Was Blackbeard a "great" pirate?

Question

Let's try this again. Last time, all I got was a couple too-clever-by-half non-answers, so I'm going to try to better explain the type of expertise I'm looking for:

- By all accounts, historians have plenty of evidence that Blackbeard was a skilled, experienced sailor and a worthy, intelligent captain. They are also quick to note that at least some other pirates bested his feats, by a wide margin.

- Various articles list him among "great" pirates but demur at whether they are doing so for his successes or simply his legend.

- My problem is that I have no barometer to measure the success or failure of standard pirates in the era. Were Blackbeard's feats (uniting a handful of ships into a fleet, a succesful blockade of Charles Town, and 2-ish years of more standard crimes) inordinately successful? Above average? Just enough for this memorably odd and scary human being to make his mark on the popular imagination?

- If you're one of those flimsy moralizers, come to preach about how this is seeking "praise" for a criminal, move along. I'm looking for objective information about how successful this historical figure was, compared to others of his ilk.

? · Accepted Answer

History has considered Edward Teach (Blackbeard) the 'quintessential pirate'...the example...of what pirates (especially English pirate should be, but history has withheld...'great' for one reason...he didn't last long enough.
A full pirating career of only 2 years. He accomplished more in those 2 years than most pirates in a whole career, but he was just too short in time to be considered 'great'. 
A pirate captain at age 36 (1716) killed in battle age 38 (1718). For 2 years blazed pirate glory (you seem to know all his accomplishments). He had charisma/ everyone remembered him, knew how to lead, how to use fear and public image, but just not for very long.
A Standard for 'great' pirate?...how about  Henry Morgan. Not only a pirate but also successful organized crime boss. So famous has a Rum named after him.

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Yes but he became more effective when he got a Bluetooth and could contact the other pirates.

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I think you should try this again. Without whining, though.

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The problem is that there are no objective criteria for the word "great". People argue endlessly over who the greatest athletes are, for example, or the greatest singers. I would say that one measure of greatness is whether people remember the person. The fact that most of us have heard of Blackbeard, and are talking about him now is some evidence of "greatness". There were a lot of pirates, you know. I had an ancestor who was captured by pirates twice on his way from Brazil to New York- once by Spanish pirates and once by English pirates. It was not any of the famous pirates who captured him. So the fact that Blackbeard was notable enough to be named in history books, stories and legend is evidence of his being in some ways well above average.

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You must understand the time Britain was not a world leader and existed of , Buccaneers and Pirates robbing the spanish main and Sir Francis Drake was one Henry Morgan another famous scoundril became Governor of a English colony in the Americas , and the British Queen got a share secretly of course , Spain knew and sent a Armarda which was destroyed by a storm But Drake was given the honour thats life

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no he was a worthless monkey.

Anonymous · Answer

A "great" pirate would retire from piracy to live out his life in comfort. Perhaps Hornigold was a more successful pirate.

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Was Blackbeard a "great" pirate?

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