Blackbeard captured a French merchant vessel, which he renamed The Queen Anne's Revenge. He equipped her with 40 guns and became a feared pirate. He was reported to have tied lit fuses under his hat to frighten his enemies.
After he ran the Queen Anne's Revenge aground near Beaufort, North Carolina, he settled in Bath Town. There he accepted a royal pardon. But he was soon back at sea, where he attracted the attention of Alexander Spotswood, the Governor of Virginia. Spotswood arranged for a party of soldiers and sailors to try to capture the pirate, which they did on 22 November 1718. During a ferocious battle, Teach and several of his crew were killed by a small force of sailors led by Lieutenant Robert Maynard.