Much of what we know today about the notorious pirate Blackbeard is pure fiction arising from little more than guesswork, word of mouth, and creative writing. To find the truth we went to historian, author, and public speaker Kevin Duffus, who has spent over 5 decades researching Blackbeard's life and actions, and has shown no fear in taking on North Carolina historians and Blackbeard authors by challenging old myths. In part one we'll reveal some facts that will challenge your idea of Blackbeard's real name (it very likely wasn't Teach), his time spent as a pirate (less than two years), his country of origin (very likely North Carolina, not England), the places he visited (not New Hampshire through Florida), and the origin of his crew (also coastal North Carolina). In part two we'll explore the legends of his buried treasure, his silver plated skull, the hanging of his crew in Williamsburg, VA, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices