Jews known and unknown on postage stamps. Lafitte, Jean Jean Lafitte
Laffite (or Lafitte, Lafitte) Jean
(around 1776 - after 1823)
The famous French privateer and smuggler who, with the tacit approval of the American government, robbed English and Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of his “enterprise” occurred in the 1810s.
IN early XIX century in the area Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the most common were French privateers. After the French Caribbean islands came into English possession in 1810, privateers operating under the French flag lost the ports where they delivered their loot. However, it soon opened up to pirates. new opportunity. The province of Cartagena, part of what is now Colombia, declared independence from Spain and was at enmity with it. The pirates received in the port of Cartagena the same letters of marque that they previously had from France. The contraband they looted poured into the New Orleans area. By 1811, Jean Laffite became the de facto leader and organizer of the Baratarian privateers. Further history It turned out that the same Jean Laffite became a hero of the United States in their struggle for New Orleans.
Everyone knew Jean Laffite in New Orleans, but few knew that he was a Jew, or rather, a descendant of the Maranos. The history of the Laffites began in medieval Spain, when at the end of the 15th century Jews were evicted from this country. They were offered to either convert to Christianity or leave the country. Many Spanish Jews were baptized, came to Christianity, and their descendants finally broke with Judaism. But there were also those who, having gone through the rite of baptism, continued to secretly profess Judaism. The Spaniards contemptuously called them maranos (from the Spanish marrano - pig). To preserve the Jewish faith, the Marans married people of their own circle. When the Inquisition began rampant in Europe, which persecuted Christians for heresy (by the way, the Inquisition left Jews who openly followed Judaism alone), the Maranos were under its close attention. Since they pretended to be Christians, the Inquisition interpreted the secret observance of Jewish rituals, the main one being the observance of the Sabbath, as apostasy. Jean Laffite's parents had eight children. Since Jean's mother died early, the children were raised by their grandmother Zora, who came from the Maranos. In Spain, grandfather Aborad Nadrimal, Zora's husband, died at the hands of the Inquisition. The grandmother was an educated person and tried to give her grandchildren a good education. Zora’s memory preserves family stories passed down from generation to generation about the persecution of the Marans. My grandmother said that in 1765 they fled to France to escape the Inquisition. From her stories, Jean Laffite perceived hatred of Spain. He would later write: “My grandfather was a free-thinking Jew. He was not a practicing Catholic and was not affiliated with a traditional Jewish synagogue. But this did not save him from death from starvation in prison, where he was imprisoned for refusing to disclose the details of his life that the Inquisition authorities demanded from the Jews.”
In the second half of the 18th century, the Laffitte family lived on the island of Haiti, where Jean was born in 1782. Then they moved to French Martinique. It was here that Jean mastered the art of fencing. Everyone who knew Jean said that he was handsome and elegant, always impeccably dressed, in a word, a “gentleman.” People who later communicated closely with him noted that he was fluent in four European languages. Meanwhile, Dominique, Jean's older brother, became a privateer. Although Grandma Zora dreamed that Jean would devote his life to writing, he followed his brother’s path, “took up the sword” and received a letter of marque from the French authorities. His brother Pierre, who was two years older than Jean, followed the same path. Thus, the brothers acquired the right, under the French flag, to “legally” seize Spanish booty, including slaves.
Already in these years, the leadership qualities of the youngest of the Laffitte brothers were evident. Jean Laffite made his first capture of a Spanish ship in 1801, at the age of 19. After four years of successful piracy, Jean Laffite loaded his family and considerable property onto a ship and headed for France, where he wanted to settle “like a gentleman.” But on the way they were overtaken by a Spanish warship. The Spaniards took away the property and landed the Laffites on some island. By chance, an American schooner picked up the family and took them to New Orleans. Jean was poor. Soon his wife died. Shortly before this, a ship under the command of Pierre Laffite arrived in New Orleans. Customs authorities accused him of smuggling (not without reason, I think) and confiscated the ship along with its cargo. Impoverished Pierre was reunited with his brother. They managed to get a job at the city customs (they knew the intricacies of smuggling in detail). In 1806, Jean Laffite wrote: “I met several people as desperate and poor as myself. We bought a schooner and declared war on Spain. As long as I live, I will fight with Spain, and only with her. I am peaceful with everyone except Spain.” The Laffite brothers then went to Cartagena and received a letter of marque there.
Returning to the Gulf of Mexico, they began to rob Spanish ships “right and left” and in a short time captured one and a half dozen ships, concentrating them at the Barataria base. After a short time, the value of goods belonging to Laffite and stored on the island of Grand Terre reached a million dollars.
After Jefferson passed the Embargo Act of 1807, the Lafittes moved their operations to Barataria Bay off the coast of Louisiana, where up to a thousand men served under their command. The Laffites carried out illegal deliveries of slaves to the southern states of the United States. It seemed that the success of the Baratarians was assured for a long time, but the authorities and Governor Claiborne took drastic measures. The fact is that the increasingly frequent seizures of Spanish ships caused numerous complaints from the Spanish consul in New Orleans. As a result, in November 1812, a detachment of the American army was sent to the Barataria Bay area to suppress smuggling activities. The Americans captured a group of pirates, including Jean and Pierre Laffite. Jean was immediately released on bail, but Pierre remained in prison. During the year, Jean was summoned to court three times, but he did not appear. Then, in November 1813, the governor of New Orleans distributed notices throughout the city in which a reward of $750 was announced for the extradition of Laffite. Two days later, a new announcement was distributed, in which Laffitte now promised $1,500 for delivering the governor to the island of Grand Terre, that is, to the main pirate island. With this behavior he demonstrated his strength and influence.
