While Saint Vincent may not have the name recognition and reputation of other island and ports made famous during the Golden Age of Piracy (such as Tortuga Island off of Haiti and Port Royal, Jamaica), it does hold an important place in the history of piracy in the Caribbean; it’s where Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, finally came into his own as a pirate captain.
A former sailor and privateer, Edward Teach turned to piracy sometime around 1716. Commanding a sloop of his own, he joined a small fleet of ships commanded by Captain Benjamin Horngold, and took to raiding shipping among the islands. However, Captain Horngold retired from a life of piracy after his crew voted him out the position of captain, leaving Teach to take over.
On November 28th, 1717, Edward Teach used the two ships still in his command to attack French merchant man off of the coast of Saint Vincent. After a firing of broadsides, the ship was captured and Teach took it as his flagship. Renaming it Queen Anne’s Revenge, he outfitted it with 40 guns and sailed off into history, quickly gaining a reputation as the notorious Blackbeard, the most feared pirate of this age.