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Queen Anne's Revenge |
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Queen Anne's Revenge
(QAR) was Blackbeard's flagship from her capture in November 1717
in the eastern Caribbean until she wrecked in June 1718 at Beaufort Inlet,
North Carolina. Blackbeard used the QAR as his prime weapon during
the height of his reign of terror, culminating in his audacious week-long
blockade of the port of Charleston (then Charles Town), S.C. in late May
1718. During the seven months that Blackbeard commanded her, QAR is
known to have participated in the "taking" of at least 18 ships as
"prizes." Archival records indicate that Blackbeard and his cohorts
probably removed most (if not all) of their booty of gold and silver when
she became stranded and was abandoned at Beaufort Inlet.
QAR's brief but active tenure as Blackbeard's flagship makes her of considerable historical importance, but the record of her apparently colorful background prior to November 1717 makes for exciting reading itself. While there is still a considerable amount of research to be conducted on the subject, it is possible that QAR's nationality and appearance changed at least twice in her relatively short lifetime of eight years.
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