During 1813, the British, who were at war with the United States, also tried several times to capture the Barataria area, but the privateers were better armed and the British retreated. In the early morning of September 3, 1814, the Baratarians on Grand Terre were awakened by cannon fire. Two hundred pirates jumped ashore. They saw a British ship approaching, unnoticed by the American sailors. It was an English brig from the flotilla stationed in the port of Pensacola. Jean Laffite came out to meet the British in a boat. The British also launched a sloop. The officer handed Jean the package. Jean invited the officer to his residence and opened the package, which contained two letters. The first called on the people of Louisiana to cooperate with Britain. As a reward for their assistance in this fight, they were promised vacant lands that would be taken from the United States. Another letter was addressed personally to Jean Laffite. The British threatened to destroy the base if the privateers did not help them against the United States. Laffite was offered a one-time reward of $30,000 and the rank of captain in the British Navy with a corresponding salary, and all members of his pirate crew were offered service in the British army. In exchange for all this, Laffite had to lead English troops from Barataria Bay to New Orleans.
Laffite pretended to accept the British offer, but asked for two weeks to settle his affairs. He supposedly needed to consult with his captains. As soon as the brig left the island of Grand Terre, Laffite sent a trusted assistant to New Orleans to warn the governor of the impending British attack. Laffite also proposed that he, at the head of his team of filibusters, would defend the city, provided that his previous sins were forgiven. It is possible that he took the side of America because Spain, which he hated, stood behind England, which was fighting against the United States. The information was immediately transmitted to Governor Claiborne. The governor did not take responsibility for taking such important decision and raised two questions before the state legislative committee: whether the letters received were reliable and whether it was proper for the governor to enter into negotiations with the pirate Jean Laffite and his colleagues. During the discussion, the state police chief, in particular, said: “The Baratarians are not pirates, but privateers. They operate under the flag of Cartagena and therefore can only legally deliver captured goods there, and not to our ports. The only thing they can be accused of is that they illegally sell goods from us. The United States has accepted the fact that these people are on our territory. The privateers see that we are threatened by an enemy whom they also hate. We must believe the Baratarians."
Despite this opinion, the committee decided by majority to destroy the base on the island of Grand Terre, for which a detachment of warships was sent there. By this time, Jean and Pierre (who managed to escape from prison) Laffitte began to think over a plan of action depending on which ships, British or American, would appear first. Jean ordered his subordinates not to resist if the Americans arrived and to leave the base untouched. Each filibuster was given “freedom,” that is, he could go anywhere. As for the property of each of them, Laffite hoped for its legalization and safety, since he considered his people not pirates, but privateers. He ordered the weapons and ammunition to be hidden from the island of Grand Terre to another base. The slaves were transported elsewhere. The most valuable things, important papers, maps and money were dispersed on several ships owned by the Laffites. Shortly before the expiration of the two-week period set by the British, these ships left for a small island 40 miles west of Grand Terre.
Dominique, one of Jean's brothers, was left on Grand Terre so that when the British appeared, he would burn the warehouses with the remaining goods. When Dominic saw the approaching American, rather than British, ships, he did not dare open fire on the SHA flag, but set fire to the warehouses and part of his ships. Five hundred Baratarians managed to escape before the Americans landed on the island. Dominic and 80 Baratarians were arrested and imprisoned. They were soon released. The goods that the Americans managed to save from the fire were estimated at 500-600 thousand dollars, according to various sources.
Shortly after the defeat of the Barataria base, the governor of Louisiana and military leaders received information confirming the British offensive. As Laffite had warned, whose message had previously been ignored, the British fleet actually headed for the shores of Louisiana and prepared to attack New Orleans. The British were forced to attack the city from the east, and not the shortest route through Baratarian Bay, since, having received no help from Laffite, they were afraid to independently make their way from the south through uncharted water channels. With this alone, Jean Laffite and his Baratarians provided great assistance to the Americans. A look at the map suggests that if Laffite had helped the British get through Baratarian Sound, they would have cut off New Orleans from internal regions country and no one knows how it would all end.
General Andrew Jackson, the future president of the country, arrived here in early December 1814 to lead the defense of New Orleans. There was nowhere to wait for help. The city's defenders had no troops, no artillery, no ammunition. Jackson initially considered Jean Laffite and his "associates" to be "bandits." Then, driven by his characteristic frontier instincts, he appreciated the urgency of the moment and approved the Governor's proposal for the release of Dominique Laffite and the other Baratarians so that they could take up positions at the artillery guns, for the first time in their lives not on ships, but on solid ground. Other Baratarians who knew how to handle naval artillery were included in the crews of the ships. Jean Laffite had also arrived in the city by this time. Not far from New Orleans, a huge amount of gunpowder was stored in its warehouses. He was not exaggerating when he said that he could provide ammunition to an army of 30 thousand soldiers. Such was the scope of this man's activities. Laffite placed at Jackson's disposal the guns and ammunition that the city's defense so desperately needed. The Baratarians supplied the New Orleanians with gunpowder, guns and flints, and shells different types. Every combat-ready resident received a weapon. Jean Laffite, who was well versed in navigating the tangled Mississippi estuary, became Jackson's closest advisor.
