Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard the Pirate, was the most infamous man to sail the Caribbean Sea. Considered the devil himself by many sailors, he was admiral of four ships and over one hundred and forty men. Teach was feared as the devil for multiple reasons, but the major fact that applied to this was his appearance. Little information exists about Teach's early life, but it is assumed that he was born in Bristol, England in 1680. He may also have been a merchant seaman before his pirate career. Then in 1716, he settled on the island of New Providence, where he joined the crew of Captain Benjamin Hornigold. Hornigold then retired, received a pardon from King George II and Teach replaced him. Teach was ultimately killed during the bloody Battle of Ocracoke Island in 1718 (Last Days). Teach's hacking career only lasted two years, but that was just enough time to inspire many writers. Teach's debut is currently isolated and can only be speculated upon. This also applies to his name. His first name, according to some early sources, could be Drummond. There are also many possible ways to spell one's last name. Blackbeard's last name could have been Thach, Thatch, Theach, Thatche, Tack, and most commonly used, Teach. Teach is believed to have been born in Bristol, England. His date of birth cannot be exact, as the age of his death is unknown. The age of his death is estimated to be between his late 30s and early 40s, which corresponds to Teach's birth date around 1680. An early source states that he was born into a family prosperous, which might very well be possible. Bristol was, at the time, a medium-sized city and one of the commercial centers of England. This would have allowed... middle of paper ......d to kill Maynard's men before he bled to death. After the battle, Maynard examined Teach's body and found that he had been shot five times and stabbed at least twenty times. “When Blackbeard Plagueed the Seas” www.history.org Colonial Williamsburg, ND www.history.org/foundation/journal 29, April 2014. Woodard, Colin. “The Last Days of Blackbeard.” www.smithsonianmag.com Smithsonian, February 2014. www.smithsonianmag.com/history. April 29, 2014. Minister, Christopher. “Biography of Edward Blackbeard Teach.” www.latinamericahistory.about.com About.com, ND www.latinamericahistory.about.com/od. April 29, 2014. Minister, Christopher. “Ten facts about Blackbeard.” www.latinamericahistory.about.com About.com. ND April 30, 2014. “Blackbeard killed off North Carolina. » History Channel website, 2014. April 29 2014.