Beaufort, North Carolina.

First, a quick note: We are traveling for the rest of the month, so internet access will likely be sparse. If I am slow to respond to comments, it’s due to my lack of connectivity. More on that journey in the months to come.

In the early 18th Century, the Carolina coast was plagued by pirates. Probably the most famous was Blackbeard, who plundered almost anything of value from the area’s vessels with his fleet of pirate ships. One museum in North Carolina focuses on his history.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum is a system of three regional museums operated by the North Carolina Museum of History, part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Each museum focuses on the maritime history of a specific coastal region of North Carolina.

We visited the museum in Beaufort. The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort focuses on the history and culture of coastal North Carolina, particularly on the communities around Beaufort and Carteret County. This location is also the official repository for artifacts recovered from Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which ran aground near Beaufort in 1718.

Queen Anne’s Revenge was a fearsome ship during the Golden Age of Piracy. It was most famous for being the flagship of the notorious pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard. This scale model is an artistic work that captured my attention for quite a while.

Blackbeard captured La Concorde in 1717 near the island of Martinique in the Caribbean. Recognizing its potential, Blackbeard heavily armed the ship with up to 40 cannons and renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge, possibly as a mockery of the British crown. The vessel became Blackbeard’s flagship as he plundered and raided throughout the Caribbean and the American colonies.

The glory days of Queen Anne’s Revenge were short-lived. In 1718, the ship ran aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, under mysterious circumstances. The wreck of Queen Anne’s Revenge remained undiscovered for centuries. It was only in 1996 that researchers identified the remains of the ship buried beneath the seafloor. The ongoing excavation has uncovered numerous artifacts, providing valuable insights into the lives of pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy. The recovered artifacts are now housed at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

A local actor portrays the infamous Blackbeard in a video projected on a sheet of glass. If you approach the desk, the pirate narrates one of the separate texts from his ship’s log. Approach the desk again, and you will hear another log entry.

Blackbeard is one of the most iconic pirates in history, and his fearsome reputation was largely cultivated by himself. He cultivated a terrifying image by braiding his thick black beard with slow-burning fuses, which he would light in battle to intimidate his enemies. He also wore multiple pistols strapped across his chest and was known for his wild and ferocious demeanor.

Blackbeard’s most famous period came aboard the captured French ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, which he heavily armed and made his flagship. From 1717 to 1718, Blackbeard and his crew plundered throughout the Caribbean and the American colonies, striking fear into the hearts of sailors and amassing a significant amount of loot. He was known for his psychological tactics, and his willingness to use violence, but some accounts suggest he may have avoided unnecessary bloodshed at times.

Though a large portion of the museum focuses on Blackbeard, other parts focus on the maritime history of the North Carolina coast and the ships and sailors who lived and worked along the Carolina shores.

The museum provides a look back at the history of this part of North Carolina. The region around Beaufort is known as the Crystal Coast, and its beauty extends beyond its present-day allure. Steeped in history, this 85-mile (137 km) stretch was originally home to Native American tribes who thrived on the coast’s bounty. Over time, the Crystal Coast transitioned from a bustling port to a relaxing haven. The late 1800s and 1900s saw a rise in tourism, with the name “Crystal Coast” capturing the essence of its pristine waters.

The museum is open daily, with shorter hours on Sundays. Admission is free, but donations will gladly be accepted to help keep the museum in operation. Their webpage contains details about hours and location. If you’d like to pixel-peep at my images, you can find the entire gallery on my Flickr site here.

John Steiner