Why did Blackbeard become a pirate?
Blackbeard was a notorious pirate who terrorized seafarers around the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of North America in 1717 and 1718. Blackbeard’s main motive in becoming a pirate was probably money. He and his crew captured more than 50 ships, making him a rich man. He took his name from his beard, which was apparently so large that it covered most of his face.Early CareerLittle is known about Blackbeard’s early life. Scholars believe that he originally came from England, went by the name of Edward Teach, or Edward Thatch, and that he had been a privateer operating from Jamaica during Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713). Privateers owned their own ships but were authorized by their government–in Teach’s case the British government–to attack foreign shipping.From Privateer to PirateAround 1713 or 1714, Edward moved from privateer to pirate. Pirates operated outside the law, capturing other ships and taking their cargo for themselves. Blackbeard is thought to have begun his career as a
