1 00:00:02,085 --> 00:00:03,245 ♪ ♪ 2 00:00:03,378 --> 00:00:05,298 Tonight, a pirate treasure 3 00:00:05,380 --> 00:00:07,050 worth millions. 4 00:00:07,132 --> 00:00:09,512 Blackbeard looted dozens of ships 5 00:00:09,593 --> 00:00:11,513 and was able to walk away scot free. 6 00:00:11,595 --> 00:00:14,725 And it’s still missing, despite centuries of searching. 7 00:00:14,848 --> 00:00:16,558 We know where he attacked ships, 8 00:00:16,683 --> 00:00:20,193 where he hung out, where he stopped for a time, 9 00:00:20,270 --> 00:00:21,810 but in none of these places 10 00:00:21,897 --> 00:00:23,977 has Blackbeard’s treasure been found. 11 00:00:24,066 --> 00:00:26,646 Now, we unearth the top theories 12 00:00:26,735 --> 00:00:28,695 around this legendary orb. 13 00:00:28,779 --> 00:00:31,529 Blackbeard goes from public enemy number one 14 00:00:31,615 --> 00:00:34,415 to best friends with the governor overnight. 15 00:00:34,493 --> 00:00:36,043 All of Blackbeard’s treasure 16 00:00:36,119 --> 00:00:38,289 now it’s somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. 17 00:00:38,413 --> 00:00:40,043 Many of Blackbeard’s former crew members 18 00:00:40,123 --> 00:00:42,753 believed that Blackbeard had made a deal with the devil. 19 00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:46,546 What really became of Blackbeard’s lost treasure, 20 00:00:46,630 --> 00:00:48,300 and where could it be? 21 00:00:48,423 --> 00:00:54,433 ♪ ♪ 22 00:01:02,813 --> 00:01:06,403 LAURENCE FISHBURNE: November 21st, 1996, 23 00:01:06,483 --> 00:01:09,243 Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina, 24 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,399 a dive team led by historian 25 00:01:11,488 --> 00:01:13,868 Phil Masters is attempting to find 26 00:01:13,949 --> 00:01:17,449 a lost, centuries old treasure. 27 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,620 MAN ON RADIO: Diver to surface. Diver to surface. 28 00:01:20,747 --> 00:01:22,247 MATT ALBERS: The dive team is looking 29 00:01:22,332 --> 00:01:23,962 for a very specific pirate ship, 30 00:01:24,084 --> 00:01:26,964 which may have been the most notorious 31 00:01:27,087 --> 00:01:28,507 pirate vessel of all time. 32 00:01:29,172 --> 00:01:33,262 LAURENCE: The ship is called the "Queen Anne’s Revenge," 33 00:01:33,343 --> 00:01:37,513 and it was helmed by the notorious pirate Blackbeard. 34 00:01:37,639 --> 00:01:39,059 DR. REBECCA SIMON: Blackbeard is probably 35 00:01:39,141 --> 00:01:40,481 the most famous pirate ever to live, 36 00:01:40,601 --> 00:01:42,141 even though his actual pirate career 37 00:01:42,227 --> 00:01:44,057 was quite short in comparison to others. 38 00:01:44,146 --> 00:01:48,106 He was most active between 1717 and 1718, 39 00:01:48,191 --> 00:01:49,941 during the golden age of piracy. 40 00:01:50,027 --> 00:01:52,817 Blackbeard is one of the best known figures 41 00:01:52,946 --> 00:01:54,356 of colonial American history. 42 00:01:54,489 --> 00:01:56,949 But today, 300 years later, 43 00:01:57,034 --> 00:01:59,544 we really don’t know much about his identity, 44 00:01:59,661 --> 00:02:03,501 origins, or even motivations for becoming a pirate. 45 00:02:04,166 --> 00:02:05,666 REBECCA: There’s a lot of questions and mysteries 46 00:02:05,792 --> 00:02:07,502 about Blackbeard’s background, 47 00:02:07,628 --> 00:02:09,588 the first of which is his own name. 48 00:02:09,671 --> 00:02:10,801 There’s a few different accounts 49 00:02:10,881 --> 00:02:12,341 that spell it differently. 50 00:02:12,424 --> 00:02:14,974 In the majority of the official records, 51 00:02:15,052 --> 00:02:18,472 his name was written as Edward Thatch, 52 00:02:18,555 --> 00:02:20,465 uh, which has since become Teach. 53 00:02:20,557 --> 00:02:22,597 Other people said he was a Captain Drummond. 54 00:02:22,684 --> 00:02:25,604 Somebody interpreted the wording in a later document 55 00:02:25,687 --> 00:02:28,517 to believe that his last name was Kentish. 56 00:02:28,649 --> 00:02:30,019 The fact is, there were many pirates 57 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:31,610 who actually went by aliases. 58 00:02:31,693 --> 00:02:34,783 So his identity and his real name 59 00:02:34,863 --> 00:02:36,783 are very much in doubt today. 60 00:02:37,491 --> 00:02:39,331 LAURENCE: Much like his name, 61 00:02:39,409 --> 00:02:41,999 Blackbeard’s early life is unknown. 62 00:02:42,079 --> 00:02:43,709 The first time we hear about Blackbeard 63 00:02:43,830 --> 00:02:46,370 is about 1716, and this is when he was 64 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:49,040 sailing under the pirate Benjamin Hornigold, 65 00:02:49,169 --> 00:02:51,589 and Blackbeard was Hornigold’s protégé 66 00:02:51,713 --> 00:02:53,843 and became Hornigold’s second in command. 67 00:02:54,591 --> 00:02:57,551 LAURENCE: Less than a year later, Hornigold promotes 68 00:02:57,636 --> 00:03:01,216 Blackbeard to captain of a small sloop in his fleet, 69 00:03:01,306 --> 00:03:03,516 with a crew of 70 men. 70 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,440 How does a man become the captain of a sloop? 71 00:03:07,562 --> 00:03:09,522 First of all, he almost certainly 72 00:03:09,606 --> 00:03:11,896 would have been better educated 73 00:03:12,025 --> 00:03:14,145 than most of the men that he was with. 74 00:03:14,236 --> 00:03:15,856 He was able to read and write. 75 00:03:15,946 --> 00:03:17,106 He was able to navigate. 76 00:03:17,739 --> 00:03:19,869 These were not characteristics that were common 77 00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:22,080 among most men at that time. 78 00:03:23,662 --> 00:03:25,332 REBECCA: Benjamin Hornigold and Blackbeard, 79 00:03:25,414 --> 00:03:27,374 the two of them as pirates, are sailing up and down 80 00:03:27,457 --> 00:03:28,997 the American Eastern seaboard. 81 00:03:29,084 --> 00:03:31,424 They were wreaking havoc against a lot of merchant ships, 82 00:03:31,545 --> 00:03:33,135 and they’re especially active 83 00:03:33,255 --> 00:03:35,095 between the Carolinas and down to Cuba, 84 00:03:35,215 --> 00:03:36,335 and that’s because there’s a lot 85 00:03:36,425 --> 00:03:38,055 of major trading routes. 86 00:03:38,135 --> 00:03:39,895 They’re looking for things they can sell, 87 00:03:39,970 --> 00:03:43,100 like textiles, spices, different types of alcohol, 88 00:03:43,223 --> 00:03:44,433 such as wine and rum, 89 00:03:44,558 --> 00:03:46,428 anything they could sell at a high price. 90 00:03:46,518 --> 00:03:47,768 And coming out of the Caribbean, 91 00:03:47,894 --> 00:03:49,524 where so much of this is being traded, 92 00:03:49,604 --> 00:03:51,194 it’s ripe for the picking. 93 00:03:51,982 --> 00:03:55,192 LAURENCE: Despite their success, Blackbeard and Hornigold 94 00:03:55,277 --> 00:03:57,197 are soon at odds with each other. 95 00:03:57,279 --> 00:03:59,449 MATT: Blackbeard and Benjamin Hornigold 96 00:03:59,573 --> 00:04:01,493 had some philosophical differences 97 00:04:01,616 --> 00:04:02,946 about how to conduct piracy 98 00:04:03,034 --> 00:04:05,504 and really what it meant to be a pirate. 99 00:04:05,620 --> 00:04:08,410 Benjamin Hornigold, specifically, 100 00:04:08,498 --> 00:04:10,538 did not want to attack British shipping. 101 00:04:10,625 --> 00:04:11,995 But, of course, that means that his men 102 00:04:12,127 --> 00:04:14,247 lost out on lots and lots of plunder. 103 00:04:14,337 --> 00:04:17,167 It upset a lot of the men in Hornigold’s crew. 104 00:04:17,299 --> 00:04:18,629 REBECCA: Blackbeard, on the other hand, 105 00:04:18,717 --> 00:04:19,877 he’s more gung-ho. 106 00:04:19,968 --> 00:04:21,388 He wants to rob any ship, 107 00:04:21,470 --> 00:04:23,810 he’s indiscriminate about who he attacks, 108 00:04:23,889 --> 00:04:25,389 and so he wants more of that freedom 109 00:04:25,474 --> 00:04:27,644 to be able to really hit other ships hard. 110 00:04:28,310 --> 00:04:32,810 LAURENCE: By 1717, Hornigold is forced to retire, 111 00:04:32,939 --> 00:04:36,439 and Blackbeard is declared head of the fleet. 112 00:04:36,526 --> 00:04:39,816 He immediately sets out to make a name for himself. 113 00:04:40,489 --> 00:04:41,989 PATRICK HINDS: Blackbeard projects 114 00:04:42,073 --> 00:04:43,623 this fearsome image, right? 115 00:04:43,700 --> 00:04:45,950 He’s this big, bold person. 116 00:04:46,036 --> 00:04:49,616 He wears dark clothes, he’s got the dark crazy hair, 117 00:04:49,706 --> 00:04:50,996 the big black beard. 118 00:04:51,124 --> 00:04:52,754 The whole point was to be terrifying. 119 00:04:53,543 --> 00:04:56,133 REBECCA: Blackbeard knew he was gaining a reputation 120 00:04:56,213 --> 00:04:57,923 very quickly because of his looks, 121 00:04:58,006 --> 00:05:00,166 and he began to capitalize on it in a way. 122 00:05:00,801 --> 00:05:02,431 If you’re a sailor or a Navy man 123 00:05:02,511 --> 00:05:05,471 and you see this crazy man coming at you, 124 00:05:05,555 --> 00:05:07,465 you are gonna give up your ship right away. 125 00:05:08,266 --> 00:05:12,146 LAURENCE: By late November, 1717, Blackbeard commands 126 00:05:12,229 --> 00:05:14,809 three ships with nearly 200 crewmen, 127 00:05:14,898 --> 00:05:17,358 including the "Queen Anne’s Revenge". 128 00:05:17,484 --> 00:05:19,494 MATT: At the height of Blackbeard’s power, 129 00:05:19,569 --> 00:05:21,859 he had more men, more guns and more ships 130 00:05:21,988 --> 00:05:24,448 than any other pirate captain sailing. 131 00:05:24,533 --> 00:05:26,373 So with this heavily armed fleet of ships 132 00:05:26,451 --> 00:05:28,041 that he has, including his flagship, 133 00:05:28,119 --> 00:05:29,499 the "Queen Anne’s Revenge," 134 00:05:29,579 --> 00:05:31,619 Blackbeard is basically unstoppable. 135 00:05:32,290 --> 00:05:34,670 LAURENCE: During this period, Blackbeard was 136 00:05:34,751 --> 00:05:37,131 an amazingly successful pirate. 137 00:05:37,212 --> 00:05:39,842 COLIN WOODARD: He’s captured, you know, dozens of vessels 138 00:05:39,923 --> 00:05:41,973 as they were approaching major east coast ports 139 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:44,680 and is raiding almost all the shipping 140 00:05:44,761 --> 00:05:47,011 trying to go in and out of the Caribbean. 141 00:05:47,097 --> 00:05:48,677 KEVIN P. DUFFUS: In late May and early June, 142 00:05:48,765 --> 00:05:50,885 Blackbeard eventually makes his way north, 143 00:05:50,976 --> 00:05:53,556 and blockades the port of Charleston. 144 00:05:54,563 --> 00:05:58,023 He besieges the harbor of Charleston for a week. 145 00:05:58,108 --> 00:06:01,028 Ships coming in and out, he would intercept them. 146 00:06:01,111 --> 00:06:03,821 He--he actually holds Charleston for--for ransom, 147 00:06:03,905 --> 00:06:05,065 and they pay it. 148 00:06:06,283 --> 00:06:10,293 LAURENCE: Blackbeard’s success doesn’t go unnoticed. 149 00:06:10,412 --> 00:06:12,212 REBECCA: Blackbeard is becoming a lot more famous, 150 00:06:12,289 --> 00:06:14,539 which means a lot more authorities are starting 151 00:06:14,624 --> 00:06:16,544 to look for him in various places. 152 00:06:16,626 --> 00:06:19,546 COLIN: At the time, the pirates were that powerful, 153 00:06:19,629 --> 00:06:22,049 that numerous and that dangerous. 154 00:06:22,132 --> 00:06:24,682 So the king had decided the only way 155 00:06:24,759 --> 00:06:28,179 to defeat the pirates was to divide and conquer them. 156 00:06:28,638 --> 00:06:30,678 LAURENCE: Or, in the case of Blackbeard, 157 00:06:30,765 --> 00:06:34,435 to send a privateer named Woodes Rogers to capture him. 158 00:06:35,228 --> 00:06:36,768 KEVIN: When Blackbeard was blockading 159 00:06:36,897 --> 00:06:39,017 the port of Charleston, one of the residents 160 00:06:39,107 --> 00:06:41,567 informed him that Woods Rogers had departed England 161 00:06:41,651 --> 00:06:43,321 and was on his way to the Bahamas 162 00:06:43,445 --> 00:06:46,575 to become the governor to break up this pirate republic 163 00:06:46,656 --> 00:06:48,446 that had been established. 164 00:06:48,533 --> 00:06:50,913 DR. CHARLES EWEN: I think Blackbeard knew 165 00:06:50,994 --> 00:06:53,204 Woods Rogers was after him, 166 00:06:53,288 --> 00:06:56,618 and so he goes up at Topsail Inlet, 167 00:06:56,708 --> 00:06:58,288 which is today Beaufort Inlet, 168 00:06:58,376 --> 00:07:00,916 presumably to fight a well-armed enemy, 169 00:07:01,004 --> 00:07:03,634 and he hits a shoal and runs aground. 170 00:07:04,299 --> 00:07:06,429 LAURENCE: Another of Blackbeard’s ships, 171 00:07:06,509 --> 00:07:09,139 the "Adventure", comes to his aid, 172 00:07:09,220 --> 00:07:10,810 but it’s too late. 173 00:07:10,889 --> 00:07:12,469 CHARLES: This is pretty bad for Blackbeard. 174 00:07:12,557 --> 00:07:14,977 It is more than likely most of the loot, 175 00:07:15,101 --> 00:07:16,691 most of the real valuable goods, 176 00:07:16,811 --> 00:07:19,061 especially if it’s Blackbeard’s flagship, 177 00:07:19,147 --> 00:07:21,107 were stored on the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 178 00:07:22,609 --> 00:07:24,149 PATRICK: At this point, Blackbeard’s treasure 179 00:07:24,277 --> 00:07:26,737 is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars. 180 00:07:26,821 --> 00:07:29,451 His own ledger reads about twelve and a half, 181 00:07:29,532 --> 00:07:31,782 but it’s incomplete, suggesting that there’s 182 00:07:31,868 --> 00:07:33,788 possibly more where that came from. 183 00:07:33,870 --> 00:07:35,080 REBECCA: So this leads to the question... 184 00:07:35,163 --> 00:07:36,793 What happened to the treasure? 185 00:07:36,873 --> 00:07:39,043 The most logical place to look would be 186 00:07:39,167 --> 00:07:41,997 at its last known location, on his ship, 187 00:07:42,128 --> 00:07:44,168 the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 188 00:07:45,298 --> 00:07:47,048 LAURENCE: Despite knowing the general location 189 00:07:47,175 --> 00:07:49,465 of the wreck, no one is able to find 190 00:07:49,552 --> 00:07:51,142 the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 191 00:07:51,221 --> 00:07:52,761 Once the ship is abandoned, 192 00:07:52,847 --> 00:07:54,637 it probably wouldn’t take long 193 00:07:54,724 --> 00:07:56,184 for it to start falling apart. 194 00:07:56,267 --> 00:07:58,687 It was already in pretty bad shape, 195 00:07:58,770 --> 00:08:00,480 and it’s relatively warm water, 196 00:08:00,563 --> 00:08:02,733 so any wood that’s exposed 197 00:08:02,857 --> 00:08:05,487 is going to be eaten by the teredo shipworms. 198 00:08:05,568 --> 00:08:08,698 And I would say within a year you might not see 199 00:08:08,780 --> 00:08:09,820 much of it above water, 200 00:08:09,906 --> 00:08:13,196 and, within ten years, 201 00:08:13,284 --> 00:08:14,624 you wouldn’t even know it was there. 202 00:08:15,161 --> 00:08:17,501 LAURENCE: Then, in 1987, 203 00:08:17,580 --> 00:08:20,000 obsessed treasure hunter Phil Masters 204 00:08:20,083 --> 00:08:23,173 starts a new mission to find Blackbeard’s flagship. 205 00:08:23,253 --> 00:08:25,383 PATRICK: Phil Masters has had success in this inlet before, 206 00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:27,165 finding other treasure wrecks. 207 00:08:27,257 --> 00:08:29,177 And since we know that Blackbeard’s ship 208 00:08:29,259 --> 00:08:30,929 went down in around the same spot, 209 00:08:31,052 --> 00:08:33,302 Masters assumes this is a good place to look for it. 210 00:08:34,305 --> 00:08:39,095 LAURENCE: Finally, on November 21st, 1996, 211 00:08:39,227 --> 00:08:41,347 he located it. 212 00:08:42,063 --> 00:08:44,323 This discovery is a huge deal. 213 00:08:44,399 --> 00:08:46,189 It makes international news. 214 00:08:46,276 --> 00:08:49,396 It’s been 278 years that people have been looking for this ship, 215 00:08:49,487 --> 00:08:51,487 so discovering it means we might actually 216 00:08:51,573 --> 00:08:53,453 have some insight into the treasure 217 00:08:53,575 --> 00:08:55,375 that Blackbeard actually had. 218 00:08:55,452 --> 00:08:59,832 LAURENCE: The excavation efforts start in 1997. 219 00:08:59,914 --> 00:09:02,084 CHARLES: Once the--the wreck was found, 220 00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:03,918 then it was up to the archaeologist 221 00:09:04,044 --> 00:09:07,174 to come in, grid off the whole area, 222 00:09:07,255 --> 00:09:11,545 and to tediously go through each square that had 223 00:09:11,634 --> 00:09:14,054 been marked off, dredging the sand up 224 00:09:14,137 --> 00:09:16,507 and running it through screen after screen. 225 00:09:17,432 --> 00:09:21,852 LAURENCE: Soon, they begin bringing up incredible objects. 226 00:09:21,936 --> 00:09:23,556 MAN OVER RADIO: This is amazing. 227 00:09:23,646 --> 00:09:25,726 There’s just stuff everywhere. 228 00:09:25,815 --> 00:09:28,355 CHARLES: We’re finding all kinds of weaponry. 229 00:09:28,443 --> 00:09:31,453 At least 40 cannons, uh, 20 have been pulled up. 230 00:09:32,030 --> 00:09:35,830 We found grenades, medical instruments, 231 00:09:35,950 --> 00:09:37,870 side plates for guns, 232 00:09:37,952 --> 00:09:39,542 the plates that they ate off. 233 00:09:39,621 --> 00:09:42,211 It’s a treasure trove of that time period. 234 00:09:42,916 --> 00:09:45,626 LAURENCE: What they don’t find is Blackbeard’s treasure. 235 00:09:45,752 --> 00:09:48,632 So even though there’s no gold doubloons 236 00:09:48,713 --> 00:09:52,093 or jeweled cups or anything like that, 237 00:09:52,175 --> 00:09:55,645 it is a treasure of historical artifacts. 238 00:09:57,514 --> 00:09:59,064 LAURENCE: Still, the team believes 239 00:09:59,140 --> 00:10:00,890 they’re on the right track. 240 00:10:00,975 --> 00:10:02,635 KEVIN: There has been a small amount 241 00:10:02,727 --> 00:10:05,517 of gold dust or small nuggets 242 00:10:05,647 --> 00:10:07,147 of gold that have 243 00:10:07,273 --> 00:10:09,363 been recovered archaeologically 244 00:10:09,484 --> 00:10:13,114 from the wreck of the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 245 00:10:13,196 --> 00:10:15,276 And there may still yet be 246 00:10:15,365 --> 00:10:18,665 a chest of gold or silver or jewels. 247 00:10:18,743 --> 00:10:20,623 CHARLES: The archeology on the "Queen Anne’s Revenge" 248 00:10:20,703 --> 00:10:23,463 has recovered roughly half 249 00:10:23,540 --> 00:10:26,830 of what we--we think is down there, 250 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,920 but it’s going to take a while to get it done. 251 00:10:30,547 --> 00:10:33,627 If Blackbeard had the large amount of valuables 252 00:10:33,716 --> 00:10:35,966 and loot and plunder, doesn’t appear to have 253 00:10:36,052 --> 00:10:38,142 been left on the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 254 00:10:38,221 --> 00:10:39,681 But would Blackbeard take off 255 00:10:39,806 --> 00:10:41,346 and leave the treasure behind? 256 00:10:41,474 --> 00:10:48,364 I don’t think that makes sense. 257 00:10:48,481 --> 00:10:51,821 LAURENCE: When notorious pirate Blackbeard crashes off 258 00:10:51,901 --> 00:10:53,861 the coast of modern-day North Carolina 259 00:10:53,945 --> 00:10:58,075 in June 1718, a mystery begins. 260 00:10:58,199 --> 00:11:00,159 REBECCA: So what happens to all of Blackbeard’s treasure? 261 00:11:00,243 --> 00:11:01,873 This is one of the really big mysteries 262 00:11:01,953 --> 00:11:03,703 about him, because we really have no idea. 263 00:11:03,788 --> 00:11:06,208 The most logical place for Blackbeard’s treasure 264 00:11:06,291 --> 00:11:08,171 would be its last known place, 265 00:11:08,251 --> 00:11:09,711 which, of course, was on his ship, 266 00:11:09,794 --> 00:11:10,884 the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 267 00:11:11,212 --> 00:11:12,712 CHARLES: When the announcement came 268 00:11:12,797 --> 00:11:14,217 that the "Queen Anne’s Revenge" 269 00:11:14,299 --> 00:11:15,929 had been located, it was huge. 270 00:11:16,050 --> 00:11:19,390 Everybody’s interested in Blackbeard’s Flagship. 271 00:11:19,470 --> 00:11:22,640 LAURENCE: Unfortunately, no hoard is found 272 00:11:22,724 --> 00:11:25,434 amid the wreckage of the "Queen Anne’s Revenge." 273 00:11:26,144 --> 00:11:28,774 But evidence suggests Blackbeard’s vessel 274 00:11:28,897 --> 00:11:31,727 didn’t sink immediately after running aground. 275 00:11:31,816 --> 00:11:34,066 That gave Blackbeard about a week to ten days 276 00:11:34,194 --> 00:11:36,654 to get everybody off the "Queen Anne’s Revenge," 277 00:11:36,738 --> 00:11:38,858 and then he could put a salvage crew aboard 278 00:11:38,948 --> 00:11:42,118 so that they could recover anything of value 279 00:11:42,243 --> 00:11:44,913 that they wanted to retain. 280 00:11:44,996 --> 00:11:47,956 KEVIN: Could Blackbeard have moved his loot? 281 00:11:48,082 --> 00:11:50,382 Of course, in 1718 there were no banks. 282 00:11:50,460 --> 00:11:53,090 There were no place to--to put your money, 283 00:11:53,213 --> 00:11:55,673 uh, or your gold if you had accumulated it. 284 00:11:55,757 --> 00:11:58,627 And it absolutely makes sense 285 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:00,760 that it might have been hidden somewhere, 286 00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:03,055 hoping that they would be able to go back and retrieve it. 287 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:05,350 LAURENCE: Shortly after wrecking his ship, 288 00:12:05,433 --> 00:12:06,893 Blackbeard surrenders, 289 00:12:06,976 --> 00:12:09,726 taking advantage of a new legal policy. 290 00:12:09,812 --> 00:12:11,862 COLIN: The pirates were that dangerous. 291 00:12:11,940 --> 00:12:14,440 There were so many of them that the King 292 00:12:14,525 --> 00:12:16,065 was willing to issue a pardon 293 00:12:16,152 --> 00:12:18,112 that would absolve any pirate who took it 294 00:12:18,238 --> 00:12:20,948 from all of their crimes, and they would be able 295 00:12:21,032 --> 00:12:22,072 to keep their treasure 296 00:12:22,158 --> 00:12:24,618 and go peacefully into retirement. 297 00:12:24,702 --> 00:12:29,752 LAURENCE: On September 5th, 1717, England’s King George I 298 00:12:29,832 --> 00:12:31,462 makes a royal decree. 299 00:12:31,542 --> 00:12:33,212 The terms are, "If you stop plundering 300 00:12:33,294 --> 00:12:35,424 and turn yourself in, we’ll stop hunting you." 301 00:12:35,505 --> 00:12:38,055 And many pirates take him up on the deal. 302 00:12:38,132 --> 00:12:39,842 Generally, if a pirate is going 303 00:12:39,968 --> 00:12:42,178 to get captured, they will be put on trial 304 00:12:42,303 --> 00:12:43,433 and they will hang. 305 00:12:43,513 --> 00:12:45,263 That is almost guaranteed. 306 00:12:45,348 --> 00:12:47,138 So a pardon will allow a pirate 307 00:12:47,267 --> 00:12:48,977 to survive and also keep their goods. 308 00:12:50,061 --> 00:12:52,151 PATRICK: It takes Blackbeard a while to come around, 309 00:12:52,230 --> 00:12:53,810 but once he wrecks his flagship, 310 00:12:53,940 --> 00:12:55,820 the "Queen Anne’s Revenge," he decides the pardon 311 00:12:55,900 --> 00:12:57,030 is the best option. 312 00:12:58,069 --> 00:13:00,069 LAURENCE: Once he officially retires, 313 00:13:00,154 --> 00:13:03,124 Blackbeard moves to Bath, North Carolina. 314 00:13:03,992 --> 00:13:07,292 While the "Queen Anne’s Revenge" is unsalvageable, 315 00:13:07,370 --> 00:13:09,660 he’s allowed to keep his smaller ship, 316 00:13:09,747 --> 00:13:13,127 The "Adventure," for his own personal use. 317 00:13:13,209 --> 00:13:16,669 KEVIN: Blackbeard arrived in Bath in July of 1718 318 00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:19,126 and bought a fine house 319 00:13:19,215 --> 00:13:22,005 where he would host these grand parties 320 00:13:22,093 --> 00:13:24,303 and invite his neighbors and the plantation owners. 321 00:13:25,013 --> 00:13:27,013 REBECCA: He lives at a place called Plum Point, 322 00:13:27,098 --> 00:13:30,348 oddly enough, right next door to the Governor, Charles Eden. 323 00:13:30,893 --> 00:13:32,853 LAURENCE: The house hasn’t survived, 324 00:13:32,979 --> 00:13:36,229 but the site makes headlines in 1928. 325 00:13:36,357 --> 00:13:39,357 It was around Christmas time of 1928, 326 00:13:39,485 --> 00:13:40,855 and all of a sudden, 327 00:13:40,945 --> 00:13:42,525 newspapers all across the country 328 00:13:42,613 --> 00:13:44,703 were reporting that Blackbeard’s famous pirate treasure 329 00:13:44,782 --> 00:13:45,832 had been found. 330 00:13:45,908 --> 00:13:49,448 ♪ ♪ 331 00:13:49,537 --> 00:13:51,247 ♪ ♪ 332 00:13:51,372 --> 00:13:55,212 The story is originally attributed to two fur trappers. 333 00:13:55,335 --> 00:13:57,045 North Carolina at that time was 334 00:13:57,128 --> 00:13:58,878 very overgrown, a real wilderness. 335 00:13:58,963 --> 00:14:00,763 It would have been perfect for fur trapping. 336 00:14:01,591 --> 00:14:03,221 REBECCA: The fur trappers came upon a hole 337 00:14:03,301 --> 00:14:04,761 that was about eight feet deep, 338 00:14:04,886 --> 00:14:07,386 covered with lots of trees and branches and leaves, 339 00:14:07,513 --> 00:14:08,563 that sort of thing. 340 00:14:08,639 --> 00:14:10,179 They go down to investigate, 341 00:14:10,266 --> 00:14:12,226 and they discover down at the very bottom 342 00:14:12,352 --> 00:14:14,732 there’s this brick vault sitting there. 343 00:14:15,313 --> 00:14:16,943 At first, the fur trappers think 344 00:14:17,065 --> 00:14:18,575 this might have been part of a foundation, 345 00:14:18,691 --> 00:14:20,281 but then, upon closer inspection, 346 00:14:20,401 --> 00:14:22,441 they saw that the bricks were a lot of different 347 00:14:22,570 --> 00:14:24,740 shapes and sizes, suggesting that they were hand-made. 348 00:14:25,740 --> 00:14:28,080 MATT: And they’d been stuck together with a lot of mortar, 349 00:14:28,201 --> 00:14:29,911 more than would be used for a house. 350 00:14:29,994 --> 00:14:32,914 And in that mortar, there was an indentation, 351 00:14:32,997 --> 00:14:34,827 the remnants of what very much looked 352 00:14:34,916 --> 00:14:37,076 like an old sea chest. 353 00:14:37,668 --> 00:14:40,248 The trappers thought about, "Who would need 354 00:14:40,338 --> 00:14:42,838 to bury a chest here in such a great hurry?" 355 00:14:42,924 --> 00:14:45,094 I mean, Blackbeard is really the only choice. 356 00:14:45,593 --> 00:14:48,433 LAURENCE: But the sea chest is gone. 357 00:14:48,513 --> 00:14:50,103 The trappers estimate the chest 358 00:14:50,181 --> 00:14:52,311 would have been about 40 inches wide 359 00:14:52,433 --> 00:14:54,313 and 30 inches deep. 360 00:14:54,435 --> 00:14:56,435 The trunk itself would have been a large wooden object. 361 00:14:56,521 --> 00:14:57,941 It would have had a heavy lid on it, 362 00:14:58,064 --> 00:14:59,524 and it probably would have belonged 363 00:14:59,607 --> 00:15:01,817 to Blackbeard or maybe one of the other sailors 364 00:15:01,943 --> 00:15:03,903 on his ships, because every sailor, 365 00:15:03,986 --> 00:15:06,446 including a pirate, had their own personalized trunk 366 00:15:06,531 --> 00:15:09,121 where they could keep their own special goods and treasure. 367 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:13,580 LAURENCE: Searching nearby, the trappers find more clues. 368 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,460 MATT: Right next to the hole, these two fur trappers 369 00:15:16,541 --> 00:15:20,211 found a tripod and a pulley, but they also found 370 00:15:20,294 --> 00:15:23,134 an indentation in the sand that appeared 371 00:15:23,256 --> 00:15:25,466 to run right down to the beach. 372 00:15:25,591 --> 00:15:27,641 And, in fact, the fur trappers did describe 373 00:15:27,718 --> 00:15:29,178 that they had seen footprints, 374 00:15:29,303 --> 00:15:30,853 and they had seen some disturbed earth 375 00:15:30,972 --> 00:15:32,392 and disturbed foliage. 376 00:15:32,473 --> 00:15:33,933 It could have been that the fur trappers 377 00:15:34,016 --> 00:15:35,676 may have just missed the people 378 00:15:35,810 --> 00:15:37,390 who had taken the trunk away. 379 00:15:38,020 --> 00:15:40,310 LAURENCE: Unfortunately, the trail of evidence 380 00:15:40,398 --> 00:15:42,228 stops at the water. 381 00:15:42,316 --> 00:15:44,026 This raises so many questions. 382 00:15:44,152 --> 00:15:46,202 Was this Blackbeard’s long lost treasure? 383 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,660 Who dug the hole? What did they find? 384 00:15:48,739 --> 00:15:50,319 Where did they take what they found? 385 00:15:50,950 --> 00:15:52,620 But, to me, the biggest question of all is, 386 00:15:52,702 --> 00:15:54,792 how did these people know where to dig? 387 00:15:54,871 --> 00:15:56,501 By 1928, people had been digging 388 00:15:56,581 --> 00:15:58,671 all over this property for hundreds of years, 389 00:15:58,749 --> 00:16:00,379 and this didn’t seem like a lucky find. 390 00:16:01,002 --> 00:16:03,382 They dug one hole, and they seemed to have 391 00:16:03,504 --> 00:16:04,844 brought the exact right tools they would 392 00:16:04,922 --> 00:16:06,512 have needed to dig this hole. 393 00:16:06,591 --> 00:16:08,131 MATT: People in this region passed down 394 00:16:08,217 --> 00:16:10,007 all sorts of stories about Blackbeard. 395 00:16:10,136 --> 00:16:11,676 Maybe someone actually had some information 396 00:16:11,804 --> 00:16:14,014 about where he had hidden his treasure. 397 00:16:14,140 --> 00:16:16,890 And then, on the other hand, maybe Blackbeard decided 398 00:16:17,018 --> 00:16:18,518 to leave a treasure map behind. 399 00:16:18,644 --> 00:16:20,314 Maybe, in this case, 400 00:16:20,396 --> 00:16:22,016 X actually did mark the spot. 401 00:16:22,690 --> 00:16:24,190 PATRICK: The trappers were unnamed. 402 00:16:24,275 --> 00:16:25,865 Obviously, the thieves are unnamed. 403 00:16:25,985 --> 00:16:27,315 We don’t have any more information about this hole 404 00:16:27,403 --> 00:16:29,533 other than from this one newspaper article. 405 00:16:29,614 --> 00:16:30,994 REBECCA: And it’s led some people to wonder 406 00:16:31,073 --> 00:16:33,203 if these fur trappers were even real, 407 00:16:33,284 --> 00:16:34,914 or was it something that the newspaper decided 408 00:16:35,036 --> 00:16:36,996 to print for fun in order to get sales, 409 00:16:37,079 --> 00:16:39,329 maybe capitalize on a local legend. 410 00:16:39,415 --> 00:16:42,205 So this also creates an even larger mystery 411 00:16:42,335 --> 00:16:44,805 behind what was going on in 1928 412 00:16:44,879 --> 00:16:46,379 around Blackbeard’s former home. 413 00:16:47,048 --> 00:16:49,628 LAURENCE: If the story is fiction, 414 00:16:49,717 --> 00:16:52,757 it may have a well-known inspiration. 415 00:16:52,887 --> 00:16:54,557 KEVIN: Well, certainly, Robert Lewis Stevenson 416 00:16:54,639 --> 00:16:58,019 had a great impact on the public’s perception 417 00:16:58,100 --> 00:17:00,480 and interest in pirate treasure 418 00:17:00,561 --> 00:17:03,021 with the publication of--of "Treasure Island." 419 00:17:03,731 --> 00:17:05,441 We all think that all pirates bury their treasure, 420 00:17:05,566 --> 00:17:08,736 but actually, there is almost no record 421 00:17:08,861 --> 00:17:11,241 of any pirate burying treasures. 422 00:17:11,739 --> 00:17:14,409 But no matter how much I have learned 423 00:17:14,492 --> 00:17:16,742 about piracy, when I think pirates, 424 00:17:16,827 --> 00:17:18,117 I think of buried treasure, 425 00:17:18,246 --> 00:17:20,616 I think of peg legs, I think of hooks. 426 00:17:20,748 --> 00:17:23,288 LAURENCE: Other theorists believe the trapper’s tale 427 00:17:23,417 --> 00:17:25,207 is partially true. 428 00:17:25,294 --> 00:17:27,674 It’s certainly possible that Blackbeard buried some treasure. 429 00:17:27,755 --> 00:17:29,335 What’s unlikely is that he buried 430 00:17:29,423 --> 00:17:31,223 all of his treasure in one spot. 431 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:32,760 It’s more likely that he would have 432 00:17:32,885 --> 00:17:34,885 spread it out over multiple locations. 433 00:17:35,513 --> 00:17:37,263 Blackbeard would do this to reduce risk 434 00:17:37,348 --> 00:17:39,138 or just because it’s more practical to have 435 00:17:39,267 --> 00:17:40,977 a little bit in a lot of different places. 436 00:17:41,644 --> 00:17:44,194 MATT: A single chest, 30X40 inches, 437 00:17:44,272 --> 00:17:46,272 can hold a lot of loot, right? 438 00:17:46,399 --> 00:17:47,779 You know, you’ve got silver and gold, 439 00:17:47,858 --> 00:17:49,278 but it’s not nearly enough 440 00:17:49,402 --> 00:17:51,112 to hold everything the Blackbeard had. 441 00:17:51,237 --> 00:17:53,447 PATRICK: There’s definitely more treasure out there. 442 00:17:53,531 --> 00:17:54,951 And it seems like if somebody was able 443 00:17:55,032 --> 00:17:56,492 to find this treasure, other people might be 444 00:17:56,617 --> 00:18:01,367 able to find the rest. 445 00:18:01,455 --> 00:18:03,995 LAURENCE: During his two year reign of terror 446 00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:07,045 along the Atlantic coast, virtually no port is 447 00:18:07,128 --> 00:18:09,798 safe from Blackbeard and his pirate crew. 448 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:12,630 Blackbeard’s most famous territory was the Bahamas, 449 00:18:12,717 --> 00:18:14,467 the Virgin Islands, and the Carolinas. 450 00:18:14,552 --> 00:18:15,972 But there’s evidence to suggest 451 00:18:16,053 --> 00:18:17,973 he went as far south as South America 452 00:18:18,055 --> 00:18:20,015 and as far north as New Hampshire. 453 00:18:20,141 --> 00:18:21,851 If we’re trying to think of different places 454 00:18:21,976 --> 00:18:23,556 that Blackbeard may have buried his treasure, 455 00:18:23,644 --> 00:18:25,314 there are loads of different possibilities. 456 00:18:25,938 --> 00:18:27,558 PATRICK: People think that Blackbeard traveled 457 00:18:27,648 --> 00:18:28,728 around with all of his treasures, and I think 458 00:18:28,816 --> 00:18:30,396 we get this idea from movies 459 00:18:30,484 --> 00:18:31,864 like "The Goonies" and "Treasure Island," 460 00:18:31,986 --> 00:18:34,816 where there’s just piles of gold and jewels, 461 00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:37,027 but if you think about it, that’s not practical. 462 00:18:37,158 --> 00:18:39,078 KEVIN: Part of the problem with this is 463 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,040 gold is very, very heavy. 464 00:18:41,162 --> 00:18:45,672 A box that’s 2X2X2 would be eight cubic feet of gold, 465 00:18:45,791 --> 00:18:49,091 would actually weigh about 9,500 pounds. 466 00:18:49,170 --> 00:18:50,750 PATRICK: He needed his ships to be light 467 00:18:50,838 --> 00:18:52,298 so he could attack other ships 468 00:18:52,381 --> 00:18:54,511 and avoid being attacked himself. 469 00:18:54,634 --> 00:18:56,224 He needed to make room for his men 470 00:18:56,344 --> 00:18:58,224 and for supplies and for weaponry. 471 00:18:58,346 --> 00:18:59,926 And we know even that when he would 472 00:19:00,014 --> 00:19:01,894 attack other ships, he wouldn’t take everything. 473 00:19:02,016 --> 00:19:03,676 He would pick and choose what he wanted 474 00:19:03,768 --> 00:19:05,098 and leave the rest. 475 00:19:05,186 --> 00:19:07,016 If Blackbeard is really successful 476 00:19:07,146 --> 00:19:09,856 in several of his captures and had a huge haul of loot, 477 00:19:09,982 --> 00:19:12,822 odds are he’s going somewhere safe to offload it. 478 00:19:12,902 --> 00:19:16,112 LAURENCE: According to historian Robert Cahill, it could 479 00:19:16,197 --> 00:19:18,657 be a place no one would ever think to look. 480 00:19:18,741 --> 00:19:21,661 MATT: In 1980, Robert Cahill published 481 00:19:21,744 --> 00:19:24,124 a book called "Pirates and Lost Treasures." 482 00:19:24,205 --> 00:19:26,045 In that book, he suggests that while 483 00:19:26,123 --> 00:19:28,383 most people were looking for Blackbeard’s treasure 484 00:19:28,459 --> 00:19:30,289 in the Caribbean or along the coast of Carolina, 485 00:19:30,378 --> 00:19:32,378 he thinks that Blackbeard may have hidden 486 00:19:32,505 --> 00:19:35,475 some of his treasure about 600 miles further to the north, 487 00:19:35,549 --> 00:19:38,009 as far north as the coasts of Maine 488 00:19:38,094 --> 00:19:40,224 and New Hampshire, where we find a series 489 00:19:40,304 --> 00:19:42,854 of islands called the Isles of Shoals. 490 00:19:45,226 --> 00:19:47,476 CHARLES: The Isles of Shoals are what they sound like. 491 00:19:47,561 --> 00:19:50,151 They’re rocky shoals jutting out of the water 492 00:19:50,231 --> 00:19:51,731 between New Hampshire and Maine. 493 00:19:51,857 --> 00:19:54,477 It was mainly used with the cod fisheries, 494 00:19:54,568 --> 00:19:56,488 but there were folks that also 495 00:19:56,570 --> 00:19:58,320 dabbled in piracy as well. 496 00:19:58,406 --> 00:20:01,066 So you had a lot of illicit behavior going on. 497 00:20:02,284 --> 00:20:04,664 PATRICK: Cahill focuses on the Isle of Shoals because, 498 00:20:04,745 --> 00:20:06,325 as a local historian, 499 00:20:06,414 --> 00:20:08,254 he’s found accounts of Blackbeard and his crew 500 00:20:08,332 --> 00:20:10,672 frequenting a tavern on the islands. 501 00:20:10,751 --> 00:20:13,921 It’s amazing how many places have been suggested 502 00:20:14,046 --> 00:20:15,456 for Blackbeard’s treasure, 503 00:20:15,589 --> 00:20:17,719 but the Isle of Shoals makes more sense 504 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,720 than some of the others because it’s one 505 00:20:19,802 --> 00:20:21,352 of those places that matches 506 00:20:21,429 --> 00:20:23,719 sort of what the pirates were looking for 507 00:20:23,806 --> 00:20:25,766 in a lair or a hideout. 508 00:20:25,891 --> 00:20:27,061 The kind of place where you might lay low. 509 00:20:27,143 --> 00:20:28,693 Maybe nobody will notice you. 510 00:20:28,769 --> 00:20:30,649 Maybe you can offload treasures. 511 00:20:30,771 --> 00:20:32,561 REBECCA: The Isle of Shoals are made up of three islands, 512 00:20:32,648 --> 00:20:35,528 and in the middle is this dumbbell-shaped Lunging Island. 513 00:20:35,609 --> 00:20:37,949 And this is referred to as the Pirate Bank. 514 00:20:38,028 --> 00:20:40,528 And the reason for this is because its location 515 00:20:40,614 --> 00:20:44,084 is really safe, sandwiched in between these other islands. 516 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:45,790 It’s got very rocky coastlines, 517 00:20:45,911 --> 00:20:48,121 and it’s the perfect place to go if you need to hide 518 00:20:48,205 --> 00:20:50,665 yourself, your ship, or offload goods, 519 00:20:50,791 --> 00:20:52,631 because it’s unlikely people will be able 520 00:20:52,710 --> 00:20:55,550 to either find it or sail in there safely. 521 00:20:56,130 --> 00:20:57,760 LAURENCE: Over the years, several teams 522 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,840 of scientists and treasure hunters 523 00:20:59,967 --> 00:21:02,137 search Lunging Island. 524 00:21:02,219 --> 00:21:03,969 It’s rumored that in Blackbeard’s time, 525 00:21:04,054 --> 00:21:05,394 there was a cave on the eastern end 526 00:21:05,473 --> 00:21:07,143 of this island, and if that’s true, 527 00:21:07,224 --> 00:21:09,144 it would have been a perfect place for Blackbeard 528 00:21:09,226 --> 00:21:10,556 to hide his treasure. 