Let’s learn about famous pirates

Famous pirates
There are quite a few famous pirates that we can learn about.
Today we will learn about 2 of these famous pirates!
These pirates both lived around 300 years ago.

Have you heard of Blackbeard?
Blackbeard is probably the most famous of all pirates.
He grew his beard down to his waist and even put lighted fuses in the ends of his hair to scare his enemies!

Was he a kind captain?
No!
Blackbeard once robbed his own crew!
His ship ran aground in 1718 so Blackbeard loaded the treasure into a small boat and rowed off. He promised to return for his crew but he never went back for them!
Aground: Stuck in the sand.
Crew: The gang of pirates that worked for Blackbeard.
Interesting fact!
Did you know that Blackbeard’s favourite drink was Rum mixed with gunpowder!

A wanted man!
Pirates were such a problem in the 1700s that large rewards were offered to anyone who could catch them.
If you caught a pirate you could expect a reward of up to £15.
If you caught a pirate captain like Blackbeard you could get as much as £40!

How long do you think Blackbeard was a pirate captain for?
A long time?
No! Blackbeard was only a pirate captain for 2 years.
He was eventually caught and killed by the Royal Navy in a battle off the coast of North America.

Were there any girl pirates?
Yes!
It was very rare for a woman to become a pirate but there were a few.
Anne Bonny is one of the most famous.
Here is Anne Bonny with another female pirate called Mary Read.

Anne Bonny
Anne came from Ireland and travelled with her father to North America in the 1700s.
They wanted to start a new life there.

Anne runs away
When Anne was 16 she ran away with a pirate to live in the Bahamas.
She lived amongst pirates and it was there that she met a pirate called Calico Jack.
She persuaded him to let her join his crew and he was so impressed by her fighting skills that he agreed.
Anne was very good at fighting and always dressed in men’s clothes because they were easier to fight in!