean. Hornigold wasn't the only pirate operating in and around the Bahamas, but he was the most successful, and word quickly spread of the rich payouts he could offer his crew. As Nassau exploded with pirate activity, many sailors would try anything to become members of the Flying Gang. Imagine it's a humid evening in 1716. You're quartermaster to Captain Ben Hornigold, and your ship recently returned to port here in Nassau. Now you're enjoying a well-earned bite of food at a tavern in town.

It's a rough place, but you know how to handle yourself. Excuse me, sir. You look up from your table to see a thin, swarthy-looking man with long, dark hair. His beard is oiled, but still peppered by sand and salt. I would like to have a word. Huh? Who are you? My name is Edward Thatch. You work for Captain Hornigold?

Lots of men work for Captain Hornigold. Nearly 200, last I checked. Go find one of them. Don't bother me during my supper. But the swarthy man Thatch doesn't leave. He continues to hover over your table. I have experience here and in Jamaica. I know how to run a ship. We don't need anyone to run a ship. We need someone who can follow orders.

This man, Thatch, seems annoyed, as if he's already too good for the job he's seeking. Well, if you could tell me where Captain Hornigold is, I'll happily take this up with him. Captain Hornigold's location is his own business. Come on, there! him. Captain Hornigold's location is his own business. But before this imperious man can respond, he's distracted by a fight which breaks out two tables over. It spreads quickly, and other seamen join in. Soon the whole room is in an uproar. You're not afraid of a scrap, but you're in the middle of dinner and want nothing to do with this sort of senseless brawling. You grab your plate, get up from your table, and move farther away against the wall. But you notice that this Thatch character doesn't seem to mind fighting. At first,

he's knocked over, but springs back up and takes out the offending party with one well-placed punch. But then he's approached by two more men, and it looks like Thatch is cornered until he wheels toward them and flashes a vicious grin. Two men are clearly intimidated by Thatch with his black beard and dark eyes. Instead of trying to fight, they back away and then disappear out the tavern door. Soon the brawl looks to be over, and you can return to your dinner. So you sit, and then invite Thatch to join you. Hey, you, here, sit. Want some stew? Why, yes, thank you.

This kind of thing always gets my appetite up. Thatch settles down across from you, a bloody cut above his eye, and you realize that you'd better find your captain. It's time to get this man hired on your crew. You don't know if he can sail, but he sure can fight. Much about Edward Thatch remains unknown. In 1716, he was probably in his mid-30s or early 40s. He was English, possibly raised in the seaport town of Bristol. It is almost certain that Thatch could read and write,

and because of this, he likely came from a relatively wealthy family. He might have spent his years during Queen Anne's War enlisted in the Royal Navy or working aboard English privateer vessels. But after the war, Thatch found his way to Captain Hornigold's pirate crew and was promoted through the ranks with lightning speed. Within months, he had his own ship in Hornigold's fleet, an eight-gun sloop with 90 men under his command. Together, the two pirate captains and their flying gang plundered any merchant ships they could find in close range of the Bahamas. A report to the London Board of Trade, which monitored commerce in the colonies,

described a typical flying gang attack. In December 1716, Thatch and Hornigold raided a British vessel and stole a cargo full of pork, oysters, beef, and clothing. They spared the crew but threw the rest of the ship's supplies overboard. Like many pirates, Thatch and Hornigold seemed to prefer intimidation over brutality and quick strikes over seizing entire ships. By the summer of 1717, Thatch and Hornigold had aimed their sloops north, toward the American colonies. They attacked ships and supply routes while making their way up to Virginia.

Along the way, they encountered another pirate vessel, one that gave itself up without a fight. Called the Revenge, she was a slim, 60-ton sloop from Barbados. She carried scars along her hull from a disastrous battle she'd narrowly escaped. Morale was low, and her crew were on the verge of mutiny. Her captain was 29-year-old Steed Bonnet, known as the Gentleman Pirate. Bonnet had recently turned his entire life upside down. He'd been a man of means, the owner of a Barbadian sugar plantation, but he grew dissatisfied and set off to sea, leaving behind his home,

wife, and children. Bonnet used his considerable wealth to build his own ship and hire a full crew, essentially buying his way into pirate life. He had no naval training and was a captain more by declaration than in practice. A later report described his behavior on board. He walks about in his morning gown and then goes to his books, of which he has a good library on board. Bonnet had some early success plundering five different ships along the Atlantic coastline, but his luck ran out when he took on a heavily armed Spanish man-of-war.

