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Battle of New Orleans. Jean Lafitte (c.1780 – c.1823) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". This has become the common spelling in the United States, including ...
Mar 6, 2014 · A “Buccaneer” scene from the Battle of New Orleans, with Yul Brynner as Jean Laffite, at Battery No. 3. Almost 200 years ago, privateer-smuggler Jean Laffite became a hero because he did something most people wouldn’t have done: in the face of extreme adversity, he had helped save New Orleans for the Americans, even though United States ...
- Jean Lafitte Becomes A Pirate Commander
- The War of 1812
- From Pirate to Patriot
- A Finale Shrouded in Mystery
As is true of so many elusive characters of his time, the details on Lafitte’s background are ambiguous. By some accounts, he was born in the French colony of San Domingo, which is now Haiti. By others, he was born Jewish in Bordeaux, France. But most sources agree that he was likely born between 1780 and 1782. How many siblings exactly Lafitte had...
In 1814, the British courted Lafitte and the Barataria pirates to join them in their fight against America and aid in an attack on New Orleans. They offered the pirates land and a full pardon for their crimes should they join them. The British also offered Lafitte 30,000 British pounds or the equivalent of $2 million today to convince his followers...
While U.S. forces hunted down Jean Lafitte and his men, they also contended with the imminent threat of a British invasion. In December 1814, a battle at Lake Borgne resulted in the capture of five American gunboats filled with armaments and several boats of prisoners. Ten American soldiers were killed while 35 others were wounded. Finally, General...
Jean Lafitte relocated with 500 of his men to Galveston Island in Mexico in 1816. Within two years, Lafitte rebuilt the Baratarians’ operations, capturing goods and smuggling them into the U.S. The new colony at Galveston, which Lafitte dubbed Campeche, survived through eviction threats from the U.S. Army and a massive hurricane that devastated the...
- Natasha Ishak
Nov 3, 2021 · Jean Lafitte (also spelt Laffite, c. 1780 to c. 1820 CE) was a Franco-American leader of pirates and privateers who captured merchant vessels of various states in the Gulf of Mexico from 1810 to 1820. Lafitte proved an invaluable ally for the United States in the War of 1812 and the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, assisting General Andrew Jackson ...
- Mark Cartwright
A British fleet of gunboats was met in Lake Borgne, east of New Orleans, by a small flotilla of American gunboats. Outnumbered and unable to maneuver freely due to light winds, the Americans were defeated. But this delayed the British invasion fleet, which gave General Andrew Jackson more time to prepare defenses in New Orleans.
The Battle of New Orleans was a pivotal event in American history and in Jackson's own personal destiny. The battle also marked a turning point in the story of the brothers Laffite and the Baratarians. Jean and Pierre Laffite's ironically question- able patriotism brought them little in the way of tangible re- wards.
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Nov 13, 2019 · Jean Laffite (Lafitte), pirate, was born in Bayonne, France, probably in 1780 or 1781, the son of a French father and a Spanish mother. He was four years younger than his more capable brother, Pierre. The family migrated to the island of Hispaniola, then fled during the turmoil of rebellion, and the brothers may have reached New Orleans by 1804.
