The escaped slave who became a Caribbean pirate was known by the name Black Caesar.
Black Caesar is described in historical accounts as an African man who escaped slavery and became a pirate in the Florida Keys during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Stories about his early life vary, and some details were later mixed with legend. He was reputed to have used a wrecked vessel or small craft to raid ships and coastal settlements.
According to tradition, Black Caesar eventually joined Blackbeard’s crew. After Blackbeard’s death in 1718, Black Caesar was reportedly captured and later executed in Virginia. The surviving accounts are much less detailed than those for famous captains such as Edward Teach or Bartholomew Roberts.
Black Caesar should not be confused with Black Caesar, a separate name sometimes applied to other historical figures and fictional characters. Nor is he the same person as Samuel Bellamy, whose nickname was Black Sam.