Sending Laffite to the officer commanding the defense of the base in the Barataria Strait, Jackson wrote: “The giver of this, Mr. Jean Laffite will present you with a lot of important and valuable information. Send him back as soon as possible. I need him here." Pierre Laffite, who made available to the Americans goods from his store captured in pirate raids, also became Jackson's liaison officer. The defense of New Orleans lasted several weeks and the city held out. Some historians argue that the defense would have been impossible without smugglers and privateers. General Andrew Jackson and pirate Jean Laffite were hailed as heroes. The services of Jean's brothers were also highly appreciated. Jackson met the troops returning to the city. He greeted each detachment separately, and about the Baratarians, in particular, he said: “The Laffite brothers showed courage and devotion to duty. I promise that the government will appreciate their leadership." General Jackson and the Louisiana legislature petitioned the President of the country for the complete rehabilitation of the Baratarians. President James Madison not only agreed with the exoneration, but even proposed that all lawsuits and charges against them be dropped. In February 1815, he signed a decree amnesty for Jean Laffite and his filibusters. All Baratarians were granted citizenship of the United States of America. Many of them then took up peaceful fishing.
After the defense of New Orleans, Jean Laffite had to sue the American authorities, demanding the return of property confiscated during the liquidation of the Barataria base. Laffite's claims were based on the fact that the US President exonerated him of past pirate activities. But the authorities believed that Laffite had lost the right to the confiscated contraband property, since according to American laws, a quarter of the value of this property was distributed as a reward among the customs and coast guard officers who took part in the confiscation, and the remaining three quarters were transferred to the country's budget . Laffite appealed to the president for support, but received no response. The legal battle did not lead to success, and Laffite and his team were faced with the question of “how to move on.”
Bearing in mind the recognition of his services in the defense of New Orleans and the image of a hero that had developed around Jean Laffite in the city, he could successfully go into business or even be active. political activity high level. Any aristocratic family would consider it an honor to become related to such a groom. But if Laffite had followed this path, it would not have been Laffite. He was drawn to other horizons.
At this time, in the colonial possessions of Spain, which included present-day Mexico and Texas, the national liberation movement intensified, which later, in 1821, ended with the declaration of Mexican independence. In the meantime, in September 1816, in addition to the fight on land, the Mexican Republicans hired the Frenchman Louis Aury to start a war with the Spaniards at sea. Galveston Island in what is now the state of Texas was used as a base. The Republicans appointed Auri "commander of the navy of the Republic of Mexico." This fleet of 13-15 small ships anchored off the island, and Auri became governor of Texas and Galveston. Galveston was declared part of the Mexican Republic. Auri recruited more than 500 pirates who literally paralyzed the activities of the Spanish commercial fleet. Galveston Island also became home to another group of Mexican revolutionaries, led by Xavier Mina, who landed here in November 1816. As a first step towards the liberation of Mexico, a plan was considered to combine the efforts of the two groups to capture the port of Pensacola, which was owned by Spain.
But from the very beginning, Auri and Mina did not get along with each other and the plan turned out to be unrealistic. And while these “figures” were bickering, the so-called “Republican Liberation Army,” led by Mina, was defeated, Mina was captured and executed. When Auri and his fleet arrived in Galveston in early May 1817, it turned out that none other than Jean Laffite and his crew became the master of the island. What preceded this? There were many legends about this. The reality was revealed already in our time, when documents were found in the previously secret archives of Spain that the chief military engineer of the defense of New Orleans, the Frenchman Latour, was an informant agent for Spain. He drew up a plan to solve the problem of combating the Auri pirates operating in the Gulf of Mexico. It turned out that Jean and Pierre Laffite were also Spanish agents and executors of this plan. They received large rewards from the Spanish intelligence resident in New Orleans. Even the codes under which the Laffite brothers were registered with the Spanish intelligence services became known. Thanks to Jean's audacity and his ability to play a double game, he outwitted everyone: the Spanish consul in New Orleans, the Spanish intelligence resident in New Orleans, the Spanish governor general of Cuba, the government and the king of Spain.
The King of Spain ordered the Governor General of Cuba to put an end to the Gulf Pirates. Since the order was not supported naval force, the Governor General turned to the Consul in New Orleans for help. He, after consulting with the resident of Spanish intelligence, who by that time had a large list of agents, including the Laffite brothers, pointed to Jean as the executor of this difficult matter. Laffite, who had been eyeing Spanish gold for a long time, immediately set to work. He headed to the corsairs' lair on Galveston Island to determine their strength and devise a plan to rid the bay of their rivals. He met with Auri and the then still alive Mina. He managed to come to an agreement with them. Auri left the island, and Laffite established his residence here and formed a leadership group. He returned to New Orleans and reported everything to the Spanish consul. In his report to the Governor General of Cuba, the consul highly praised the Laffites' activities for the benefit of Spain.
So, when Auri arrived on the island in early May 1817, he found new “leadership” on it. Auri, naturally, was not eager to give up his “rights” to a leading role in pirate activity in the Gulf, but decided that he was no longer on the same path with the Mexican liberation movement. He left Galveston. Although Laffite's headquarters on the island did not have the legitimacy that Auri, who received his post from the official representative of the Mexican Republicans, had, rumors of Laffite's return to the field of pirate activity spread quickly. The base began to grow rapidly and by the end of 1817 its permanent “staff” numbered a thousand people. Laffite demonstrated the appearance of "honest business" and received rewards from the colonies that rebelled against Spain. Although he and his "colleagues" claimed to be privateers, in fact they were outright pirates. Goods from captured Spanish ships were delivered to the island, and local traders came to pick them up. As before, the most profitable “product” were slaves. Spanish commerce suffered ten times greater losses from piracy than any other country in the region. Washington also received complaints about the actions of pirates.
