Samuel Bellamy

Samuel Bellamy, also known as 'Black Sam', was an infamous English pirate active in the early 18th century. He is best known for commanding the Whydah Gally, the first pirate ship ever discovered in North America, which sank off the coast of Cape Cod during a storm in 1717. Bellamy was reputedly one of the wealthiest pirates of his time, with a treasure estimated to be worth between $4.5 to $5 million today, taken from over 50 captured ships. His legacy lives on in pirate lore, symbolizing the romanticized adventure and tragedy of piracy.