Blackbeard sailed throughout the Caribbean and as far as the coast of Africa, taking English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese prizes. He was a tall and physically imposing man, and was known to braid his long beard into plaits tied with ribbon. Before storming captured ships, he would arrange slow-burning cannon matches under his hat and set them smoldering to increase his fearful appearance. The wisping smoke that curled around his face and head gave people cause to wonder if he was Satan.

As a pirate, Blackbeard made a point of terrifying his victims as much as was humanly possible, and very likely took a certain amount of professional pride in doing so. The tactic of frightening his prey served a practical purpose as his legend spread like wind across the high seas. Those who quickly surrendered and turned over their treasure loads to Blackbeard were usually spared. Those who resisted were punished, and the greater the resistance, the worse the punishment would be. One of his most famous exploits took place in May of 1718, when he brought the city and port of Charleston, South Carolina, to its knees by holding one of its citizens for ransom. He and his flotilla lay in wait at the harbor's entrance and captured all ships that dared leave or enter the port. Tempers flared as several days passed, and the siege escalated until Blackbeard's requests were finally addressed. What one might find particularly interesting about this encounter is that Black-beard's impetus for threatening the town was his dire need for medicines for his crew. When at last he received the medicines, after a week-long negotiation, he promptly left the area.