Laffite cleverly played on the fact that Galveston Island was claimed by both Spain and the United States. Under these conditions, the Spanish authorities understood that if the Americans had made efforts to eliminate Laffite's base, the island would then have come under the full ownership of the United States. Thus, in these events, Jean Laffite showed his extraordinary qualities as a clever, but not always highly moral, politician and inventive businessman. At the end of the summer of 1818, an official representative of the US President invited Jean Laffite to leave Galveston Island. This requirement was based on the fact that the island had already become part of the territory acquired by the United States as a result of the Louisiana Purchase back in 1803, and the American government no longer wanted to tolerate a pirate base. Laffite ignored the president's demand, erected new buildings and increased the number of personnel. His ships flew the flag of the “Republic of Mexico,” and he was appointed governor of Galveston by that unrecognized republic. At the same time, he pretended to serve Spain as its secret agent. He also managed to receive support from the Governor General of Cuba, who, in writing, on behalf of the royal government, appointed him governor of the island.
In the summer of 1819, the Americans created the so-called Texas Liberation Army. The commander of this army sent representatives to Laffite who proposed joint action. Jean answered evasively, although he recalled that he had fought against royal Spain for eight years. At the same time, as letters found in the archives of the Governor General of Cuba showed, he communicated with officers of the Spanish “special services.”
Galveston continued to prosper, but the Laffite brothers felt the end of their business was approaching, so they created additional warehouses in the United States, away from the Gulf Coast. Here they stored goods looted from Spanish ships, as well as gold and jewelry. Early on a January morning in 1821, an American warship approached Galveston Island. Jean Laffite was given an ultimatum: the pirate base must disappear, the houses must be destroyed, the ships must leave the harbor, and Laffite must leave the island. 60 days were allotted for this. During this time, Jean needed to remove the looted goods, pay people, settle financial affairs, and take care of the subsequent fate of the captains. On Saturday, March 3, 1821, the American ship returned and watched as the pirate ships disappeared one by one into the blue-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Jean Laffite came ashore from the last ship. He set fire to the base's buildings, including his luxurious villa, returned to the ship and, as Encyclopedia Britannica tells us, "set off for the legendary pirate kingdom from which he had come long before."
The fate of Jean Laffite after he left Galveston Island was for decades the subject of many legends, each more mysterious than the other. The fact is that there were no documentary materials about him. Even the name of the ship on which Laffite left Galveston Island in front of the American sailors does not subsequently appear in any of the port records. Data about recent years Jean's life and activities are so uncertain that there is doubt whether he was alive during these years at all. There are legends about the countless treasures of the Laffites, hidden under water and on land. The mystery is the circumstances of Jean's death, which may have taken place in 1825 or 1826, when, according to one version, he was killed in a pirate battle and buried according to maritime custom at sea. It is noteworthy that after these years, pirate robberies in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico almost completely ceased. Another version is that Jean Laffite lived for more than thirty years in different places in the USA, not necessarily under his own name, and died in 1854. In the years 1845-1850, he allegedly wrote memoirs on French, which were not to be published for 107 years.
After 107 years, Jean's direct heir, his great-grandson, John Laffite published in 1958 in New York English translation memoirs of Jean, “The Journal of Jean Laffite.” The memoirs read like a fascinating detective story. In his memoirs, he writes about a visit to Europe in 1847, where he met Marx and Engels several times. Jean gave Marx a text that described the relationships he, Laffite, had established in the pirate communities at the Barataria and Galveston bases. Marx proposed that Laffitte, upon his return to America, hand over the text of the Manifesto Communist Party» Abraham Lincoln, then senator from Illinois. There is confirmation that Lincoln received this text. In his memoirs, Jean’s entry is dated February 1849: “I opened an account in a bank in Paris to finance two young people, Marx and Engels, to help them bring about a revolution by the workers of the whole world. I hope that their new doctrine and manifesto will lead to the overthrow of the English government, because Spain is already weak. I have always received satisfaction from supporting any cause of the freedom struggle.” And this despite the fact that three decades earlier Jean Laffite was engaged in the slave trade! The authenticity of memoirs and other documents about the last years of Laffite's life has been questioned. An examination of the manuscript of the memoirs was carried out, which showed that it was written on paper made in the mid-19th century. Chemical analysis ink confirms their belonging to the same time. However, great uncertainty arises when attempting to meaningfully analyze a text. There is even a version that they were written by a man who was under manic influence extraordinary personality Laffite...
As for Jean's brothers, Pierre's fate is also not very clear. There is a version that he died somewhere in the forests of Mexico. According to another version, he died in 1844 in a small town in Missouri and was buried in St. Louis. It is known about Dominic that he sailed several times to join his brothers at the Galveston base, returned to New Orleans, and proved himself to be an American patriot. He died in 1830 and was buried with military honors.
(1782–1854) Jean Lafitte was the most famous French pirate who operated in the Gulf of Mexico at the beginning of the 19th century. He left a bright mark on the history of New Orleans. Born in Porto-Prince on the island of Haiti in 1782. His father was the tanner Marius Lafitte, his mother was the Spanish Jew Zora Nadrimal. Jean was the youngest of eight children in the family. At the age of 17, he married Christina Levin, who lived in the Danish possessions in the Antilles, and she gave birth to his daughter (Christina soon died of postpartum rubella on board a ship sailing from Haiti to New Orleans).
