The Legend of Jean Lafitte

Was Lafitte a hero or a 
scoundrel -- or both?

By Tom Morrow

One of the more interesting biographical profiles in American history has to be that of Jean Lafitte, (pronounced "La-Feet,").

Who was he? The first moniker that comes to mind for those who have studied his life is "pirate." That's the primary label given to him. He preferred to consider himself a "privateer," Privateers were sea captains given license by the various nation to capture enemy merchant ships. The U.S. government issued "Letters of Marque" to private armed vessels to help the small U.S. Navy against the powerful British navy, the largest in the world. Lafitte maintained he had one of these U.S. letters, which gave him license to attack British merchant vessels and sell the captured goods. He expanded his prey to Spanish vessels, but, reportedly, never attacked a U.S. vessel. That, of course, is disputed by historians.

Lafitte is believed to have been born around 1776, in France or in the French colony of Saint-Dominque. He died around 1823, trying to capture a Spanish vessel. That location also is very debatable -- take your pick: Yucatan, the Gulf of Mexico, Illinois, South Carolina, Leon, Nicaragua, or Sao Miguel Island in the Azores. If you're a resident of Louisiana or a student of Gulf and bayou history, stories are legion of Lafitte's escapades. If you're a fan of U.S. history, Lafitte was the hero alongside Gen. Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. They led U.S. troops, civilians, and pirates in defeating the British to keep New Orleans free. It was the last battle in the War of 1812. Lafitte's service was mercenary. He was promised a pardon for him and his men if they fought alongside the Americans against the British.

A side note to the Battle of New Orleans: 
Because communications took weeks to send a message by ship from Europe to America, the War of 1812 had ended three months prior to the famed battle. The Treaty of Ghent (Belgium) ended the war between the United States and Great Britain.

Jean Lafitte worked with his brother, Pierre, in dispersing goods they obtained from piracy, primarily in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. When the U.S. passed the Embargo Act of 1807, the Lafitte brothers moved their operations from New Orleans to Barataria Bay, near the city, but hidden and protected by the bayous of the Mississippi River delta. After the war, the Lafittes moved to Galveston Island, Texas, and became spies for the Spanish during the Mexican war for independence (1821). While at Galveston Island, Lafitte developed a pirate colony called "Campeche." The two brothers continued attacking merchant ships along the gulf coast and throughout the Caribbean.

Historians have argued about various details of Jean Lafitte's life. A controversial character, he was a scoundrel to many, a hero to others.

If you'd like to learn more about Jean Lafitte, try to find a copy of "Lafitte the Pirate" by Lyle Saxon. Three Hollywood movies have been filmed, loosely based on the pirates role in the Battle of New Orleans: "The Bucaneer," (1938), starring Fredric March; "The Last of the Buccaneers," (1950, starring Paul Henreid. "The Bucaneer," (1958), a remake of the 1938 version), starring Yul Brynner as Lafitte, and Charlton Heston as Gen. Andrew Jackson.

If you enjoy these nuggets of history I periodically send out, share them with a young person. My goal is to encourage history and geography education, two important subjects which are being given less emphasis in elementary and high school education.

For my historical novel, "Nebraska Doppelganger," go to the below link for free shipping:

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