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Jean Laffite was born in Santo Domingo and raised by a Spanish-Jewish grandmother who instilled in him a hatred for the Spanish Crown and those who served it. Later this hatred grew to include the British. Following in the footsteps of his eldest brother Alexandre, Jean and his brother Pierre became privateers for France under the command of their uncle Rene Beluchai. Laffite describes in detail the capture of a Spanish ship and its crews fate. After a period of seizing enemy vessels, the two brothers go to France to join Napoleons armies. Instead, they find themselves in enemy prisons, and upon release they return to the Caribbean where they resume depredations against Spanish and British s...
"Jean Laffite Revealed: Unraveling One of America's Longest Running Mysteries takes a fresh look at the various myths and legends surrounding the life and death of one of the last great pirates, Jean Laffite, exploring the theory that Laffite faked his death in the early 1820s and re-entered the United States under an assumed name. Beginning in New Orleans in 1805, the book traces Laffite through his rise to power as a privateer and smuggler in the Gulf, his involvement in the Battle of New Orleans, his flight to Galveston, Texas and eventual disappearance in the waters of the Caribbean, then picking up the trail as he makes a return into the country under a new identity. The tale follows Laffite's subsequent journey across the South and his eventual end in North Carolina, where he died in 1875 at the age of ninety-five. Backed up by thorough research and ample documentation, the book contradicts the prevailing thought about the disappearance and death of Laffite, making a compelling case that is sure to intrigue and inspire scholars and history buffs for many years to come"--
Annotation The definitive biography of the notorious buccaneer.
Rubin and Himmelman present the only picture-book biography of infamous Jean Laffite, a real-life pirate who played a huge role in the history of the United States and the War of 1812. Full color.
No fictional swashbuckler could ever rival Jean Lafitte's dramatic life. From his hidden base in the Louisiana swamps at Barataria Bay, Lafitte mounted daring raids on ships in the Gulf of Mexico. His battles with the law were the stuff of legend: when Governor Claiborne of Louisiana offered a reward for the buccaneer's capture, Lafitte responded with a bigger reward for the governor! But when the British asked for his help in their invasion of Louisiana during the War of 1812, the pirate instead joined forces with Andrew Jackson to win the Battle of New Orleans. Later, the brigand moved his operation to Galveston and harried Mexican vessels in support of the Texans seeking independence. Lyle Saxon's superbly written account examines Lafitte's fascinating career, and frees the truth of the pirate's life from the web of fantastic myths which grew up around him. Did Lafitte participate in the French Revolution as a lad? What was his role in the plot to rescue Napoleon from his exile on St. Helena? And where is Lafitte's treasure hidden? Lafitte the Pirate is a classic work which will appeal to both adventure lovers and students of Louisiana history.
At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans' history, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Davis uncovers the truth about two men who made their names synonymous with piracy and intrigue on the Gulf.