Blackbeard is a small barrier island off the coast of Georgia. Named for Edward Teach, the infamous pirate who attacked merchant shipping along the southeastern coast of America in the early 18th century, the island has had a unique and fascinating history. For over two hundred years Blackbeard has been a federally-managed property, isolated, remote and usually uninhabited, and serving in such diverse capacities as a U.S. Navy timber reserve, a national yellow fever quarantine inspection station, and now as a national wildlife refuge. Coastal Georgia historian Buddy Sullivan has investigated the history of Blackbeard for three decades, and now offers this narrative overview based on archival resources, federal manuscript records and personal accounts.