The resulting battle left around 30 of Bonnet's crew dead and Bonnet himself severely injured. But when Thatch seized control of the Revenge, he apparently found a new apprentice in Bonnet. He took the younger pirate captain under his protection but declared himself captain of the Revenge. The additional ship and its 126 crew members would soon prove very useful, especially when Benjamin Hornigold suddenly decided to retire.

In September 1717, the British government announced a royal pardon for any pirates who would willingly give themselves up. It was a way for the Crown to curb the growth of piracy without engaging too much of its own fleet in the task. When Hornigold learned of the pardon, he jumped at the opportunity. He had always considered himself more of a privateer than a pirate, and was eager to retire before his illegal actions caught up with him. So with Hornigold gone, Edward Thatch now had his own command, and he wasted no time taking control, beginning a new series of attacks on merchant ships and private vessels. One of his first targets was a Virginia-bound sloop called the Betty,

returning from Europe with shipments of wine. Thatch and his men captured the vessels in the waters of Chesapeake Bay, drank its entire contents, and sank the ship, leaving the crew of the Betty to row their way ashore. During the month of October 1717, Thatch captured at least 15 different vessels off the coasts of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. Sea traffic into Philadelphia ground to a near standstill. Raided captains returned to ports with tails of ships destroyed and cargoes thrown into the sea.

One coastal merchant wrote in despair, We have been extremely pestered with pirates who now swarm in America and increase their numbers by almost every vessel they take. It was becoming obvious that despite the crown's attempts to curb outlaws on the sea, piracy was still a menace. In November 1717, colder weather blew across the North Atlantic, and Thatch headed south to the Caribbean again. Off the coast of Martinique, he fired two volleys across the bow of the French slave vessel La Concorde. The 250-ton Concorde was large and well-armed, with 16 cannons, but the crew had been stricken with disease on the journey across the Atlantic, and her captain gave up without a

fight. The Concorde was too large a prize to sink, so Thatch took command of the ship. He kept several key crewmen, including three doctors and a gunsmith, along with about sixty of the more than five hundred enslaved people aboard. He left the rest with some supplies and a small unarmed sloop on a nearby island. Thatch's new flagship made him one of the most heavily armed pirates on the ocean. With a puckish sense of humor, he rechristened the vessel the Queen Anne's Revenge. And eager to make use of this new, powerful weapon, he set off on a cruise through the Leeward Islands, raiding and burning six ships along the way. The last of these was a colonial

merchant ship called the Margaret. The ship's captain would later give a deposition about the attack. His vivid description of Thatch gave the world its first glimpse of what this fearsome pirate looked like, a tall, spare man with a very black beard which he wore very long. Within a matter of months, Edward Thatch had become the most feared and most recognizable pirate in the Atlantic. But over the next year, his image would only become more frightening as he continued to plunder and pillage. Soon, the man now known as Blackbeard would turn his efforts from commercial vessels

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In the spring of 1718, Edward Thatch, now better known as Blackbeard, continued to sail around the coastlines of the Caribbean, plundering loot and commandeering ships. Unlike the previous generation of pirates, he made no pretenses about being a privateer or carrying a legal commission. He was a robber and took everything that crossed his path. Whatever he didn't take, he burned or sank. One exception was a sleek 80-ton sloop called the Adventure. Thatch and his men captured the Jamaican vessel somewhere off the coast of modern-day Belize. The Adventure brought Blackbeard's pirate force up to four ships and around 300 men. These included Steed Bonnet's ship Revenge, an unnamed Spanish sloop captured near Havana, and the fleet's flagship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. Along with his fleet, Blackbeard's notoriety also grew. Boston's Newsletter, the first newspaper in the American colonies, spilled pages of ink

regaling its readers with his daring exploits. The paper consistently spelled Thatcher's name as Teach, a variant that became widely used in accounts of Blackbeard's attacks. Before long, stories of Blackbeard's pirate prowess reached the British Royal Navy, who was on high alert. They had just a handful of ships to defend England's North American and Caribbean colonies, but they assigned one, the 30-gun Scarborough, with a single task—find and kill Blackbeard. But when word of the Scarborough's mission reached Blackbeard, he decided to make the first move.