In 1803, Jean Lafitte and his older brother Pierre equipped the brig “Sweet Sister” to Haiti, acquired a letter of marque from the governor of the island of Martinique to attack English ships, and launched corsair operations in the Caribbean Sea. They combined corsairing with outright piracy, slave trade and smuggling. In the Yucatan Strait, the brothers captured the English ship "Active", renamed "Ector", and in March 1804 they intercepted the American sailing ship "Mary", heading from Havana to Charleston. The Lafittes brought their prizes to New Orleans in April of the same year, presenting false documents for them (“Mary” was presented as the Spanish merchant ship “Santa Maria”). At the beginning of 1805, the Lafitte brothers opened their blacksmith shop in the center of New Orleans on Bourbon Street, which served as a cover for their smuggling deals. The following year, they acquired a patent for the right to trade slaves, without ceasing, however, to smuggle black slaves.
In subsequent years, Jean Lafitte founded a secret pirate hideout in the Mississippi Delta, on the islands of Barataria Bay. In 1811, he already had a whole flotilla of pirate ships operating in the waters of the West Indies. Chosen by the boss, that is, the owner, he immediately provided all the captains of Barataria with letters of marque from the anti-Spanish authorities of Cartagena (Colombia), thereby legalizing the community of adventurers. The pirate flotilla included the Mizer and Dorada ships under the command of Jean Lafitte himself; "Petit Milan" by Captain Gambi; "The Spy" by Captain René Beluche, Lafitte's uncle; "Sensi Jack" captain Pierre Sicard and "Victory" captain Francois Sapia.
In November 1812, New Orleans authorities organized a raid in Barataria, Jean and Pierre Lafitte and 24 filibusters were arrested and thrown into the dungeons of the Calabuse fortress. But a few weeks later the Lafittes were released on bail. No charges were brought against them.
In the spring of 1813, at the insistence of District Attorney John Randolph Grimes, Louisiana Governor William Claiborne agreed to indict the Lafitte brothers in state court, but they did not appear in the courtroom, taking refuge at their base in Barataria. Then the governor, on November 24 of the same year, announced a reward of $500 to anyone who would hand over Jean Lafitte to the hands of the sheriff of New Orleans or any other county. Two days later, a leaflet appeared in the city with the following content: “Jean Lafitte is offering a reward of $5,000 to anyone who brings Governor William S.S. Claiborne to him. Barataria, November 26, 1813." The pirate's response to the governor greatly amused the New Orleanians.
On January 15, 1814, a large sale of slaves and looted goods took place in Barataria. The Customs Department sent 12 soldiers, led by Lieutenant Stout, to confiscate the illegal goods, but upon arrival at the scene, the detachment was attacked, Stout was killed, two soldiers were seriously wounded, the rest were captured and released a few days later.
Two months later, District Attorney Grimes reported to the state governor that in six months, pirates had brought goods worth $1 million to Barataria. At least one tenth of the residents of New Orleans were involved in the illegal trade, and on some days up to 500 New Orleans buyers of stolen goods gathered in the pirate lair.
In June 1814, a federal police vessel detained the ship of a Baratarian nicknamed Gianni Firebeard, who had robbed 2 Spanish ships. On July 18, Judge Hall notified Pierre Lafitte, who had been arrested on the street, that Firebeard had named him, Lafitte, as his accomplice.
On September 3 of the same year, a British brig under the command of Captain Lockyer arrived in Barataria. The latter gave Jean Lafitte a letter from General Nichols, commander of the British troops in Florida. There was a war going on between Britain and the United States, and the British wanted to use the Barataria filibusters as pilots. Lafitte was offered the rank of captain 1st rank and 30 thousand dollars, but he refused to cooperate with the British, which he notified the governor of Louisiana about. The latter forgave the pirate for his past sins and turned a blind eye to the “unexpected” escape of Pierre Lafitte from the city prison. At the same time, American Navy Commodore Daniel T. Patterson, who was in New Orleans, and the commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment, Colonel T. Ross, having instructions from the Secretary of the Navy to attack the pirate base in Barataria, prepared a punitive expedition against the filibusters on September 11. On September 16, American soldiers attacked Barataria, seized ships with cargo stationed there and captured about 80 pirates, including Lafitte’s older brother, Dominic, nicknamed Captain Domingo, as well as Rene Beluche. The fortifications of Barataria were razed and houses were destroyed.
On December 17, 1814, in connection with the threat of a British invasion of Louisiana, the commander of the military district, General Andrew Jackson, ordered the release from prison of Baratarians who expressed a desire to fight against the British, and promised to present a petition for clemency to the US President former pirates. On December 20, Jean Lafitte was personally introduced to General Jackson and during the conversation confirmed the desire of his people to help the American troops.
On December 23, the Battle of New Orleans began. All attempts by the British to capture the city were repulsed; the Baratarians guarding Fort St. John on the northern outskirts showed incredible resilience and skill in firing cannons. In early January 1815, the British retreated. General Jackson formally congratulated Captain Domingo and Rene Beluche, commanding the 3rd and 4th Batteries, and noted the "courage and fidelity" of the Lafitte brothers. In mid-March of the same year, a decree on the complete forgiveness of the Baratarians was delivered from Washington to New Orleans; The document was signed by US President James Madison and the Secretary of State. Although the Lafitte brothers received an amnesty, all their property was confiscated. To improve matters, they decided to again engage in illegal fishing - smuggling and piracy.
