The first fully authenticated pirate ship discovered in North America was located by underwater explorer Barry Clifford in 1984. The Whydah Galley, originally a slave ship, was captured off the Bahamas by pirates in February 1717 but sank in a fierce storm off Cape Cod, Mass., two months later.
After discovering the shipwreck, Clifford and his team launched a recovery operation, the Whydah Project, which has spanned more than two decades. Nautical archaeologist Robert Reedy served as field director of the Whydah Project from 1986 to 1990. He will highlight the project’s excavations and fascinating finds during the program Discovering the Whydah Galley on Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. Admission is free. To register for the program, call 919-807-7992 by May 27. A reception follows the program.
The three-masted, 300-ton Whydah Galley was built in London in 1715 to transport enslaved people from the west coast of Africa to the Caribbean. The ship was heavily armed to protect its cargo, but “Black Sam” Bellamy, one of the most successful pirates of the time, captured the Whydah Galley on a Caribbean trade route. Two months later during the nor’easter off Cape Cod, the ship, now laden with plunder from more than 50 ships, sank off the coast. All but two of the 146 people on board drowned.
Archaeologists have recovered thousands of artifacts from the shipwreck site. One key item, the ship’s bell inscribed “Whydah Galley 1716,” authenticates the shipwreck site. Hundreds of everyday objects from the shipwreck provide a rare window into the world of 18-century pirates. Reedy will discuss various aspects of piracy and life at sea during that time.
Reedy is the director of R2 Underwater Consultants in Morehead City. The nautical archaeologist has more than 30 year’s experience in field excavations and conservation. He has directed and consulted on projects in the United States, the Caribbean, the Mariana Islands, Nova Scotia and other locations worldwide.
Reedy’s program is part of a lecture series presented in conjunction with the exhibit Knights of the Black Flag at the N.C. Museum of History. The exhibit explores the legacy of pirates, from ancient times to the present. Intriguing artifacts, legends and history bring their ruthless adventures to life. Showcasing many pirate-related objects, Knights of the Black Flag includes the largest collection of artifacts ever exhibited from the shipwreck believed to be Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.
For more information about the museum, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org. The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton St., across from the State Capitol. Parking is available in the lot across Wilmington Street.
The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.