Virtual Program

This is the exciting true story of the saga, the wreck, and eventual discovery of the Whydah - the only pirate ship ever found and the incredible mysteries she shared and continues to reveal.

The 1650s - 1730s marked the golden age of piracy, when fearsome pirates like Blackbeard, “Black” Sam Bellamy and Captain Kidd ruled the waves, seeking not only treasure but also large and fast ships to carry it. The Whydah was just such a ship, built to ply the Triangular Trade route, which it did until one of the greediest pirates of all, Black Sam Bellamy, commandeered it.

Filling the ship to capacity with treasure, Bellamy hoped to retire with his bounty but in 1717 the ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod. For more than two hundred years, the wreck of the Whydah and the riches that went down with it eluded treasure seekers, until the ship was finally found in 1984 by marine archaeologists. The artifacts brought up from the ocean floor are priceless, both in value and in the picture they reveal of life in that much-mythologized era, changing much of what we know about pirates. 

Join Historical re-enactor, lecturer and tour guide- Michael Jesberger for a discussion on very real pirates and their treasure!!

Presented by: Michael Jesberger is an independent military historian who specializes in the American Revolution and Civil War time periods. He is renowned for his depth and breadth of knowledge, as well as his engaging and passionate presentation style, whether providing formal lectures, living history presentations or tours of historic sites in the Tri-state area.

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This presentation will be held online via Zoom.  Register and receive program link by entering your information below.  Any questions? Contact DeAnne O'Brien at dobrien@ivpl.org.