In early 1817, the Lafitte brothers agreed to become secret agents for Spanish intelligence, receiving code numbers 13–1 (for Pierre) and 13–2 (for Jean). The Spanish authorities in Havana instructed them to infiltrate the filibusters operating in the Gulf of Mexico, which they did, pursuing their interests.
On March 23 of the same year, the brothers arrived on the schooner Carmelita to Galveston Island in Texas, where they negotiated with the French corsair Louis d'Ory and the Mexican guerrilla Francisco Migna. On April 7, d'Ory and Migny's flotillas sailed from Galveston to liberate Mexico, and Jean Lafitte began setting up his base on the island.
Louis d'Ory, having quarreled with Migna, returned to Galveston on May 4 and was surprised to see several dozen corsairs building houses and warehouses on the shore. Having learned that he was no longer in command here, d'Ory went to other lands. Soon, Barataria veterans Gianni Firebeard, Vincent Gambi and Rene Beluch, who received a letter of marque from Simon Bolivar himself, settled in Galveston.
In the summer of 1818, the American Secretary of State presented President Monroe with a memorandum that stated: “...as the territory between the Sabine and Rio Bravo rivers is Louisiana, Galveston belongs to us. An excellent opportunity to confirm our sovereignty would be to send an expedition against the Lafittes.” Monroe wrote in the margin of the memorandum: “I agree, but act without hype. Notify the Lafittes that they must leave." The order to clear Galveston Bay and Island was given to Jean Lafitte late in the summer by Colonel Graham. Lafitte pretended to comply, but in reality continued to use Galveston as his main base. In the spring of 1819, the Republican government of Mexico officially appointed him governor of the island.
On January 3, 1821, the American war schooner Enterprise arrived in Galveston under the command of Lieutenant Commander Kearny. The latter conveyed to Jean Lafitte the US government's demand to liquidate the Galveston base. On March 2 of the same year, this ultimatum was fulfilled.
Commanding a black schooner, Jean Lafitte continued to scour the expanses of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. His brother Pierre died off the coast of Yucatan in November 1821. Jean, combining the smuggling trade of black slaves with sea robbery, moved around in Cuban waters until January 1822, when his ship was shot from cannons by an English warship. He swam to the Cuban coast, where he was captured by Spanish guards in the vicinity of the city of Santa Cruzdel Sur. Jean Lafitte spent several weeks in prison in the city of Puerto Princigga (modern Camagüey), then he was transferred to the San Juande Dios hospital, from where he escaped on February 13 of the same year. The governor of Puerto Principe wrote on March 19 that Jean Lafitte was with a band of pirates at the anchorage of Rincon Grande, one league from Viaro (on the northern coast of Cuba). Apparently, he continued to engage in the illegal slave trade for several years, then his trace was lost.
According to a number of researchers, on June 7, 1832, under the name John Laughlin, he married Emma Mortimer in Charleston. On April 4, 1834, their son Jules was born, and two years later their second son, named Glenn. In 1836, the couple settled on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis, where John Laughlin opened an office selling gunpowder. In 1848, Jean Lafitte - already under his own name - made a trip to France, where he delivered a cargo of gunpowder for an “unknown buyer”. In the late 40s and early 50s of the 19th century, Jean Lafitte financed the publication of books and pamphlets by abolitionists (opponents of slavery) , gave money to the fund of an organization that was engaged in the ransom of black slaves and their resettlement in the northern United States. After the tragic death youngest son Glenn, he moved to the city of Alton (Illinois). Lafitte died on May 5, 1854, after catching a cold on the river. Mississippi, where in bad weather he met secret transport with fugitive slaves.
Excellent definition
Incomplete definition ↓
America, American Pirate, 1782 - 1826
He was a descendant of the Marranos (forcibly baptized Spanish Jews). Jean's parents had 8 children. Their mother died early and they were raised by their grandmother Zora, whose husband died in an Inquisition prison. She was an intelligent, educated woman and tried to give her children a good upbringing. Almost all of them were fluent in Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Italian languages . In 1765, fleeing the Inquisition, she and her children fled to France, then moved to Haiti, where Jean was born. He was handsome, elegant, brave, dressed well and was good with weapons. Received a letter of marque from the French authorities. He made his first capture of a Spanish ship at the age of 19. His older brothers Pierre and Domenic also chose the pirate path, but Jean was always the ringleader. After 4 years of piracy, he got married and decided to end this dangerous, albeit profitable business. Together with his family, he boarded a ship and went to France, but on the way he was captured by a Spanish military galleon. All his wealth was taken away from him, and he was marooned on a desert island. Fortunately, an American schooner happened to be there, which brought him to New Orleans poor, but full of hatred for the Spaniards. Together with his brothers and several like-minded people, Jean bought a schooner and began to rob Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico. Soon he already had a flotilla of 10 ships. On the island of Grand Terre, the pirates established a base where they employed 3,000 people, unloading and storing stolen and contraband goods and holding slave auctions. The Laffites' influence was so great that when the governor of New Orleans announced a $500 reward for the capture of Jean, he issued a counteroffer to give $5,000 to anyone who would deliver the governor to the pirate base of Barateria. The British also tried to cope with the pirates. When they failed, they offered Lafitte a large reward and a commission as an officer in the British navy for his help in the fight against the United States. (The war between England and the United States lasted until 1815). Jean asked for two weeks to think, and he himself invited the US authorities to stand at the head of the filibusters to protect New Orleans, provided that the authorities forgive them for their previous sins. However, the Americans did not believe the pirate. They attacked