529 00:21:10,644 --> 00:21:12,064 But, today, that cave is not there. 530 00:21:12,730 --> 00:21:14,230 MATT: According to Prudy Randall, 531 00:21:14,315 --> 00:21:15,945 who owns the only house on the island, 532 00:21:16,025 --> 00:21:18,825 she believes that the cave may have been hidden away 533 00:21:18,944 --> 00:21:22,614 after centuries of shifting sands and tides. 534 00:21:22,698 --> 00:21:27,038 Randall says that shortly after World War II, 535 00:21:27,161 --> 00:21:29,251 a plane from the American government flew overhead 536 00:21:29,330 --> 00:21:31,920 and spotted the cave using sonar. 537 00:21:31,999 --> 00:21:34,459 A few years later, a man from a quarrying company 538 00:21:34,543 --> 00:21:37,053 came out and did some tests, indicating that a cave 539 00:21:37,171 --> 00:21:38,761 may exist under the rock. 540 00:21:38,839 --> 00:21:41,299 But it appears there was no further follow up 541 00:21:41,383 --> 00:21:43,473 to either of these two investigations. 542 00:21:44,178 --> 00:21:48,518 LAURENCE: In 2001, a team from Hager-richter Geoscience 543 00:21:48,599 --> 00:21:50,179 picks up the search. 544 00:21:50,309 --> 00:21:51,979 Their first order of business is to use 545 00:21:52,061 --> 00:21:54,651 a ground-penetrating radar to look for evidence 546 00:21:54,730 --> 00:21:58,110 of a cave or really anything buried underneath the ground. 547 00:21:58,192 --> 00:21:59,822 Ground penetrating radar doesn’t take 548 00:21:59,902 --> 00:22:01,452 the place of digging, but it does make 549 00:22:01,529 --> 00:22:03,819 your digging a lot more efficient. 550 00:22:03,906 --> 00:22:06,276 LAURENCE: Unfortunately, their initial findings 551 00:22:06,367 --> 00:22:07,777 are inconclusive. 552 00:22:07,868 --> 00:22:09,538 But that doesn’t stop them. 553 00:22:10,329 --> 00:22:12,869 They hire a big barge-mounted drill 554 00:22:12,998 --> 00:22:14,878 from Rockland, Maine, and they dig 555 00:22:14,959 --> 00:22:17,129 a bunch of test holes into the rock. 556 00:22:17,211 --> 00:22:19,551 But they only find more rock. 557 00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:22,130 The chance of finding a single collapsed cave 558 00:22:22,216 --> 00:22:23,796 is really one in a million. 559 00:22:23,884 --> 00:22:25,974 It’s a needle in a haystack situation. 560 00:22:26,053 --> 00:22:27,893 Like many treasure hunters, 561 00:22:28,013 --> 00:22:30,723 eventually you run out of time and money, 562 00:22:30,850 --> 00:22:33,100 and then if you’re not getting any return, 563 00:22:33,227 --> 00:22:34,347 you have to pull the plug. 564 00:22:35,229 --> 00:22:37,689 LAURENCE: Some suggest the Geoscience team 565 00:22:37,773 --> 00:22:40,073 is looking on the wrong island. 566 00:22:40,192 --> 00:22:42,152 Just because Blackbeard drank on Lunging Island 567 00:22:42,236 --> 00:22:44,196 doesn’t mean he buried his treasure there. 568 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:45,530 I mean, wouldn’t it make more sense for him 569 00:22:45,614 --> 00:22:47,914 to pick one of the other Isles of Shoals, 570 00:22:48,033 --> 00:22:49,703 where there would be more secrecy? 571 00:22:49,785 --> 00:22:52,245 MATT: Cahill believes that Blackbeard may have 572 00:22:52,329 --> 00:22:55,169 a connection to other islands in the chain. 573 00:22:55,249 --> 00:22:58,539 According to legend, after he retired in 1718, 574 00:22:58,627 --> 00:23:00,997 Blackbeard married a woman in North Carolina. 575 00:23:01,088 --> 00:23:02,508 It was the governor, Eden, 576 00:23:02,590 --> 00:23:04,340 that oversaw the ceremony. 577 00:23:04,425 --> 00:23:06,225 Then he spent his honeymoon on an island 578 00:23:06,302 --> 00:23:07,642 called Smuttynose. 579 00:23:07,761 --> 00:23:09,851 Maybe the trip up north for the honeymoon 580 00:23:09,930 --> 00:23:11,680 was also a chance to get some stash, 581 00:23:11,765 --> 00:23:13,175 spending money for the new couple. 582 00:23:13,976 --> 00:23:15,806 There’s one other island in the Isle of Shoals 583 00:23:15,936 --> 00:23:17,596 that makes an interesting contender. 584 00:23:17,688 --> 00:23:19,518 Though there’s no evidence of buried treasure 585 00:23:19,607 --> 00:23:21,977 on Smuttynose or Lunging Islands, 586 00:23:22,109 --> 00:23:25,399 Star Island does have a history of pirate plunder. 587 00:23:26,155 --> 00:23:28,325 MATT: John Quelch was a pirate about ten years 588 00:23:28,449 --> 00:23:30,449 before Blackbeard was really active. 589 00:23:30,534 --> 00:23:33,414 He oversaw a mutiny on board his merchant ship, 590 00:23:33,495 --> 00:23:36,285 and then the crew elected him to be their captain. 591 00:23:36,373 --> 00:23:37,923 They sailed down to the coast of Brazil, 592 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,840 where he captured nine or ten pirate ships, 593 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:41,380 and made a good amount of money. 594 00:23:41,462 --> 00:23:43,002 At that point, they sailed north 595 00:23:43,130 --> 00:23:45,550 up to Star Island, where, reportedly, 596 00:23:45,633 --> 00:23:47,093 he buried some of his treasure. 597 00:23:47,176 --> 00:23:48,886 Now, this was just a myth, a story. 598 00:23:48,969 --> 00:23:50,349 Nobody really knew about this 599 00:23:50,471 --> 00:23:52,311 until the 1800s. 600 00:23:52,389 --> 00:23:54,979 Then some people found gold inside a wall, 601 00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:56,890 and thanks to the dates on those coins, 602 00:23:56,977 --> 00:23:59,687 they believe that it may have been Quelch’s gold. 603 00:23:59,813 --> 00:24:03,653 LAURENCE: Could Blackbeard’s treasure also be hidden here? 604 00:24:03,734 --> 00:24:06,954 There’s so many legends and possible locations, 605 00:24:07,029 --> 00:24:08,279 but the Isles of Shoals 606 00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:10,284 has been one of the most persistent ones. 607 00:24:10,908 --> 00:24:12,328 The problem is that the Isle of Shoals 608 00:24:12,409 --> 00:24:14,079 are solid granite rocks, 609 00:24:14,161 --> 00:24:15,701 so this doesn’t make a lot of sense 610 00:24:15,829 --> 00:24:17,749 as a place to secure your valuables. 611 00:24:17,831 --> 00:24:20,251 It would make a very bad safety deposit box. 612 00:24:20,334 --> 00:24:21,594 It’s really hard to dig holes there. 613 00:24:21,669 --> 00:24:23,959 You need miners to help you do it. 614 00:24:24,046 --> 00:24:25,626 CHARLES: These pirates, I mean, they’re sailors. 615 00:24:25,714 --> 00:24:27,384 They’re not engineers. 616 00:24:27,508 --> 00:24:29,008 Well, let’s remember what the technology 617 00:24:29,093 --> 00:24:30,303 in the XVIII century was like. 618 00:24:30,386 --> 00:24:31,426 It’s nowhere near what we have. 619 00:24:32,012 --> 00:24:34,352 I suppose you could use black powder, 620 00:24:34,431 --> 00:24:36,601 but to do any effective blasting, 621 00:24:36,684 --> 00:24:38,644 you really gotta know what you’re doing. 622 00:24:38,727 --> 00:24:40,647 And the idea of these pirates 623 00:24:40,729 --> 00:24:43,899 could somehow secrete this vast treasure 624 00:24:44,024 --> 00:24:45,484 someplace that we can’t find now. 625 00:24:45,567 --> 00:24:47,437 I find that difficult to believe. 626 00:24:47,528 --> 00:24:49,948 LAURENCE: Still, the legend of Blackbeard’s treasure 627 00:24:50,030 --> 00:24:53,410 remains tied to these islands for centuries. 628 00:24:53,534 --> 00:24:58,164 And some locals say he left something else behind as well. 629 00:24:58,247 --> 00:25:00,327 Legend has it he left his wife there 630 00:25:00,416 --> 00:25:02,746 to guard the treasure, and he would come back and visit. 631 00:25:02,876 --> 00:25:04,456 He would come and go and come and go, 632 00:25:04,545 --> 00:25:06,555 and one day, he never came back. 633 00:25:06,630 --> 00:25:10,680 And the locals say her ghost haunts the isles to this day. 634 00:25:10,759 --> 00:25:12,639 CHARLES: I just would have to think 635 00:25:12,720 --> 00:25:15,140 there’s gotta be a better way to hide your treasure. 636 00:25:15,222 --> 00:25:18,142 But, again, if Blackbeard’s treasure 637 00:25:18,225 --> 00:25:20,975 is found on the Isle of Shoals, 638 00:25:21,061 --> 00:25:24,111 I will be the first one to say how wrong I was 639 00:25:24,231 --> 00:25:26,401 in believing that this would never happen. 640 00:25:33,073 --> 00:25:34,073 In the search for Blackbeard’s treasure, 641 00:25:34,158 --> 00:25:34,988 many hunters focus on his whereabouts 642 00:25:35,075 --> 00:25:36,865 during retirement. 643 00:25:36,952 --> 00:25:41,002 But the pirate’s retirement is a matter of a few mere weeks. 644 00:25:41,081 --> 00:25:44,331 Before long, he’s back on the high seas 645 00:25:44,418 --> 00:25:46,588 and in a new ship. 646 00:25:47,755 --> 00:25:50,345 You might ask yourself, why was this fearsome pirate, 647 00:25:50,424 --> 00:25:53,974 who stole millions of dollars, looted dozens of ships, 648 00:25:54,094 --> 00:25:57,854 blockaded entire towns, able to walk away scot free? 649 00:25:57,931 --> 00:25:59,681 To understand that, you have to look 650 00:25:59,767 --> 00:26:01,177 at the overall political situation 651 00:26:01,268 --> 00:26:03,228 in Europe in the early 1700s. 652 00:26:04,438 --> 00:26:05,768 LAURENCE: During this era, 653 00:26:05,898 --> 00:26:07,938 European powers are competing to control 654 00:26:08,067 --> 00:26:10,687 the astonishing wealth of the New World. 655 00:26:10,778 --> 00:26:12,858 CHARLES: You had a lot of commerce going on. 656 00:26:12,946 --> 00:26:14,696 These colonies are being exploited 657 00:26:14,782 --> 00:26:16,912 and there is a lot of raw material 658 00:26:16,992 --> 00:26:18,992 coming out of those colonies. 659 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:22,539 You had colonial Americans sending out material 660 00:26:22,623 --> 00:26:25,543 to Europe, and you have the Spanish colonies 661 00:26:25,626 --> 00:26:28,126 in the Caribbean and Mexico 662 00:26:28,253 --> 00:26:30,093 and South America shipping out a lot 663 00:26:30,172 --> 00:26:33,302 of gold and silver back across to--to Europe. 664 00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:35,925 LAURENCE: When Europe moves into armed conflict, 665 00:26:36,011 --> 00:26:38,431 leaders hurry to enlist men like Blackbeard 666 00:26:38,514 --> 00:26:40,394 to seize their enemies’ loot. 667 00:26:40,474 --> 00:26:44,064 He and many others enroll as privateers. 668 00:26:44,144 --> 00:26:47,064 What’s the difference between privateering and piracy? 669 00:26:47,147 --> 00:26:50,107 Well, a privateer was somebody who was 670 00:26:50,192 --> 00:26:53,152 given permission to be a maritime mercenary 671 00:26:53,237 --> 00:26:55,607 by their king or queen or government. 672 00:26:55,697 --> 00:26:57,907 REBECCA: They have a contract called a letter of marque, 673 00:26:57,991 --> 00:27:01,121 which basically states you are fighting against ships 674 00:27:01,203 --> 00:27:02,873 from these specific countries, 675 00:27:02,996 --> 00:27:04,576 and in payment, they were allowed 676 00:27:04,665 --> 00:27:06,465 to keep 80% of all the goods 677 00:27:06,542 --> 00:27:08,422 they could steal and the other 20% 678 00:27:08,502 --> 00:27:10,092 goes back to the government. 679 00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:12,170 Essentially, Blackbeard was given permission 680 00:27:12,256 --> 00:27:14,126 to go out and attack enemy shipping, 681 00:27:14,216 --> 00:27:15,926 and they could keep a portion of the plunder. 682 00:27:16,510 --> 00:27:19,220 LAURENCE: North Carolina’s Governor, Charles Eden, 683 00:27:19,346 --> 00:27:21,846 allows Blackbeard to take his remaining ship, 684 00:27:21,974 --> 00:27:25,694 the "Adventure," and return to a life on the sea. 685 00:27:26,019 --> 00:27:27,809 But within weeks, 686 00:27:27,896 --> 00:27:30,186 he sheds his privateer status 687 00:27:30,274 --> 00:27:33,494 and begins attacking English vessels. 688 00:27:33,569 --> 00:27:37,609 Blackbeard is once again a pirate. 689 00:27:37,698 --> 00:27:39,778 When Blackbeard decides to leave North Carolina 690 00:27:39,867 --> 00:27:41,577 in August of 1718, 691 00:27:41,702 --> 00:27:43,622 he knows he’s probably not going back. 692 00:27:43,704 --> 00:27:46,504 He’s decided to go back to a life of piracy, 693 00:27:46,582 --> 00:27:48,172 despite having taken the pardon. 694 00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:50,290 It might be that at this point he feels like 695 00:27:50,377 --> 00:27:52,627 he has nothing to lose and he probably 696 00:27:52,713 --> 00:27:54,843 figures he might as well go back to piracy 697 00:27:54,923 --> 00:27:56,473 and do everything he can before 698 00:27:56,550 --> 00:27:58,550 he’s inevitably going to get caught. 699 00:27:58,677 --> 00:28:00,547 When you look at the story of the big empty hole 700 00:28:00,637 --> 00:28:03,137 on Plum Point, you have to wonder, is it possible 701 00:28:03,223 --> 00:28:04,933 Blackbeard dug up the treasure himself? 702 00:28:05,058 --> 00:28:07,018 I mean, we know he was going back and forth 703 00:28:07,102 --> 00:28:08,982 between his home in Bath and the boat, 704 00:28:09,062 --> 00:28:11,062 so is it possible that he was getting 705 00:28:11,190 --> 00:28:13,320 the treasure and loading up the ship himself? 706 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,490 ♪ ♪ 707 00:28:17,571 --> 00:28:19,991 LAURENCE: Whatever survives from his original haul, 708 00:28:20,073 --> 00:28:22,123 Blackbeard wastes no time 709 00:28:22,242 --> 00:28:24,332 adding to his fortune. 710 00:28:24,411 --> 00:28:25,951 REBECCA: Almost immediately, he captures 711 00:28:26,079 --> 00:28:28,079 two French ships, and in the meantime, 712 00:28:28,207 --> 00:28:30,877 news of his exploits going back into piracy 713 00:28:30,959 --> 00:28:32,499 have traveled around the Caribbean 714 00:28:32,586 --> 00:28:34,166 and the American colonies as well. 715 00:28:34,796 --> 00:28:36,666 LAURENCE: Frustrated, the Governor of Virginia 716 00:28:36,757 --> 00:28:39,757 decides to take matters into his own hands. 717 00:28:39,843 --> 00:28:41,263 REBECCA: Now, Alexander Spotswood, 718 00:28:41,386 --> 00:28:42,796 he has made it his mission as a governor 719 00:28:42,930 --> 00:28:46,100 to eradicate piracy in any way whatsoever. 720 00:28:46,183 --> 00:28:48,023 KEVIN: In the letters of Alexander Spotswood, 721 00:28:48,101 --> 00:28:50,481 he states that he’s very concerned 722 00:28:50,604 --> 00:28:53,364 that this pirate Blackbeard has established himself 723 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:55,440 a base at Ocracoke Island. 724 00:28:55,567 --> 00:28:58,317 Obviously, having pirates or a pirate base 725 00:28:58,445 --> 00:29:01,525 just south of there would, uh, be a direct threat 726 00:29:01,615 --> 00:29:03,035 to the trade of Virginia. 727 00:29:03,116 --> 00:29:04,826 So he’s going to start putting plans 728 00:29:04,952 --> 00:29:07,162 into motion to stop Blackbeard at all costs. 729 00:29:07,287 --> 00:29:09,287 Governor Spotswood decides to commission 730 00:29:09,414 --> 00:29:11,334 Lieutenant Robert Maynard in order to try 731 00:29:11,458 --> 00:29:12,878 to take down Blackbeard. 732 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:14,710 He gives him 57 men and two ships 733 00:29:14,795 --> 00:29:17,845 and is instructed, "Capture Blackbeard, dead or alive." 734 00:29:18,423 --> 00:29:20,133 LAURENCE: Five days after departing 735 00:29:20,259 --> 00:29:22,719 from Kecoughtan, Virginia, Maynard’s fleet 736 00:29:22,803 --> 00:29:25,853 confronts Blackbeard’s at Ocracoke Inlet. 737 00:29:26,515 --> 00:29:28,735 Blackbeard and Maynard face off and Blackbeard 738 00:29:28,809 --> 00:29:31,349 immediately fires a cannon into Maynard’s ships, 739 00:29:31,478 --> 00:29:32,558 obliterating one of them. 740 00:29:33,021 --> 00:29:34,561 During this gunfire, 741 00:29:34,648 --> 00:29:36,018 Maynard lost a number of his men 742 00:29:36,149 --> 00:29:38,779 and the air filled with clouds of smoke. 743 00:29:38,860 --> 00:29:40,400 It became very confusing. 744 00:29:40,487 --> 00:29:41,987 It was hard for either of the vessels 745 00:29:42,072 --> 00:29:44,412 to see each other. They were basically adrift. 746 00:29:44,491 --> 00:29:47,661 Blackbeard gets off another broadside. Again, mayhem. 747 00:29:47,786 --> 00:29:50,326 He mows down more of the Royal Navy sailors 748 00:29:50,414 --> 00:29:53,424 and they jump on board, ready to seize control. 749 00:29:54,084 --> 00:29:55,924 And that’s when Lieutenant Maynard 750 00:29:56,003 --> 00:29:58,003 unleashes his great surprise. 751 00:29:59,214 --> 00:30:01,934 REBECCA: Maynard’s men are all hiding below deck. 752 00:30:02,009 --> 00:30:04,339 And so when Blackbeard and his crew come on, 753 00:30:04,469 --> 00:30:06,549 Lieutenant Maynard’s men rush up to the deck 754 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,720 and this massive bloodbath of a battle ensues. 755 00:30:09,850 --> 00:30:11,430 Blackbeard is wounded. 756 00:30:11,518 --> 00:30:13,938 He’s stabbed in the leg by one of Maynard’s men. 757 00:30:14,021 --> 00:30:16,021 And, reportedly, Blackbeard shouts, 758 00:30:16,106 --> 00:30:18,776 "Well done, lad," after he’s been stabbed. 759 00:30:18,859 --> 00:30:21,279 And in that moment, Robert Maynard sees 760 00:30:21,361 --> 00:30:23,451 his opportunity and he takes his sword 761 00:30:23,530 --> 00:30:25,870 and he beheads Blackbeard on the ship, 762 00:30:25,949 --> 00:30:27,659 killing him once and for all. 763 00:30:28,327 --> 00:30:30,577 LAURENCE: Maynard returns to Virginia and places 764 00:30:30,704 --> 00:30:32,834 Blackbeard’s head on a spike 765 00:30:32,914 --> 00:30:34,834 at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay. 766 00:30:34,916 --> 00:30:37,456 A head is a fine trophy, but Maynard came back 767 00:30:37,544 --> 00:30:39,714 without Blackbeard’s ship or any gold. 768 00:30:39,838 --> 00:30:42,338 So the question is, what became of Blackbeard’s ship 769 00:30:42,424 --> 00:30:44,384 and the treasure that was possibly on it? 770 00:30:45,093 --> 00:30:47,893 LAURENCE: The "Adventure" remains missing to this day, 771 00:30:48,013 --> 00:30:51,313 and its absence may provide a clue to what happened. 772 00:30:51,391 --> 00:30:53,691 REBECCA: One of the theories is that one of Blackbeard’s 773 00:30:53,769 --> 00:30:55,349 most trusted crew members, Caesar, 774 00:30:55,437 --> 00:30:57,267 actually had plans to scuttle the ship, 775 00:30:57,397 --> 00:30:59,147 meaning to destroy it, before anybody 776 00:30:59,232 --> 00:31:00,822 could actually go capture it. 777 00:31:00,901 --> 00:31:03,281 The idea is it’s better to have all the treasure 778 00:31:03,403 --> 00:31:05,953 fall down into the sea, rather than let any of it 779 00:31:06,073 --> 00:31:09,083 go into Maynards’ or any other authorities’ hands. 780 00:31:09,159 --> 00:31:10,659 MATT: Of course, it could have been Maynard himself. 781 00:31:10,744 --> 00:31:12,334 It was common practice at the time, 782 00:31:12,412 --> 00:31:15,002 after defeating an enemy, to burn their ship. 783 00:31:15,082 --> 00:31:17,832 Maybe Maynard didn’t search the ship properly, 784 00:31:17,918 --> 00:31:20,168 and that would mean that all of Blackbeard’s treasure, 785 00:31:20,253 --> 00:31:21,753 what he had dug up from Plum Point, 786 00:31:21,838 --> 00:31:23,878 now it’s somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. 