He directed his fleet north, back to the waters of colonial America, where he would attempt his biggest strike yet. In late May of 1718, Blackbeard's flotilla appeared at the mouth of the Charlestown Harbor on the South Carolina coast. Charlestown was the largest port in the southern colonies, with a population of around 3,000 free and enslaved people. Its harbor was tucked inside a single waterway that fed into the Atlantic. Blackbeard's fleet exploited this bottleneck. Stationing his ships in the deep water off the coast, he effectively sealed off the entire town. His men captured a pilot boat and five other vessels, taking around 80 hostages on board the Queen Anne's Revenge. In the city,

panic quickly spread as port traffic ground to a halt. No pirate in decades had made such an audacious attack. Blackbeard had graduated from preying on merchant ships to blockading an entire port, and his siege of Charlestown lasted nearly a week. Finally, one evening, Blackbeard sent a few trusted crewmen into the city to present his demands, forcing the leaders of Charlestown to make an impossible decision.

Imagine this morning in late May 1718. You're one of the head council members of Charlestown in the colony of South Carolina. Several days ago, your harbor was blockaded by a pirate fleet. Your council has been up all night, trying to decide whether to fight back or give the pirates what they want. So far, all they've asked for is a chest of medicine. But you know their demands might not end there. Daylight is starting to come in through the slatted windows,

but you haven't slept at all. Neither have the men sitting around the large table at the council house. Oh, well, it has been a long night. Perhaps we should take some air? Most of the council stands and makes their way outside. You start to follow them, but then you notice that a senior member of the council hasn't moved from his chair. Will you join us, sir? No, I will not. Fresh air changes nothing. We need to ready the cannons along the defensive walls. The senior councilman sits with his arms crossed in the now empty room, glaring at you.

With a weary sigh, you return to your seat. We've been over this a thousand times. The pirates have hostages, and we can't fire at our own people. One of our own council members is among them. No, the cannons would distract the pirates, while our own men sail in from the Ashley River. We can flank them. No one else here thinks we can. We have men who are willing to fight. My sons are willing to fight. The pirates so far have just wanted medicine. There's no money, no other demands. They could be asking for a lot more. Precisely, they're setting a trap. No one barricades an entire city for medicine. Well, we don't know how bad off they might be on that shit.

Suddenly, one of the other council members bursts back into the room. Gentlemen, we have to make a decision now. Those pirates who brought the demands are full of drink and causing trouble. They're talking about burning down the granary. The senior councilman gives you a knowing look. You see, there's no negotiating with these men. They're talking about burning down the granary. The senior councilman gives you a knowing look. You see, there's no negotiating with these men. They're common thugs. Our only choice is to strike before they do. But you're done listening to him. You turn to the other council member. Go and find the doctor and tell him to gather the supplies together. We're ready

to offer the pirates the medicine they want. The senior councilman slams his fist on the table. You don't have the authority. According to council law, the decision must be unanimous. You push your chair back and stand up. I think you'll find we're prepared to vote you off the council. And then I can assure you the decision will be unanimous. The city will not allow its citizens to die over a few ointments and potions. You turn and head outside

to call the rest of the council back for a vote. With any luck, no one will die today. You just hope that medicine is really all the pirates want. As soon as Charlestown officials delivered the chest of medicine, Blackbeard freed his hostages. Then, one by one, his ships drifted away from Charlestown Harbor. It's unclear why Blackbeard freed his hostages. Then, one by one, his ships drifted away from Charlestown Harbor. It's unclear why Blackbeard didn't demand more before he left, but the medicine was no small prize, especially for a crew of over 300, many of whom were likely suffering from syphilis and various tropical diseases. Blackbeard also kept around 1,500 pounds sterling from the citizens he'd taken prisoner.

And though they returned to town without their wallets, the hostages were given notice of Blackbeard's plans to head further north to attack New England. But this turned out to be a ruse. Instead, Blackbeard sailed only just a few hours north to topsail Inlet on North Carolina's Outer Banks. The province of North Carolina had become independent from South Carolina just six years earlier, and the region was only sparsely inhabited by English colonists, making it an ideal place for a pirate fleet to hide. In the Outer Banks maze of shoals and inlets, Blackbeard wanted to careen his ships, cleaning the particles off the sides of their hulls. He also wanted to rest and recover from his journey. For almost a year and a

half, he'd been sailing and pirating non-stop. But in the shallow approach to Topsail Inlet, two of his ships slammed full sail into one of the area's many treacherous sandbars. Both the adventure and Queen Anne's revenge were wrecked. Blackbeard was forced to abandon his prize flagship. Later, one of Blackbeard's captains would suggest that the pirate had grounded these ships intentionally. The crews had been bickering since December over how to divide their plunder, and according to this captain, Blackbeard had come to see command of this armada as too unwieldy a task and wanted to strike off on his own. Steed Bonnet was ready to leave the fleet, too.

Since he'd met Blackbeard, Bonnet had only limited control over any ships, including his own. He'd mostly been a passenger, an accessory to another man's pirating career. By the summer of 1718, Bonnet had had enough. The Crown's offer of a free pardon was due to expire in just a few months. So in early June, Bonnet took his ship, Revenge, and set off to seek his pardon from North Carolina's governor. While he was gone, Blackbeard and a group of his most trusted sailors hurriedly transferred treasure and provisions from the two wrecked vessels into his last remaining

ship, a small eight-gun Spanish sloop acquired in a raid near Havana. Blackbeard had never bothered to give the ship a name. Now, in haste, he used one that was already familiar and christened her The Adventure. With her guns ready to fire, The Adventure sailed away, abandoning over a hundred luckless former crew members with no food or water on an uninhabited island three miles from the mainland. When Steed Bonnet returned, he found the sailors marooned and both wrecked ships stripped of their valuables. In Bonnet's estimation, this abandonment of his crew was Blackbeard's most despicable act yet, but he had no time for revenge. He quickly gathered up the men who would join him and sailed away.

He never saw Blackbeard again. Blackbeard hadn't gone far. With a smaller crew of around a hundred men, he had sailed around the edge of the Outer Banks and north to the village of Bath. Bath was the seat of North Carolina's government, the very place where Bonnet had just received his pardon. Despite his political role, it was still a small, secluded hamlet. There, Edward Thatch would finally be able to take a break from pirate life. During the humid, sweltering months of July and August, rumors flew around the town. Bath had less than a hundred residents,

and Blackbeard became a local celebrity upon his arrival. Some said he dined with the governor by candlelight. Others said he bought a house in town and married a local woman. Blackbeard did accept a pardon from the North Carolina governor and lived part-time in the village and part-time on the adventure at Anchor Nearby. On board the ship, he hosted other colonial pirates as they passed down the coastline. These pirate gatherings attracted little attention in remote North Carolina, but they were being discussed over a hundred miles up the coast in the capital of the Virginia colony.

There, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood was weary of such lawlessness perched so close to his border. The 42-year-old Spotswood had served in the military before assuming his post in the capital of Williamsburg. Virginia's real governor lived in England and never visited, so Spotswood was left in control of the entire colony. For years, he'd been urging the Crown to do something about piracy. And by August of 1718, he grew more alarmed as reports of Blackbeard's strikes on coastal shipping flooded into his office. The infamous pirate was at it again, and the colonial government of North Carolina, having already pardoned him, now

appeared to be offering him safe haven. But Blackbeard had not retired. In the same month that Lieutenant Governor Spotswood was receiving alarming reports about him, Blackbeard attacked and captured a merchant vessel off the coast of Delaware. Two hundred barrels of sugar and thousands of pounds of cocoa were on board. He returned to Bath, where the North Carolina governor allowed him to sell the stolen goods and then burn the merchant vessel at anchor. The captured ship went up in smoke, and with it all evidence that anything illegal had ever happened. Spotswood smelled collusion.

Even though he had no jurisdiction over North Carolina, he felt it was his duty to hunt down pirates, no matter where they might be. By attacking a ship off the coast of Delaware, Blackbeard had proven that he was a serious threat to Virginia too. Spotswood vowed to put an end to it. But it wouldn't be easy. Hunting down the era's most notorious pirate would take cunning, courage, and a small band of Royal Navy sailors willing to risk their lives to bring Blackbeard and his crew to justice. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island.

It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reach the age of 10 that would still a virgin. It just happens to all of us. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years, I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse

and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I'm Tristan Redman, and as a journalist, I've never believed in ghosts. But when I discovered that my wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door to where I grew up, I started wondering about the inexplicable things that happened in my childhood bedroom. When I tried to find out more, I discovered that someone who slept

in my room after me, someone I'd never out more, I discovered that someone who slept in my room after me, someone I'd never met, was visited by the ghost of a faceless woman. So I started digging into the murder in my wife's family, and I unearthed family secrets nobody could have imagined. Ghost Story won Best Documentary Podcast at the 2024 Ambies and is a Best True Crime Nominee at the British Podcast Awards 2024. Ghost Story is now the first ever Apple Podcasts Series Essential. Each month, Apple Podcasts editors spotlight one series that has captivated listeners with masterful storytelling, creative excellence, and a unique creative voice and vision. To recognize Ghost Story being chosen as the first series essential,

Wondery has made it ad-free for a limited time, only on Apple Podcasts. If you haven't listened yet, head over to Apple Podcasts to hear for yourself. Imagine it's October 1718. You sit shivering in a jail cell in Williamsburg, Virginia. Cold wind blowing in from the river has chilled you to the bone. You're the quartermaster of Queen Anne's Revenge. Or at least you were, until Captain Blackbeard ran the ship aground. You accompanied him to the North Carolina mainland, where you and his remaining crew agreed that after receiving a fair share of the spoils, you would go your separate way.

