Loading summary
Transcript16 lines
- [00:01]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery.
- [00:06]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
App as a member of Noiser plus.
- [00:08]
Lindsey Graham
At noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com It's.
- [00:20]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
November 28, 1717, in the Caribbean Sea. A French slave ship, La Concorde, gently lurches across tropical waters. Captain Pierre Doucet points his telescope at the horizon. In a few hours, he and his crew will make landfall on the island of Martinique, where they will unload their human cargo at the slave market before turning around and sailing back to France. For Pierre, that moment can't come soon enough. This seven week voyage has been fraught with disaster. Many of his crew died from scurvy, and Pierre knows that graver threats lie ahead. They have just sailed into a part of the ocean populated by a lawless breed of buccaneering rogues, fearsome criminals and pirates. But all has been quiet so far, until a shout goes up from the crow's nest above. Pierre leans on the deck railing, scouring the horizon. He sees two small sloops closing in on his ship. As they get closer, Pierre makes out the black skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger Flagg. The color drains from the captain's face and he starts barking orders. Soon the two pirate ships pull up alongside La Concorde, their cannons muzzles bristling from gunports along the helm. Pierre shouts at his men to prepare their own cannon, but before they can mount a defense, a volley of cannonballs crashes into the port side of his ship. Pierre's crew scatters, trying to save themselves from the cannon blast and the FL splinters of wood, and soon the pirate ships are close enough that ropes skitter across the deck of La Concorde, and dozens of pirates clamber across her gunwales, their cutlasses drawn. Pierre looks across the water to the nearest pirate ship. Standing on deck is a tall man in a tricorn hat wearing a dark, greasy black beard. Woven into braids at the end of each is a colored ribbon. Even from this distance, the pirate captain's eyes glimmer with a deranged zeal. Pierre knows he's beaten, so instead of continuing to fight, he throws down his pistol and surrenders his ship. The 18th century will come to be known as the Golden Age of Pirates, an era when seafaring robbers terrorize sailors from the Caribbean to the eastern seaboard of the United States, plundering and pillaging at will. The most notorious pirate of them all is an Englishman named Edward Teacher, better known as Blackbeard. After raiding Le Concorde and plundering her stocks, Blackbeard will take control of the French ship and rename it Queen Anne's Revenge. Aboard this vessel, he will become the most fearsome pirate to roam the seas until he is killed in a shootout with Royal Navy sailors during a daring raid on November 22, 1718.
- [03:11]
Lindsey Graham
Hey prime members, have you heard? You can listen to your favorite podcasts ad free. That's good news. With Amazon Music, you have access to the largest catalog of ad free top podcasts included with your prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com ADFreePodcasts that's Amazon.com ADFreeP Podcasts to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads. History Daily is sponsored by Audible. What would you do if your most famous work, the one that puts you on the map, was both outrageously popular, quoted everywhere, but reviled by some by being simplistic, productive? Too commercialized? Well, if you're Malcolm Gladwell, you write a rebuttal sequel Revenge of the Tipping Overstories, Super Spreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering. I'm listening to it on Audible because I find there's more to imagine.
- [04:04]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
When you listen.
- [04:05]
Lindsey Graham
As an Audible member, you choose one title a month to keep from their entire catalog. New members can try audible free for 30 days. Visit audible.comhistorydaily or text history daily to 500500 that's audible.comhistorydaily or text History Daily to 500500.
