4 Famous Pirates You Need to Know at KS2
Updated: Apr 22, 2022
Blackbeard
Born in 1680 in the English city of Bristol, Blackbeard’s real name was likely Edward Teach.
In 1717 he captured and converted a French Merchant ship into a 40 gun monstrosity; The Queen Anne’s Revenge.
He became super famous in England for his bad boy antics, gathering the tabloid fame that would make even a Kardashian jealous.
Blackbeard was tracked down and killed by the British Navy in 1718. It supposedly took five gun wounds, 20 cuts by sword and two hacks by cutlass to the back of the neck to kill him.
Anne Bonny
Born in Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland in 1697
Anne apparently killed a servant girl with a knife and put a young man in hospital in her teens.
When her Pirate crew waves the white flag to the British, only Anne and her pal Mary fought to the bitter end.
Anne managed to escape the hang man’s noose by claiming she was pregnant, her court case because the trial of the century.
Ching Shih
The most successful pirate of all time.
Ching Shih led The Red Fleet, she had 1800 ships and 70,000 pirates under her command. She was the Jeff Bezos of the pirating world.
She was dubbed ‘The Terror of South China’ and crushed Chinese, Portuguese, and British naval ships alike.
William Kidd
Worst pirate ever, only conducted one act of Piracy.
William was a privateer but his crew were cross over a lack of success.
Trying to avoid mutiny Kidd attacked a ship containing goods belonging to the British East India Company.
Kidd was labelled a Pirate, was captured and then hung three times – the rope broke on two occasions.
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