You decided to return to your old haunt in the Virginia colony, only to be picked up by the authorities. A jailer opens the door to your cell, and a small man walks inside. He's too clean and well-dressed to be a local constable, and the smug look on his face suggests that he's a military officer of some kind. Well, you wretch, do you know why you're here? You stare up at the man from where the chains hold you to the floor. Speak up,

criminal. I'm here because someone mistook me for a pirate. You are a pirate. Apparently a man never truly gets forgiveness for his past. If you want forgiveness, then tell me where the pirate Blackbeard is. We'll open the doors and you can walk right out of this jail a free man. It's an enticing offer, but you smell a trap. Who are you, the governor? No, but we have the governor's sponsorship. The governor of Virginia. Why would he care? We never harassed Virginia shipping. The officer leans forward. Ah, you never harassed Virginia shipping, but you did other colonies. See, we have reason to believe that Blackbeard is still in North Carolina, somewhere in the Shoals. Can you confirm this, too?

You sigh. You know the officer is right, but you're not ready to tell him that, at least not yet. No, I don't know where he is. He's harassed ships off the coast of Delaware and attacked merchant vessels bound for the Caribbean. Well, it sounds like you're telling me he's in several places at once. Pretty neat trick, really. Oh, I'll make this simple. If you don't give us Blackbeard's location, you'll go to trial and be hanged for piracy.

If you do tell us, we'll let you go free. You eye this officer suspiciously. You don't believe his offer for a second. They're not going to just let you waltz away. Still, you decide there's no harm in giving him a little information, if it helps your case. Sir, I've got nothing to say except to plead my innocence. I can tell you everywhere I've been in the last few months since I took the royal pardon. Let's see you try to hang me then.

Go get yourself a quill and some paper, unless you're one of those with a good memory. You lean your head back against the cold stone wall. You'll have to account for your whereabouts for months if you have any chance of saving your skin. But there is the possibility this information could lead the authorities straight to your old captain. You'd hate for that to happen, but you don't think Blackbeard would blame you. Every pirate knows there's a risk of a noose at the end of the day. You just hope that with a little cooperation, you'll be able to escape it. In his hunt for Blackbeard, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood

got some help from William Howard, former quartermaster of the Queen Anne's Revenge. In the course of being interrogated, Howard gave up valuable information about his time in North Carolina. Spotswood used this information, along with other reports he received, to identify the approximate location of Blackbeard's ship, which was still anchored along the North Carolina coast. Spotswood had no jurisdiction over North Carolina, but he wasn't about to let that get in the way. He approached two British naval captains stationed nearby and began to form an audacious plan. They would create two small strike forces and launch a secret invasion of North Carolina.

The first group would cross overland on horseback to the town of Bath. If Blackbeard was there, they would arrest him then. The second group would approach by sea and attempt to intercept Blackbeard's ship, the Adventure, in case he was aboard. Spotswood sweetened this offer by suggesting that Blackbeard had money and riches hidden away, which would increase the coffers of the British government. He also suggested that even though the entire operation was unsanctioned, the Navy captains would become heroes if they succeeded.

After all, Blackbeard was by now the Crown's most wanted pirate. As dawn was just beginning to break on November 22, 1718, Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy led a pair of ships slowly through the waters of Pamlico Sound, off the coast of North Carolina. It was around 7.30 in the morning. The wind was calm and the tide was coming in. Maynard's sloop Jane was followed by another small vessel, the Ranger, and near Ocracoke Island, Maynard sighted the sails of Blackbeard's ship and steeled his men for battle. Meanwhile, aboard the adventure,

Captain Blackbeard was just staggering awake. Only 20 of his crew remained from the hundred or so he'd had five months ago. That morning everyone on board was hungover from a late party the night before, and by the time they saw the two naval sloops bearing down on them, it was nearly too late. With no time to weigh anchor, Blackbeard rushed to cut the rope himself, ordering full sails and cannons readied. As the canvas caught the wind, the ship lurched northward toward a channel leading directly to the open ocean. Lieutenant Maynard unfurled the British flag from the Jane's mast, and using oars, the two naval ships gave chase and quickly closed the gap. Soon they were within shouting distance of the adventure. Blackbeard made it clear that he had no intention of surrendering, crying, I drink damnation to you, and will neither give nor take order.

The adventure let loose a broadside of cannons, fired nearly point-blank at the two naval vessels. Both were hit badly. The Ranger lost its captain and two officers, and was effectively out of the battle. Blackbeard sailed ahead, aiming for the open ocean. But Maynard and the crew of the Jane managed to score a lucky shot with one of their muskets, taking down one of the adventure's jib sails, which slowed down the ship and allowed the Jane to catch up. But Maynard knew his ship couldn't survive another broadside from the adventure's cannons. So as the Jane closed in, the lieutenant set a trap. He ordered almost all his crew except the pilot and a single midshipman below decks,

then followed them down into the hull and out of sight. When the two ships pulled within a pistol's range, Blackbeard assumed that most of the Jane's crew must be dead or wounded. He ordered the adventure to pull alongside the seemingly crippled sloop and led his victory party onto the empty top deck. At that moment, Maynard and his crew sprang up from where they'd been hiding. Blackbeard and his men were taken completely by surprise. Both sides drew their cutlass swords and battled hand to hand on the deck of the Jane. The fighting took less than ten minutes, and when it was over, the pirate Blackbeard lay dead, his body riddled with bullets and slashed by swords. The rest of his crew were

also killed or taken prisoner. Aboard the adventure, Maynard's men searched eagerly for treasure, but found only some gold dust, along with a few bags of cocoa and sugar. They also very nearly found disaster. Before his death, Blackbeard instructed one of his men to blow up the ship in case the pirates were defeated. After the battle, this crew member was found in the hold of the adventure, moments away from carrying out Blackbeard's orders. But they stopped him in time, and the ship remained afloat. Back on the Jane, Maynard cut off Blackbeard's head and hung it from his ship's bowsprit.

There it sailed all the way back to Williamsburg, Virginia, to an overjoyed Lieutenant Governor Spotswood. Blackbeard's former partner, Steed Bonnet, returned to pirating after the two-party company in North Carolina. But Bonnet was no more successful on his own than he'd been before. After a six-hour sea battle with military sloops out of Charlestown, he was captured and arrested. Bonnet and his surviving crew were tried and convicted of piracy in a Charlestown court.

Afterward, he escaped his prison cell but was soon captured again and finally executed in December, two weeks after Blackbeard's death. For the next few years, the flame of piracy would be difficult to extinguish. Blackbeard's death did not hinder a new rush of pirate activity. Still, many would-be Blackbeards met their end during this period, as British law sought to execute not just pirates, but anyone found to be aiding or abetting them. Pirates were a threat to the colony's economic growth and stability, and the Royal Navy increased its fleet of warships along the American coast to stamp them out. But even as the age of the Atlantic pirates began to wane, their legends grew. In 1724, the first book on their history in English captured the public's imagination.

Charles Johnson's A History of Pirates proved so popular, it quickly spawned a second edition, this time featuring female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Charles Johnson was an alias, and the identity of the author remains a mystery, as does the reliability of his stories and sources. Still, the book provided a tantalizing mix of fact and fiction about an era that was already vanishing, an era when pirates and outlaws prowled American waters, bringing danger and adventure to the open sea. From Wondery, this is Episode 3 of The Age of Pirates from American History Tellers. On the next episode, I'll be speaking with history professor and pirate expert Rebecca Simon about the myths and realities of colonial-era pirate life. We'll also discuss Dr. Simon's new book, Pirate Queens, The Lives of Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

If you like American History Tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. Our managing producers are Tanja Thigpen and Matt Gant. Our senior producer is Andy Herman. Executive producers are Jenny Lauer-Beckman and Marshall Louis for Wondery. In a quiet suburb, a community is shattered by the death of a beloved wife and mother. But this tragic loss of life quickly turns into something even darker. Her husband had tried to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill her. And she wasn't the only target.

Because buried in the depths of the internet is The Kill List, a cache of chilling documents containing names, photos, addresses, and specific instructions for people's murders. This podcast is the true story of how I ended up in a race against time to warn those whose lives were in danger. And it turns out, convincing a total stranger someone wants them dead is not easy. Follow Kill List on the Wondery app

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