In the early 18th century, a legendary African pirate who operated off the coast of Florida. They called him Black Caesar. According to folklore, he was once an African chieftain who was captured by slavers but escaped after a shipwreck near the Florida Keys. He and his crew turned to piracy, using the remote islands and hidden coves as a base for raiding passing ships around what is now Biscayan National Park.

Known for his cunning and strength, Black Caesar ambushed merchant vessels, using the treacherous waters to his advantage. Some stories suggest he partnered with the infamous pirate Blackbeard, serving as a trusted lieutenant aboard Queen Anne’s Revenge.

During the decline of piracy in the early 1700s, Black Caesar was captured after Blackbeard’s defeat in 1718. He was taken to Virginia, where he was tried and executed. Today in Floria his legend endures as a symbol of resistance, freedom, and defiance against oppression.

The Joy Trip Project celebrates Black History Month.

The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series aims to elevate the untold stories of Black American history.

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