787 00:31:24,508 --> 00:31:27,428 LAURENCE: If the treasure remains on the "Adventure," 788 00:31:27,552 --> 00:31:29,512 there’s still hope for its recovery. 789 00:31:29,596 --> 00:31:31,346 This might be our single best chance 790 00:31:31,431 --> 00:31:32,811 to find Blackbeard’s treasure. 791 00:31:32,933 --> 00:31:34,393 If we can find the wreck of the "Adventure," 792 00:31:34,476 --> 00:31:36,226 we know it’s the last place that he was, 793 00:31:36,311 --> 00:31:38,151 and there was probably some plunder on there. 794 00:31:38,647 --> 00:31:40,317 In 1989, the same company 795 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:41,940 that found the "Queen Anne’s Revenge" 796 00:31:42,025 --> 00:31:44,025 gets a permit from the state of North Carolina 797 00:31:44,111 --> 00:31:46,451 to salvage the "Adventure," if they can find it. 798 00:31:46,530 --> 00:31:47,610 So far, they have not. 799 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:49,990 But the wreckage is still out there. 800 00:31:50,117 --> 00:31:51,577 Somebody’s probably gonna find it eventually. 801 00:31:51,660 --> 00:31:53,080 And if they do, who knows? 802 00:31:53,161 --> 00:31:53,871 Maybe they’ll get rich. 803 00:31:53,954 --> 00:31:58,964 ♪ ♪ 804 00:31:59,084 --> 00:32:00,424 LAURENCE: Perhaps no other figure 805 00:32:00,502 --> 00:32:01,752 features more prominently 806 00:32:01,837 --> 00:32:03,457 in the story of Blackbeard 807 00:32:03,547 --> 00:32:06,627 than North Carolina Governor Charles Eden. 808 00:32:06,758 --> 00:32:10,468 Blackbeard was in need of the King’s pardon, 809 00:32:10,554 --> 00:32:12,604 but had committed acts of piracy 810 00:32:12,681 --> 00:32:15,681 after the deadline stipulated by the pardon. 811 00:32:15,809 --> 00:32:17,439 South Carolina would not have been happy. 812 00:32:17,519 --> 00:32:19,599 Since he had besieged Charleston and Virginia, 813 00:32:19,688 --> 00:32:21,478 they sure didn’t like him. 814 00:32:21,565 --> 00:32:24,115 I think his options were pretty limited at that point. 815 00:32:24,192 --> 00:32:26,282 REBECCA: So Blackbeard goes to Governor Charles Eden 816 00:32:26,361 --> 00:32:28,451 because he knows that Governor Eden 817 00:32:28,530 --> 00:32:30,570 tends to have decent relationships with pirates. 818 00:32:30,657 --> 00:32:32,907 We don’t know if the two men knew each other beforehand, 819 00:32:32,993 --> 00:32:34,913 but after Blackbeard receives the pardon, 820 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:37,005 their relationship takes a strange turn. 821 00:32:37,706 --> 00:32:40,286 Blackbeard’s house is right next door to Governor Eden’s. 822 00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:42,085 There are even reports that there was a tunnel 823 00:32:42,169 --> 00:32:44,959 dug between the Governor’s house and Blackbeard’s. 824 00:32:45,046 --> 00:32:48,126 When Blackbeard marries a woman named Mary Ormond, 825 00:32:48,216 --> 00:32:51,176 it’s the Governor who oversees the ceremony. 826 00:32:51,303 --> 00:32:54,143 Blackbeard and Eden seem to be very good friends. 827 00:32:54,222 --> 00:32:55,642 What is the reason for this? 828 00:32:55,724 --> 00:32:58,024 Does Eden think he can rehabilitate Blackbeard? 829 00:32:58,143 --> 00:33:00,143 Is Eden star-struck by the guy 830 00:33:00,228 --> 00:33:01,938 or is something else going on? 831 00:33:02,022 --> 00:33:03,652 LAURENCE: One of the most comprehensive histories 832 00:33:03,732 --> 00:33:05,272 of North Carolina 833 00:33:05,358 --> 00:33:09,648 comes from Dr. Hugh Williamson, published in 1812. 834 00:33:09,738 --> 00:33:11,158 REBECCA: According to Hugh Williamson, 835 00:33:11,239 --> 00:33:13,119 Governor Eden is very charismatic, 836 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:14,620 he’s charming, he’s intelligent. 837 00:33:14,701 --> 00:33:16,741 However, he is also sort of covered 838 00:33:16,870 --> 00:33:18,540 in this cloud of disgrace, 839 00:33:18,622 --> 00:33:20,832 and this is because of his assumed association 840 00:33:20,916 --> 00:33:23,286 with one of the most notorious pirates of all time. 841 00:33:23,376 --> 00:33:25,666 Blackbeard goes from being public enemy number one 842 00:33:25,754 --> 00:33:27,804 to best friends with the Governor overnight. 843 00:33:27,881 --> 00:33:29,971 History tells us that usually only happens 844 00:33:30,050 --> 00:33:31,800 when there’s a payoff. 845 00:33:31,885 --> 00:33:34,435 ♪ ♪ 846 00:33:34,554 --> 00:33:36,354 LAURENCE: In other words, 847 00:33:36,431 --> 00:33:38,351 Blackbeard’s hard-earned treasure 848 00:33:38,433 --> 00:33:41,693 might have been given in exchange for his freedom. 849 00:33:41,770 --> 00:33:43,440 One of the basic conditions 850 00:33:43,563 --> 00:33:44,983 of the pardon was that you had to turn yourself in 851 00:33:45,065 --> 00:33:47,235 by September 5th, 1718, 852 00:33:47,317 --> 00:33:49,357 but you were only pardoned for the crimes 853 00:33:49,444 --> 00:33:53,244 that you committed before January 5th of 1718, 854 00:33:53,323 --> 00:33:54,913 nothing after. 855 00:33:54,991 --> 00:33:57,411 But, of course, Blackbeard committed loads of crimes 856 00:33:57,494 --> 00:33:59,084 after January 5th. 857 00:33:59,162 --> 00:34:00,912 LAURENCE: Including his well-known blockade 858 00:34:00,997 --> 00:34:04,037 of Charleston in May of 1718, 859 00:34:04,125 --> 00:34:06,875 which should have been punishable by death. 860 00:34:06,962 --> 00:34:08,762 So why wasn’t it? 861 00:34:08,838 --> 00:34:10,418 Blackbeard had amassed 862 00:34:10,507 --> 00:34:12,677 millions of dollars worth of goods and treasure, 863 00:34:12,759 --> 00:34:16,349 and it’s very likely he brought all of this into North Carolina, 864 00:34:16,429 --> 00:34:17,929 and gave a huge chunk of it to the Governor. 865 00:34:18,807 --> 00:34:23,347 LAURENCE: Did Blackbeard use his wealth to buy his own pardon? 866 00:34:23,436 --> 00:34:25,856 When Blackbeard turned himself in in June, 867 00:34:25,939 --> 00:34:27,729 he should have been killed, but he wasn’t. 868 00:34:27,816 --> 00:34:29,356 And maybe this explains why. 869 00:34:29,442 --> 00:34:32,032 And why Blackbeard’s treasure’s never been found. 870 00:34:32,112 --> 00:34:33,742 Because he gave it up. I mean, 871 00:34:33,822 --> 00:34:35,242 if it’s your money or your life, what are you gonna do? 872 00:34:35,824 --> 00:34:38,834 LAURENCE: And the bribes may not have stopped there. 873 00:34:38,952 --> 00:34:40,662 MATT: At one point, Blackbeard returns 874 00:34:40,787 --> 00:34:42,997 to North Carolina with a French ship 875 00:34:43,123 --> 00:34:44,673 called the "Rose Emelye." 876 00:34:44,791 --> 00:34:46,291 But he tells the Governor... 877 00:34:46,418 --> 00:34:50,048 that he just found this ship perfectly seaworthy, 878 00:34:50,130 --> 00:34:53,420 filled with plunder, and with not a sole aboard. 879 00:34:53,508 --> 00:34:56,338 At a Vice Admiralty hearing, with the Governor present, 880 00:34:56,469 --> 00:34:58,809 Blackbeard is awarded the rights to this French vessel. 881 00:34:58,888 --> 00:35:01,468 Whether or not the Governor believed Blackbeard’s story, 882 00:35:01,600 --> 00:35:03,270 how gullible do we think he is? 883 00:35:03,351 --> 00:35:05,311 More likely, he was getting to keep 884 00:35:05,395 --> 00:35:07,195 a little piece of the treasure himself. 885 00:35:07,314 --> 00:35:09,944 LAURENCE: If Eden did accept Blackbeard’s treasure 886 00:35:10,025 --> 00:35:12,825 as a bribe, what did he do with it? 887 00:35:12,902 --> 00:35:16,822 Edward Mosley was a rival of Governor Charles Eden, 888 00:35:16,906 --> 00:35:19,446 and when Mosley kind of caught whiff 889 00:35:19,534 --> 00:35:22,414 of what Charles Eden was doing with Blackbeard, 890 00:35:22,495 --> 00:35:24,995 he definitely wanted to use that against him. 891 00:35:25,081 --> 00:35:27,291 REBECCA: He outright accused the Governor 892 00:35:27,375 --> 00:35:30,125 of deliberately colluding with a pirate 893 00:35:30,211 --> 00:35:32,631 for bad purposes, not to help the community, 894 00:35:32,714 --> 00:35:34,304 but just to help himself. 895 00:35:34,382 --> 00:35:37,432 In retaliation, Governor Eden arrests Mosley, 896 00:35:37,510 --> 00:35:39,300 fines him £100, 897 00:35:39,387 --> 00:35:41,677 and bars him from ever holding 898 00:35:41,806 --> 00:35:44,976 any sort of public office for the next three years. 899 00:35:45,060 --> 00:35:46,980 However, after Blackbeard’s death in battle, 900 00:35:47,062 --> 00:35:50,522 a letter was found that vindicates Mosley, 901 00:35:50,607 --> 00:35:53,107 proving that everything Mosley was accusing 902 00:35:53,193 --> 00:35:55,113 Governor Eden of doing was true. 903 00:35:55,862 --> 00:35:57,362 LAURENCE: The letter is written to Blackbeard 904 00:35:57,489 --> 00:35:58,989 from Tobias Knight, 905 00:35:59,074 --> 00:36:01,454 Eden’s secretary of the Governor’s council. 906 00:36:01,534 --> 00:36:03,664 In the letter to Blackbeard in Ocracoke, 907 00:36:03,745 --> 00:36:06,335 Governor Eden wants to set up a meeting, 908 00:36:06,414 --> 00:36:09,464 the purpose of which was not known. 909 00:36:09,542 --> 00:36:12,302 After Blackbeard is killed, they actually 910 00:36:12,379 --> 00:36:15,169 find a whole bunch of his pirate plunder 911 00:36:15,256 --> 00:36:17,086 from the last phase of his career 912 00:36:17,217 --> 00:36:21,347 in Tobias Knight’s barn, hidden under a pile of hay, 913 00:36:21,429 --> 00:36:23,509 which didn’t look very good. 914 00:36:23,598 --> 00:36:25,678 REBECCA: The Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, 915 00:36:25,767 --> 00:36:27,517 really wants to get involved in this. 916 00:36:27,602 --> 00:36:30,812 He wants to arrest Governor Eden, Tobias Knight, 917 00:36:30,897 --> 00:36:33,357 and everybody responsible of working with Blackbeard. 