the Barataria base and destroyed it. But when an English squadron of 50 ships with three thousand soldiers approached and there was a real threat of capturing New Orleans, they changed their anger to mercy and allowed the filibusters to defend the city. The pirates had a huge amount of weapons and ammunition, and many historians believe that it was the participation of Jean Lafitte’s detachment that was the main factor in the American victory. Jean became a national hero. US President James Madison signed a decree on a complete amnesty and rehabilitation of the filibusters and all 3 Lafittes. All of them were granted US citizenship. But, having no other means of subsistence and thanks to his adventurous nature, Jean continued to lead the life of a pirate. Moreover, taking advantage of the anti-Spanish uprising in Mexico, he captured the city of Galveston in Texas, burned it to the ground, and then founded a pirate state on the island in 1817, a commune that lasted until 1821. When the American government was tired of Spanish complaints about piracy and smuggling operations of the inhabitants of this state, it sent a military schooner to the shores of Galveston and demanded that the island be cleared within 2 months. The pirates fled in all directions. Jean Lafitte set fire to the village and was the last to leave it, as befits a captain. It is believed that he hid countless treasures in various places. For some time he continued to pirate in the Gulf of Mexico. According to one version, he died in a pirate battle in 1825 or 1826. But there is another version, which is much more interesting than the first. According to this version, he did not die, but after the destruction of his kingdom, he settled in the States. In June 1831, under the name George Laughlin, he married the daughter of a wealthy merchant and settled in St. Louis. Takes part in transporting runaway slaves to the North, then moves to Illinois. He writes memoirs, which he wills to publish only after 107 years. They allegedly contain a record that he was familiar with Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, met with them and, while in Europe, opened an account in a Paris bank to finance ... these two young people in order to help them achieve revolution by workers all over the world.
The prominent American economist Anthony Sutton, in his book The Power of the Dollar, writes about this as a proven fact, based on a letter that Jean Laffite wrote to his friend the artist Frank on September 29, 1847 from Brussels to St. Louis. In this letter, Laffite reports the financial assistance he provided to Marx and Engels. Marx, according to this version, gave a copy of the Communist Manifesto through Laffite to Abraham Lincoln, who was then a senator.
A former slave trader, pirate and smuggler became a guardian of the world revolution. According to this version, he died in 1854, having caught a cold while meeting a party of runaway slaves transported from the South. A fishing village in the vicinity of New Orleans and a National Historical Park and Preserve there are named after Jean Laffite. In 1961, the Haitian Post issued a series of stamps dedicated to pirates, which, of course, also applies to Lafite.
Jean Lafitte
(1782-1854)
Jean Lafitte(Jean Lafitte) is the most famous French pirate who operated in the Gulf of Mexico at the beginning of the 19th century. He left a bright mark on the history of New Orleans.
Map of New Orleans. XVIII century
Born in Port-au-Prince on the island of Haiti in 1782. His father was the tanner Marius Lafitte, his mother was the Spanish Jew Zora Nadrimal. Jean was the youngest of eight children in the family. At the age of 17, he married Christina Levin, who lived in the Danish possessions in the Antilles, and she gave birth to his daughter (Christina soon died of postpartum rubella on board a ship sailing from Haiti to New Orleans).
In 1803, Jean Lafitte and his older brother Pierre equipped the brig “Sweet Sister” to Haiti, acquired a letter of marque from the governor of the island of Martinique to attack English ships, and launched corsair operations in the Caribbean Sea. They combined corsairing with outright piracy, slave trade and smuggling. In the Yucatan Strait, the brothers captured the English ship "Active", renamed "Ector", and in March 1804 they intercepted the American sailing ship "Mary", heading from Havana to Charleston. The Lafittes brought their prizes to New Orleans in April of the same year, presenting false documents for them (“Mary” was presented as the Spanish merchant ship “Santa Maria”). At the beginning of 1805, the Lafitte brothers opened their blacksmith shop in the center of New Orleans on Bourbon Street, which served as a cover for their smuggling deals. The following year, they acquired a patent for the right to trade slaves, without ceasing, however, to smuggle black slaves.
In subsequent years, Jean Lafitte founded a secret pirate hideout in the Mississippi Delta, on the islands of Barataria Bay. In 1811, he already had a whole flotilla of pirate ships operating in the waters of the West Indies. Chosen by the boss, that is, the owner, he immediately provided all the captains of Barataria with letters of marque from the anti-Spanish authorities of Cartagena (Colombia), thereby legalizing the community of adventurers. The pirate flotilla included the Mizer and Dorada ships under the command of Jean Lafitte himself; "Petit Milan" by Captain Gambi; "The Spy" by Captain René Beluche, Lafitte's uncle; "Sensi Jack" captain Pierre Sicard and "Victory" captain Francois Sapia.
In November 1812, New Orleans authorities organized a raid in Barataria, Jean and Pierre Lafitte and 24 filibusters were arrested and thrown into the dungeons of the Calabuse fortress. But a few weeks later the Lafittes were released on bail. No charges were brought against them.
In the spring of 1813, at the insistence of District Attorney John Randolph Grimes, Louisiana Governor William Claiborne agreed to indict the Lafitte brothers in state court, but they did not appear in the courtroom, taking refuge at their base in Barataria. Then the governor, on November 24 of the same year, announced a reward of $500 to anyone who would hand over Jean Lafitte to the hands of the sheriff of New Orleans or any other county. Two days later, a leaflet appeared in the city with the following content: “Jean Lafitte is offering a reward of $5,000 to anyone who brings Governor William S.S. Claiborne to him. Barataria, November 26, 1813." The pirate's response to the governor greatly amused the New Orleanians.