- [04:27]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day on this podcast every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is November 22, 1718, Blackbeard's final battle. It's May 1718, about 100 miles off the coast of South Carolina. Six months before Blackbeard is killed, Captain Edward Teach, or Blackbeard as he's better known, struts across the foredeck of his ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. The notorious pirate captain removes a small gold compass from his pocket and watches the needle spin and quiver. A flash of yellow teeth appear in the midst of his matted beard as the captain smiles and swaggers back to the ship's wheel. As the Queen Anne's Revenge adjusts her course for the northwest horizon, so too do the three smaller sloops in Blackbeard's fleet The four vessels together cut across the dark waves, their bows cutting swiftly through dense sea fog. Most pirate captains don't command a flotilla of four ships. But Blackbeard is not an ordinary pirate. At the age of 38, he has become the most feared maritime criminal the world has ever known. For the past two years, Blackbeard and his crew have roamed the Caribbean Sea, plundering any merchant vessel unfortunate enough to stray into their path. Still, despite his fearsome reputation, Blackbeard is no savage. He avoids violence where possible, preferring to rely on reputation alone to instill fear into his victims. This reputation is one that Blackbeard has carefully cultivated. And it explains his striking appearance. Blackbeard is tall and broad shouldered. His face is covered by a mane of black hair in which two bloodshot eyes gleam like lanterns. He wears a sling adorned with several holstered pistols. And he hangs lighted gunpowder fuses from his beard when going into battle. The spectacle of this wild eyed pirate captain surrounded by smoke and sparking embers is enough to convince any sailor that Blackbeard is not of this world, but an apparition straight from hell. And with a crew of more than 300 men and a bounty of riches beyond any buccaneer's imaginings, Blackbeard is at the height of his powers. Tonight, as he leads his fleet through the choppy waters of the Western Atlantic, the notorious pirate is preparing to carry out his most brazen act of criminality to date. He and his men are heading for the colonial port town of Charleston, South Carolina. Once there, they intend to position their ships around the mouth of the harbor, ransacking any vessel that attempts to pass through their blockade. But it's not gold or or rum that Blackbeard wants to steal. It's medicine. The pirates and Blackbeard's crew have thus far managed to evade the clutches of the colonial authorities. But they fell victim to a different sort of threat. Disease. After overindulging in the taverns and brothels of Nassau in the Bahamas, many of Blackbeard's pirates have come down with syphilis. If they don't successfully secure a chest of medicine, the disease could wipe out as many as half of Blackbeard's crew. So on May 22, the Queen Anne's Revenge and three smaller sloops enter the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Dropping anchor a few hundred feet from land, Blackbeard strolls to the starboard side of the ship and points his telescope toward the port. He can make out gaggles of concerned citizens gesticulating at the pirate ships encircling the harbor. A wolfish smile spreads across Blackbeard's tanned, leathery face. He knows this is the most audacious stunt he's ever attempted. Over the course of the next five days, Blackbeard's men ransack every merchant ship that attempts to pass through the mouth of the harbor. But none of the ships they plunder contain the medicine that Blackbeard's crew sorely needs. So he decides to try a different approach. One of the vessels stopped is a passenger ship bound for England. On board are several prominent Charleston citizens, including a gentleman named Samuel Wragge, a member of the provincial council of South Carolina. Blackbeard kidnaps Samuel and imprisons him below deck, threatening to kill the Englishman if the pirates demands aren't met. His request is. Blackbeard wants the colonial government of South Carolina to provide them with medical supplies. And if those supplies are not delivered soon, Samuel will be decapitated immediately. A messenger is dispatched to present the pirate's demands to the governor. Faced with little other choice, the governor acquiesces, and a few days later, the medical supplies are sent to Blackbeard's ships. Upon receipt of the medicine, it becomes clear that Blackbeard is true to his word. He releases his hostage and then soon sails out of Charleston, having successfully pulled off what is perhaps the most daring act of piracy ever committed, Blockading an entire port. But the most audacious crime of Blackbeard's career will also prove to be one of his last. Soon the British government will crack down on piracy, sending Royal Navy warships to wipe out any seafaring robbers they find. Only this time, Blackbeard will not resist the authorities or fight back. Instead, the grizzled pirate captain will vow to give up his career plundering on the high seas and commit to an honest life on land.
- [09:57]
Lindsey Graham
History Daily is sponsored by Mint Mobile. I am a 50 year old man, and yet, I will admit, I am still subject to fomo. I mean, I shouldn't be. I should feel confident enough, secure enough to just let other people have things, do things without affecting me at all. But no, I succumb to the fear of missing out too often, and I don't want that for you. So here is something you shouldn't miss. Mint Mobile offers Premium Wireless for $15 a month. When you purchase a 3 month plan. 15 bucks a month? Think about how much you're paying now and you'll realize you will fear missing out. It was perfect for resurrecting an old phone for my daughter, who I don't think gets fomo. She's in her yawning tween blase stage right now. To get this new customer offer and your new 3 month premium wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to mintmobile.com historydaily that's mintmobile.com historydaily cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com historydaily $45 upfund payment required equivalent to $15 a month new customers on first 3 month plan only speed slower above 40gb on unlimited plan. Taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details.
