Charleston and the Golden Age of Piracy
Charleston and the Golden Age of Piracy

Author: Christopher Byrd Downey

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2013-04-23

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 1614239134

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From its earliest days, Charleston was a vital port of call and center of trade, which left it vulnerable to seafaring criminals. The Golden Age of Piracy, encompassing roughly the first quarter of the eighteenth century, produced some of the most outrageous characters in maritime history. The daring exploits of these infamous plunderers made thievery widespread along Charleston's waterfront, but determined citizens would meet the pirate threat head-on. From the "Gentleman Pirate," Stede Bonnet, to Edward "Blackbeard" Teach and famed pirate hunter and statesman William Rhett, the waters surrounding the Holy City have a history as rocky and wild as the high seas. Join author and tour guide Christopher Byrd Downey as he tells the tales of Charleston during piracy's greatest reign.

Hidden History of Civil War Charleston
Hidden History of Civil War Charleston

Author: Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2012-07-31

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1614236178

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Forgotten tales of Charleston's Civil War history have been collected into this new compendium for today's history lovers. In a city as old as Charleston, it's only natural for some stories to become less well-known over time, but the Palmetto State's history should never be forgotten entirely. Author Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman recounts some of Charleston's amazing Civil War stories that have faded from memory, including the shady story of how an association of Charleston elites conspired to push South Carolina toward secession in 1860, and the Stone Fleet of old whaling ships that were sunk in Charleston Harbor in an attempt to choke out Confederate blockade runners, as well as a cast of real-life characters such as Amarinthia Yates Snowden, William Richard Catheart, and Tom Lockwood, just to name a few.

Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet

Author: Christopher Byrd Downey

Publisher: The History Press

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781609495404

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Hundreds of pirates traversed the waters of the Atlantic during America's colonial period, but few had a more adventurous tale than Stede Bonnet. Originally a wealthy plantation owner from Barbados, Bonnet abandoned his wife and children in 1717 to set sail on the pirate ship Revenge. He soon fell into company with Blackbeard in the Bahamas and headed for America. In May 1718, they arrived in Charleston and held the entire city hostage in a daring siege. Bonnet was eventually captured in North Carolina and transported back to Charleston, where he was brought to justice and executed on December 10, 1718. Join local pirate tour guide Captain Christopher Byrd Downey as he recounts the swashbuckling life of the most infamous pirate to ever darken the Holy City's waters.

Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates
Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates

Author: Eric Jay Dolin

Publisher: Liveright Publishing

Published: 2018-09-18

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 163149211X

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With surprising tales of vicious mutineers, imperial riches, and high-seas intrigue, Black Flags, Blue Waters is “rumbustious enough for the adventure-hungry” (Peter Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle). Set against the backdrop of the Age of Exploration, Black Flags, Blue Waters reveals the surprising history of American piracy’s “Golden Age” - spanning the late 1600s through the early 1700s - when lawless pirates plied the coastal waters of North America and beyond. “Deftly blending scholarship and drama” (Richard Zacks), best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin illustrates how American colonists at first supported these outrageous pirates in an early display of solidarity against the Crown, and then violently opposed them. Through engrossing episodes of roguish glamour and extreme brutality, Dolin depicts the star pirates of this period, among them the towering Blackbeard, the ill-fated Captain Kidd, and sadistic Edward Low, who delighted in torturing his prey. Upending popular misconceptions and cartoonish stereotypes, Black Flags, Blue Waters is a “tour de force history” (Michael Pierce, Midwestern Rewind) of the seafaring outlaws whose raids reflect the precarious nature of American colonial life.

Edgar Allan Poe's Charleston
Edgar Allan Poe's Charleston

Author: Christopher Byrd Downey

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2020-02-24

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 1439669155

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An in-depth history of Poe’s time spent in the South Carolina port city where he secretly enlisted in the United States Army. Edgar Allan Poe arrived in Charleston in November 1827 chased by storms, both literal and figurative. Some of the author’s previous indiscretions caused him to enlist in the U.S. Army six months earlier under the pseudonym Edgar A. Perry. The more than one year that Poe spent stationed at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island has been shrouded in mystery for nearly two centuries because Poe deliberately tried to hide his stint in the army. But despite Poe’s deceptions, the influences and impressions of the Lowcountry permeated his life and writing, providing the setting for Poe’s most popular and widely read short story during his lifetime, “The Gold-Bug,” and perhaps providing the inspiration for the real Annabel Lee. Author Christopher Byrd Downey details the hidden history of Poe in Charleston.

