12. Black Sam’s Turn From Treasure Hunter to Pirate
Captain Black Sam Bellamy, real name Samuel Bellamy (1689 – 1717), did not earn the nickname “Black Sam” because of any fell acts or dark deeds. He simply got called that because he eschewed the white powdered wigs of his era, and grew out his own mane of long black hair instead. He went to sea at an early age, and by the time he reached adulthood, he was a seasoned Royal Navy combat veteran, with a number of sea battles under his belt.
In 1715, Black Sam went to Cape Cod in search of relatives, and there, news arrived of the wreck of a Spanish treasure fleet in a storm off the Florida coast. Bellamy joined a treasure hunting expedition that hoped to recover the sunken riches, but when they failed to do so, they turned to piracy to recoup their investment.