- [11:07]
Robert Maynard
Okay, most Americans think they spend about $62 per month on subscriptions, but get this, the real number is closer to $300. That is literally thousands of dollars a year, half of which you've probably forgotten about. Thankfully, Rocket Money can find a bunch of subscriptions you've forgotten all about and then help you cancel the ones you don't want anymore. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so that you can grow your savings. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to $740 a year when using all of the app's features. Stop wasting money on things you don't use. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions by going to rocketmoney.com wondery that's rocketmoney.com won rocketmoney.com wondery.
- [12:08]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
It's September 1718 in Williamsburg, Virginia, five months after Blackbeard's blockade of Charleston Harbor, Alexander Spotswood trudges through the grounds of the Governor's palace. Sweltering in his heavy robes, the corkscrew curls of his powdered wig tumble down the back of the governor's neck, making him feel itchy and irritable. Spotswood doesn't think he'll ever get used to these Virginia summers the unrelenting humidity, the stink of the swamps, and the incessant buzz of biting insects. It's been eight years since he arrived in the colony, and he misses the temperate English weather more and more each day. Spotswood came to the Americas to further his political career, following a brief and undistinguished stint in the British military. As governor, his goal is to turn Virginia into Britain's most successful overseas possession, but so far that challenge has proved much more difficult than expected. Political opposition in London has stymied Spotswood's attempts to regulate the tobacco trade, and bands of hostile Indians have been raiding the British settlements in the west of the colony. But these concerns pale in comparison to the biggest thorn in Spotswood side. Pirates. Among this accursed breed of seafaring criminals, one man stands out as the single greatest cause of Spotswood's sleepless nights. Blackbeard. A few months ago, following his blockade of Charleston harbor, Blackbeard decided to give up his life as a pirate. He surrendered himself to the governor of North Carolina and requested the king's pardon, an act of clemency offered by the British monarch to any former rogues of the sea. All the buccaneers have to do to receive the king's forgiveness is to renounce their criminal past and commit to a life of honest hard work. When Spotswood heard that Blackbeard had been pardoned, he cursed Governor Charles Eden of North Carolina for believing the marauding mariner could ever change its stripes. And as time went on, Spotswood was proven right. Blackbeard returned to his buccaneering ways. Reports recently surfaced of Blackbeard and his crew launching raids on the North Carolina coast. So a few days ago, Spotswood ordered the arrest of one of Blackbeard's former shipmates, known to be living in Virginia. Upon interrogation, this man revealed that Blackbeard's ship is currently moored near Ocracoke island, just off the North Carolina coast. But even though Spotswood now knows where Blackbeard is, the governor is hesitant to take action. North Carolina is outside of Spotswood's jurisdiction. By sending troops to capture the pirate, he would be violating North Carolina's sovereignty and breaching a central tenet of colonial politics. Trying to find a solution, Spotswood storms into the drawing room of the governor's palace, where a map of the North American coastline is spread out across a desk. He stares at Ocracoke island, his blood boiling at the thought of Blackbeard and his crew freely terrorizing more British ships. It's then that the governor realizes that whatever the repercussions might be in violating the sovereignty of another colony, they would be a fair trade for the prize at stake. The capture and execution of the most villainous pirate ever to blight the waves. Spottswood can't trust the colonial government of North Carolina to do anything about Blackbeard. So if something is to be done, Spotswood will have to take matters into his own hands. One month later, on November 21, 1718, British Lieutenant Robert Maynard stands aboard his ship as it follows the twisting waterways of Pamlico Sound. The boyish looking 34 year old squints into the distance, following the meandering coastal channel to the sea. The stiff lapels of his tailcoat flutter in the cool breeze, and his heart pounds in anticipation. They are closing in on Ocracoke island, just off the coast of North Carolina, the spot where the notorious pirate Blackbeard is rumored to be moored. Robert and his crew set sail from Williamsburg four days ago. Their mission from Governor Spotswood was find Blackbeard and bring him back to Virginia, dead or alive. For this task, Robert would have liked a heavily armored warship. But such a large vessel couldn't navigate the shallow waters of Pamlico Sound. So instead, Robert was provided two small Royal Navy sloops, the HMS Ranger and HMS Jane, carrying a combined crew of 60 men. The ships are too lightweight to hold cannons, leaving the crew equipped with only muskets and swords. Still, Robert is feeling optimistic. He is confident that his disciplined crew will outmaneuver the loutish band of buccaneers they seek. And soon Robert's lookout spies the masts of two ships moored in a bay off Ocracoke Island. With evening closing in, Robert orders his sloops to drop anchor. Through his telescope, Robert can make out the pirates carousing on deck, swigging from rum bottles and waving their cutlasses with drunken abandon. Robert smiles. He and his men will wait until morning and then at first light, greet the hungover pirates with a surprise attack.