Blackbeard
Blackbeard

Author: Angus Konstam

Publisher: Turner Publishing Company

Published: 2008-04-21

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0470309202

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"A thorough, exciting examination of 18th-century pirate life,with wonderful details." --Publishers Weekly "Interesting and exciting . . . a thoroughly enjoyable chronicle of an interesting life and interesting era." --Booklist The definitive biography of history'smost fearsome and famous pirate Of all the colorful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early eighteenth century, none was more ferocious or notorious than Blackbeard. As unforgettable as his savage career was, much of Blackbeard's life has been shrouded in mystery--until now. Drawing on vivid descriptions of Blackbeard's attacks from his rare surviving victims, pirate expert Angus Konstam traces Blackbeard's career from its beginnings to his final defeat in a tremendous sea battle near his base at Ocracoke Island. Presenting dramatic accounts of the pirate's very effective tactics and his reputation for cruelty, Konstam offers a fascinating examination of the life and business of piracy and the lure of this brutal and bloody trade.

The Golden Age of Piracy
The Golden Age of Piracy

Author: David Head

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

Published: 2018-06-15

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0820353272

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Twelve authors shed new light on the true history and enduring mythology of seventeenth– and eighteenth–century pirates in this anthology of scholarly essays. The twelve entries in The Golden Age of Piracy discuss why pirates thrived in the seas of the New World, how pirates operated their plundering ventures, how governments battled piracy, and when and why piracy declined. Separating Hollywood myth from historical fact, these essays bring the real pirates of the Caribbean to life with a level of rigor and insight rarely applied to the subject. The Golden Age of Piracy also delves into the enduring status of pirates as pop culture icons. Audiences have devoured stories about cutthroats such as Blackbeard and Henry Morgan since before Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island. By looking at the ideas of gender and sexuality surrounding pirate stories, the renewed interest in hunting for pirate treasure, and the construction of pirate myths, the contributing authors tell a new story about the dangerous men, and a few dangerous women, who terrorized the high seas. Contributors: Douglas R. Burgess, Guy Chet, John A. Coakley, Carolyn Eastman, Adam Jortner, Peter T. Leeson, Margarette Lincoln, Virginia W. Lunsford, Kevin P. McDonald, Carla Gardina Pestana, Matthew Taylor Raffety, and David Wilson.

The Republic of Pirates
The Republic of Pirates

Author: Colin Woodard

Publisher: Pan

Published: 2014-02-01

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1743516061

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In the early eighteenth century a number of the great pirate captains, including Edward 'Blackbeard' Teach and 'Black Sam' Bellamy, joined forces. This infamous 'Flying Gang' was more than simply a thieving band of brothers. Many of its members had come to piracy as a revolt against conditions in the merchant fleet and in the cities and plantations in the Old and New Worlds. Inspired by notions of self-government, they established a crude but distinctive form of democracy in the Bahamas, carving out their own zone of freedom in which indentured servants were released and leaders chosen or deposed by a vote. They were ultimately overcome by their archnemesis, Captain Woodes Rogers - a merchant fleet owner and former privateer - and the brief but glorious Republic of Pirates came to an end. Colin Woodard's account is vividly told, full of incident and adventure, and brings to life this virtually unexplored chapter in the Golden Age of Piracy.

Hidden History of Old Charleston
Hidden History of Old Charleston

Author: Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2010-02-15

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1614235317

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From the Lowcountry's first recorded duel to old-fashioned summers at the 'hottest spot in town", these pages will captivate you with stories of people, events and places that have all but vanished from memory. Find out the real history behind some of Charleston's beloved mansions and learn about the early plantations and their owners. Join the authors as they relate the riots and romance, the preservation and politics - and even a ghost story - from Charleston's hidden history.

Blackbeard’s Last Fight
Blackbeard’s Last Fight

Author: Angus Konstam

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2013-06-20

Total Pages: 176

ISBN-13: 1780961979

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In April 1713 the War of the Spanish Succession came to an end. During the conflict hundreds of privateers – licenced pirates – preyed on enemy shipping throughout the Caribbean. These privateers now found themselves out of a job, and many turned to piracy. One of theme was Edward Teach – more popularly known as “Blackbeard”. He joined the pirates in New Providence (now Nassau) in the Bahamas, and by early 1717 he had become a pirate captain. From then on he caused havoc off the North American seaboard, in the West Indies and off Honduras, before appearing off Charleston, South Carolina in May 1718. He blockaded this major port for a week, an act that made Blackbeard the most notorious pirate of his day.