Did Blackbeard Really Ever Visit The Jersey Shore?

If you're visiting the Jersey Shore for the first time, here's a fun question to ask: was Blackbeard ever here?

The answer isn't quite as simple as pirate stories make it sound.

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was one of the most notorious pirates of the early 1700s. His activities were centered mostly around the Carolinas, but he sailed quite extensively along the Atlantic coast and definitely operated in waters connected to this region.

New Jersey was absolutely part of the pirate world.

• READ MORE: How Much Buried Treasure Is On NJ's Coastline?

New Jersey Was a Pirate Hotspot

Colonial New Jersey had plenty of secluded coves, a relatively small population at the time, and a location between the major ports of New York and Philadelphia. Those conditions made parts of Jersey attractive to smugglers, pirates and sailors looking for places to anchor, trade or disappear for a while.

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Believe it or not, there's even a New Jersey legend that Blackbeard docked at Petty's Island near Camden. The state even acknowledges the story, but historical researchers warn that it's a legend, not established fact.

• READ MORE: NJ Officially Ranked As One Of The Best States To Live In The U.S.

So, Was Blackbeard Ever Really On The Jersey Shore?

Well, we can't honestly say Blackbeard definitely stepped onto a New Jersey beach.

What we can say is that New Jersey sat right in the middle of the maritime world he and other pirates traveled through. So, when you're standing on the Jersey shoreline, you're not imagining it: pirates really were part of this region's history.

Honestly, to me, that's almost as cool as finding buried treasure.