- [17:12]
Narrator
We all know playtime and problem solving as a kid is super important. That's why Kiwico is launching Kiwiko Clubs to engage kids on a journey of seriously fun learning. With Kiwico Clubs, kids will learn the fundamentals through hands on projects and progressively build their skills with each new project they work on. Watch your kids go from learning to build bows and arrows to engineering their own robot. Kiwico has five clubs with unique topics like science, technology, engineering, art and math, otherwise known as steam, that encourage kids to be creative, bold, curious and persistent through hands on plan projects. Tinker Create and innovate with Kiwico get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com promo code wondery that's up to 50% off your first Crate at kiwico.com promo Code wondery where'd you get those shoes?
- [18:06]
Advertiser
Easy. They're from dsw because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between. Because you do it all in really great shoes. Find a shoe for every you at your dsw store or dsw.com It's November.
- [18:41]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
22, 1718, near Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. As Lt. Robert Maynard emerges from below deck of the HMS Jane. He is greeted with clear skies and light winds. Seagulls circle above as the 34 year old naval officer views Blackbeard's vessels through a telescope. There's no sign of movement aboard the ships. The pirates are clearly still asleep, feeling the effects of a heavy night's drinking. So Robert and his two navy vessels silently make their way toward an unsuspecting enemy. But suddenly there's a deep grinding sound and a wrenching jolt sends Robert stumbling forward. His ship has hit a sandbar. Robert orders his men to begin hauling objects overboard, frantically trying to lighten their load. Eventually both sloops are able to move clear of the shallow water. But it's too late. The delay and commotion has alerted the pirates to the British ship's presence. Robert straightens his bicorn hat and looks out over the water. They're now within earshot of the pirates vessels and Blackbeard himself is standing on deck, his appearance somehow even more vivid and terrible than Robert could have imagined. Summoning his courage, Robert calls out to Blackbeard and requests permission to come aboard. But the pirate captain knows it's a trap. He sneers. Damn you and your sniveling puppies. We shall neither give nor take any quarter. With that, the pirates unleash a volley of gunfire, badly wounding several of Robert's men. Robert orders his crew to return fire and soon the air is filled with whistling musket balls and the screams of the wounded. But the pirates have superior firepower. Robert's small arms cannot compete with Blackbeard's cannons. Robert realizes that the only way to defeat the pirates is to outsmart them. So while Blackbeard orders his cannons to open fire again, Robert orders his men on both sloops to retreat below deck and wait till he gives the order to emerge and attack. When the cannon smoke clears, Blackbeard notices the decks of the Royal Navy sloops are clear. Assuming the battle is won, Blackbeard sails across the water. And with a victorious cry, Blackbeard leads his men onboard the Jane while another group of pirates boards the second sloop. But in that moment, Robert and his men rush out from below deck and engage the pirates in furious close combat. The clash of cutlasses and the crack of gunpowder echo across the water. When the fighting stops, Blackbeard lies dead on deck. Robert approaches the infamous pirate's lifeless corpse. Blackbeard's malevolent eyes are still open. Robert sheathes his sword, satisfied to report back to Governor Spotswood that their mission has been accomplished. And soon, Robert and his remaining crew will sail back to Williamsburg with the pirate's severed head impaled on the bowsprit of his ship. Shortly after Blackbeard's death, the golden age of piracy will come to an end. The British colonial authorities will clamp down on the buccaneering rogues, and the time of the pirates will soon be over. But with his death, Blackbeard's infamous legend is born. His name will echo through the centuries as the most dastardly and ferocious pirate ever to roam the high seas. A larger than life character who was mythologized after Edward Teach, a pirate captain known as Blackbeard, was killed on November 22, 1718. Next on History Daily, November 25, 1863.
- [22:12]
Lindsey Graham
Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant routs.
- [22:15]
Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
Confederate forces at the battle of Missionary Ridge. From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham. Audio editing by Emily Burke. Sound design by Misha Stanton. Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Joe Viner. Executive producers are Stephen Walters for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.