918 00:36:33,900 --> 00:36:36,240 The problem is, being the Governor of Virginia 919 00:36:36,361 --> 00:36:39,111 means he has absolutely no legal jurisdiction 920 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:42,159 within North Carolina, so there’s nothing he can do. 921 00:36:43,118 --> 00:36:45,538 Eden spends the next few years trying to get 922 00:36:45,620 --> 00:36:48,500 what he feels he deserves from Governor Spotswood. 923 00:36:48,998 --> 00:36:51,918 LAURENCE: Eden claims Spotswood’s Virginian sailors 924 00:36:52,043 --> 00:36:54,093 illegally invaded North Carolina 925 00:36:54,212 --> 00:36:57,132 to apprehend Blackbeard and that any plunder 926 00:36:57,257 --> 00:36:59,967 captured on the mission belongs to him. 927 00:37:00,093 --> 00:37:02,053 Eden dies in 1722. 928 00:37:02,137 --> 00:37:04,927 In his will, Eden leaves his fortune, 929 00:37:05,056 --> 00:37:06,426 which might be Blackbeard’s fortune, 930 00:37:06,516 --> 00:37:08,556 to Spotswood’s political rivals. 931 00:37:08,643 --> 00:37:10,903 MATT: That same year, Governor Spotswood 932 00:37:10,979 --> 00:37:12,439 was ousted from power. 933 00:37:12,564 --> 00:37:14,524 This might be Blackbeard’s last act of revenge 934 00:37:14,607 --> 00:37:16,317 against the man who was 935 00:37:16,443 --> 00:37:22,413 most responsible for seeing him killed. 936 00:37:22,490 --> 00:37:24,120 LAURENCE: For 300 years, 937 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,120 scholars and treasure hunters alike 938 00:37:26,202 --> 00:37:28,122 have been trying to solve the mystery 939 00:37:28,204 --> 00:37:31,254 behind Blackbeard’s missing treasure. 940 00:37:31,332 --> 00:37:33,292 COLIN: We know a lot about Blackbeard’s movements 941 00:37:33,376 --> 00:37:34,706 throughout his pirate career, 942 00:37:34,794 --> 00:37:37,884 where he attacked ships, where he hung out, 943 00:37:37,964 --> 00:37:39,634 where he stopped for a time. 944 00:37:39,716 --> 00:37:41,336 But in none of these places 945 00:37:41,468 --> 00:37:43,798 has Blackbeard’s treasure been found. 946 00:37:44,304 --> 00:37:45,974 LAURENCE: Some theorists believe 947 00:37:46,055 --> 00:37:49,305 Blackbeard’s first biography may tell us why. 948 00:37:50,143 --> 00:37:52,653 REBECCA: Captain Charles Johnson is the author of a book 949 00:37:52,729 --> 00:37:54,149 called "A General History of the Pirates," 950 00:37:54,230 --> 00:37:56,150 which was published in 1724, 951 00:37:56,274 --> 00:37:58,284 and it was a smash hit almost immediately, 952 00:37:58,359 --> 00:38:00,649 because it’s basically a large collection 953 00:38:00,737 --> 00:38:02,107 of pirate biographies, 954 00:38:02,197 --> 00:38:04,487 all of whom are of the most famous pirates 955 00:38:04,616 --> 00:38:06,026 out of the golden age of piracy. 956 00:38:06,659 --> 00:38:08,699 No one has really been able to identify 957 00:38:08,828 --> 00:38:10,248 who Captain Charles Johnson was, 958 00:38:10,330 --> 00:38:11,660 and some authors have said 959 00:38:11,748 --> 00:38:13,458 that he was actually a pirate himself. 960 00:38:13,792 --> 00:38:16,172 So we have him as a fairly reliable source. 961 00:38:16,753 --> 00:38:18,803 Johnson interviewed a number 962 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:21,130 of Blackbeard’s former crewman for his book 963 00:38:21,216 --> 00:38:23,506 and they told him, uh... kind of a wild tale. 964 00:38:24,093 --> 00:38:25,683 REBECCA: According to Blackbeard’s crew, 965 00:38:25,804 --> 00:38:27,854 one day they noticed a stowaway. 966 00:38:27,931 --> 00:38:29,521 They had no idea who he is, 967 00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:31,019 they have no idea how he got there 968 00:38:31,100 --> 00:38:32,890 or even how long he’d been with them. 969 00:38:33,019 --> 00:38:35,189 PATRICK: Even more mysterious, he disappears 970 00:38:35,271 --> 00:38:36,861 just days after he arrives. 971 00:38:36,940 --> 00:38:39,650 They haven’t docked anywhere. He just vanishes. 972 00:38:39,734 --> 00:38:43,864 LAURENCE: The crew believe this is no ordinary stowaway. 973 00:38:43,947 --> 00:38:46,487 The crew says Blackbeard knows he’s being hunted, 974 00:38:46,574 --> 00:38:49,124 and that he’s likely to die in the next few days. 975 00:38:49,202 --> 00:38:53,002 They are convinced that stowaway is the devil himself. 976 00:38:53,081 --> 00:38:54,921 This may sound like a silly idea, 977 00:38:55,041 --> 00:38:57,001 but the crew doesn’t pull this out of nowhere. 978 00:38:57,085 --> 00:38:59,385 Blackbeard does exhibit some very strange behavior 979 00:38:59,504 --> 00:39:01,304 on his final voyage. 980 00:39:01,381 --> 00:39:03,551 REBECCA: It was like his mind wasn’t fully there. 981 00:39:03,633 --> 00:39:04,973 He’d been saying things about how he’d been 982 00:39:05,051 --> 00:39:06,551 working with the devil. 983 00:39:06,678 --> 00:39:08,968 It’s like Blackbeard knew his death was coming, 984 00:39:09,055 --> 00:39:10,715 and it was causing a sort of madness 985 00:39:10,807 --> 00:39:12,267 that nobody could explain. 986 00:39:12,892 --> 00:39:14,442 One of the examples of the madness 987 00:39:14,561 --> 00:39:16,191 that Blackbeard’s crew spoke about 988 00:39:16,271 --> 00:39:19,651 was how Blackbeard took three members of his crew, 989 00:39:19,732 --> 00:39:22,402 locked them into the hold and set it on fire. 990 00:39:22,902 --> 00:39:24,572 When he does this, he says, 991 00:39:24,654 --> 00:39:26,284 "Let us make a hell of our own 992 00:39:26,406 --> 00:39:27,906 and see how long we can bear it." 993 00:39:27,991 --> 00:39:29,911 The men hold out as long as they can, 994 00:39:29,993 --> 00:39:31,793 but they cry out under the intense heat 995 00:39:31,911 --> 00:39:33,911 and the suffocating conditions. 996 00:39:33,997 --> 00:39:35,747 Shortly after that, some of the crew 997 00:39:35,832 --> 00:39:37,752 asked Blackbeard if his wife knew 998 00:39:37,876 --> 00:39:40,086 where any of his treasure may have been hidden. 999 00:39:40,169 --> 00:39:42,299 Blackbeard told them, "Nobody but myself 1000 00:39:42,422 --> 00:39:44,842 and the devil know where it is." 1001 00:39:44,924 --> 00:39:46,304 PATRICK: After the disappearing stranger, 1002 00:39:46,426 --> 00:39:48,256 the unusual rituals and the comment 1003 00:39:48,344 --> 00:39:49,974 about the devil, the crew is convinced 1004 00:39:50,096 --> 00:39:51,756 that Blackbeard has made a deal with the devil 1005 00:39:51,890 --> 00:39:52,970 to hide the treasure. 1006 00:39:53,516 --> 00:39:55,976 Not figuratively, literally. 1007 00:39:57,103 --> 00:39:59,273 LAURENCE: According to Johnson’s book, 1008 00:39:59,355 --> 00:40:01,435 Blackbeard is killed 1009 00:40:01,524 --> 00:40:04,404 the day after the alleged brimstone ritual. 1010 00:40:04,485 --> 00:40:06,395 Look, devil or not, the crew believed 1011 00:40:06,487 --> 00:40:08,237 Blackbeard had a large amount of treasure 1012 00:40:08,323 --> 00:40:10,203 hidden somewhere besides his boat. 1013 00:40:10,283 --> 00:40:11,873 And I think that that night, 1014 00:40:11,951 --> 00:40:13,371 Blackbeard confirmed it. 1015 00:40:13,453 --> 00:40:15,623 Now, this story is very likely embellished. 1016 00:40:15,747 --> 00:40:17,287 It makes for good entertainment. 1017 00:40:17,415 --> 00:40:19,955 It really feeds on the rumors about Blackbeard, 1018 00:40:20,084 --> 00:40:21,964 the legends about Blackbeard that are coming out 1019 00:40:22,086 --> 00:40:23,126 even while he’s alive. 1020 00:40:23,671 --> 00:40:25,171 PATRICK: Blackbeard is an eccentric, 1021 00:40:25,298 --> 00:40:26,628 and he’s been through a lot, 1022 00:40:26,716 --> 00:40:28,126 and he likes to put on a show. 1023 00:40:28,259 --> 00:40:30,139 Whether the devil story is true or not, 1024 00:40:30,219 --> 00:40:31,969 it doesn’t surprise me that towards the end 1025 00:40:32,055 --> 00:40:34,605 of his life, Blackbeard has become unhinged. 1026 00:40:35,141 --> 00:40:37,521 My suspicion is that Blackbeard 1027 00:40:37,644 --> 00:40:39,154 didn’t really have 1028 00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:41,980 a massive treasure cache at the end of his career. 1029 00:40:42,523 --> 00:40:44,403 REBECCA: Blackbeard had offloaded a lot of it. 1030 00:40:44,484 --> 00:40:46,284 He had sold many of the goods. 1031 00:40:46,361 --> 00:40:48,821 He had gathered more, sold more. 1032 00:40:48,905 --> 00:40:50,995 KEVIN: What treasure there was, probably 1033 00:40:51,074 --> 00:40:53,164 ended up in the families of the crew members 1034 00:40:53,242 --> 00:40:54,792 that Blackbeard had sailed with. 1035 00:40:54,869 --> 00:40:56,659 COLIN: But I think for legend makers, 1036 00:40:56,788 --> 00:40:59,918 it was irresistible to have the great pirate 1037 00:40:59,999 --> 00:41:01,669 also have a great treasure. 1038 00:41:01,751 --> 00:41:03,791 I just think it didn’t happen that way, 1039 00:41:03,878 --> 00:41:07,008 just because Blackbeard was... unlucky. 1040 00:41:07,507 --> 00:41:09,007 PATRICK: Who knows? Blackbeard was 1041 00:41:09,092 --> 00:41:10,682 the greatest pirate of his time, 1042 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:12,800 and the treasure’s gotta be somewhere. 1043 00:41:12,887 --> 00:41:14,217 I believe it’s out there. 1044 00:41:17,767 --> 00:41:19,307 Although the location of Blackbeard’s 1045 00:41:19,394 --> 00:41:21,814 supposed treasure remains unknown, 1046 00:41:21,896 --> 00:41:24,606 the man’s life itself has proven quite lucrative. 1047 00:41:24,691 --> 00:41:27,691 It’s estimated that the many books, films, 1048 00:41:27,777 --> 00:41:32,487 and adaptations of his story have earned over $2 billion. 1049 00:41:32,573 --> 00:41:35,373 Not bad for two years of work as a pirate. 1050 00:41:35,868 --> 00:41:37,868 I’m Laurence Fishburne. 1051 00:41:37,954 --> 00:41:42,294 Thank you for watching "History’s Greatest Mysteries."