The Most Feared Ship of the Golden Age
Queen Anne’s Revenge was not Blackbeard’s first ship — but it became his most famous, and its wreck off the coast of North Carolina has become one of the most significant maritime archaeological discoveries in American history.
The ship began its life as a French slave vessel called La Concorde, launched in 1710 and used to transport enslaved Africans across the Atlantic. In November 1717, it was captured by Blackbeard (Edward Teach) near Martinique. Blackbeard recognized the vessel’s value immediately — it was large, heavily built, and fast enough to pursue or escape most ships of the era.
Blackbeard’s Transformation of La Concorde
After capture, Blackbeard renamed the vessel Queen Anne’s Revenge — a name that referenced the War of Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War) and resonated with sailors who had served in that conflict. He then heavily armed it, adding guns to bring the total armament to approximately 40 cannons. For context, a Royal Navy frigate of the period carried 28–40 guns. Blackbeard had built a warship that could challenge naval vessels.
With Queen Anne’s Revenge as his flagship and a fleet of smaller supporting vessels, Blackbeard became the dominant pirate force in the Caribbean and along the American colonial coast between 1717 and 1718. He blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina, for nearly a week — holding the city hostage and demanding a chest of medicine as ransom.
The Grounding at Beaufort Inlet
In June 1718, Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground in Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. The official account is that this was an accident — the inlet was shallow and treacherous. But many historians believe it was deliberate.
Blackbeard had been negotiating with the Governor of North Carolina for a pardon. A large fleet and hundreds of pirates made such a negotiation complicated. By losing his flagship and scattering his crew — allegedly marooning some of them on a sandbar — Blackbeard reduced his footprint to a single small sloop and a skeleton crew, making a pardon and a quiet retirement more feasible.
Whether accident or scheme, Queen Anne’s Revenge sank in Beaufort Inlet and remained there for nearly 280 years.
Discovery of the Wreck
In 1996, a private research company called Intersal Inc. discovered a wreck in Beaufort Inlet at a depth of about 6 meters (20 feet). Initial analysis of the artifacts — cannons, anchors, navigational instruments, and personal items — strongly suggested this was Queen Anne’s Revenge. The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has been leading the excavation ever since.
Recovered artifacts have included over 30 cannons, a ship’s bell dated 1709, medical instruments, weapons, and thousands of personal items. DNA analysis of bone fragments found on the site confirmed human remains. The site has yielded over 400,000 artifacts to date.
What the Wreck Tells Us
The Queen Anne’s Revenge excavation has reshaped our understanding of Golden Age piracy. The medical instruments found aboard — syringes, urethral catheters, a mortar and pestle — suggest pirates received far more medical care than their brutal reputation implies. The diversity of coins, weapons, and personal items reflects the international character of pirate crews, who came from across the Atlantic world.
Artifacts from the wreck are on display at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, North Carolina. The excavation is ongoing and new finds continue to emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Queen Anne’s Revenge really Blackbeard’s ship?
The evidence strongly supports it. The wreck site’s location, date, armament, and artifacts all match the historical record for Queen Anne’s Revenge. North Carolina state archaeologists consider the identification confirmed.
Where is the Queen Anne’s Revenge wreck?
In Beaufort Inlet, near Beaufort, North Carolina, at a depth of approximately 6 meters (20 feet). The site is an active archaeological excavation and a protected maritime heritage site.
Did Blackbeard sink Queen Anne’s Revenge on purpose?
Many historians believe so. The grounding occurred as Blackbeard was negotiating a pardon with colonial authorities, and deliberately losing his flagship would have helped him appear less threatening. The evidence is circumstantial but compelling.