On January 15, 1814, a large sale of slaves and looted goods took place in Barataria. The Customs Department sent 12 soldiers, led by Lieutenant Stout, to confiscate the illegal goods, but upon arrival at the scene, the detachment was attacked, Stout was killed, two soldiers were seriously wounded, the rest were captured and released a few days later.
Two months later, District Attorney Grimes reported to the state governor that in six months, pirates had brought goods worth $1 million to Barataria. At least one tenth of the residents of New Orleans were involved in the illegal trade, and on some days up to 500 New Orleans buyers of stolen goods gathered in the pirate lair.
In June 1814, a federal police vessel detained the ship of a Baratarian nicknamed Gianni Firebeard, who had robbed 2 Spanish ships. On July 18, Judge Hall notified Pierre Lafitte, who had been arrested on the street, that Firebeard had named him, Lafitte, as his accomplice.
On September 3 of the same year, a British brig under the command of Captain Lockyer arrived in Barataria. The latter gave Jean Lafitte a letter from General Nichols, commander of the British troops in Florida. There was a war going on between Britain and the United States, and the British wanted to use the Barataria filibusters as pilots. Lafitte was offered the rank of captain 1st rank and 30 thousand dollars, but he refused to cooperate with the British, which he notified the governor of Louisiana about. The latter forgave the pirate for his past sins and turned a blind eye to the “unexpected” escape of Pierre Lafitte from the city prison. At the same time, American Navy Commodore Daniel T. Patterson, who was in New Orleans, and the commander of the 44th Infantry Regiment, Colonel T. Ross, having instructions from the Secretary of the Navy to attack the pirate base in Barataria, prepared a punitive expedition against the filibusters on September 11. On September 16, American soldiers attacked Barataria, seized ships with cargo stationed there and captured about 80 pirates, including Lafitte’s older brother, Dominic, nicknamed Captain Domingo, as well as Rene Beluche. The fortifications of Barataria were razed and houses were destroyed.
On December 17, 1814, in connection with the threat of a British invasion of Louisiana, the commander of the military district, General Andrew Jackson, ordered the release from prison of the Baratarians who expressed a desire to fight against the British, and promised to present a petition to the US President for pardon of the former pirates. On December 20, Jean Lafitte was personally introduced to General Jackson and during the conversation confirmed the desire of his people to help the American troops.
On December 23, the Battle of New Orleans began. All attempts by the British to capture the city were repulsed; the Baratarians guarding Fort St. John on the northern outskirts showed incredible resilience and skill in firing cannons. In early January 1815, the British retreated. General Jackson formally congratulated Captain Domingo and Rene Beluche, commanding the 3rd and 4th Batteries, and noted the "courage and fidelity" of the Lafitte brothers. In mid-March of the same year, a decree on the complete forgiveness of the Baratarians was delivered from Washington to New Orleans; The document was signed by US President James Madison and the Secretary of State. Although the Lafitte brothers received an amnesty, all their property was confiscated. To improve matters, they decided to again engage in illegal fishing - smuggling and piracy.
In early 1817, the Lafitte brothers agreed to become secret agents for Spanish intelligence, receiving code numbers 13-1 (for Pierre) and 13-2 (for Jean). The Spanish authorities in Havana instructed them to infiltrate the filibusters operating in the Gulf of Mexico, which they did, pursuing their interests.
On March 23 of the same year, the brothers arrived on the schooner Carmelita to Galveston Island in Texas, where they negotiated with the French corsair Louis d'Ory and the Mexican guerrilla Francisco Migna. On April 7, d'Ory and Migny's flotillas sailed from Galveston to liberate Mexico, and Jean Lafitte began setting up his base on the island.
Louis d'Ory, having quarreled with Migna, returned to Galveston on May 4 and was surprised to see several dozen corsairs building houses and warehouses on the shore. Having learned that he was no longer in command here, d'Ory went to other lands. Soon, Barataria veterans Gianni Firebeard, Vincent Gambi and Rene Beluch, who received a letter of marque from Simon Bolivar himself, settled in Galveston.
In the summer of 1818, the American Secretary of State presented President Monroe with a memorandum that stated: “...as the territory between the Sabine and Rio Bravo rivers is Louisiana, Galveston belongs to us. An excellent opportunity to confirm our sovereignty would be to send an expedition against the Lafittes.” Monroe wrote in the margin of the memorandum: “I agree, but act without hype. Notify the Lafittes that they must leave." The order to clear Galveston Bay and Island was given to Jean Lafitte late in the summer by Colonel Graham. Lafitte pretended to comply, but in reality continued to use Galveston as his main base. In the spring of 1819, the Republican government of Mexico officially appointed him governor of the island.
On January 3, 1821, the American war schooner Enterprise arrived in Galveston under the command of Lieutenant Commander Kearny. The latter conveyed to Jean Lafitte the US government's demand to liquidate the Galveston base. On March 2 of the same year, this ultimatum was fulfilled.
Commanding a black schooner, Jean Lafitte continued to scour the expanses of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. His brother Pierre died off the coast of Yucatan in November 1821. Jean, combining the smuggling trade of black slaves with sea robbery, moved around in Cuban waters until January 1822, when his ship was shot from cannons by an English warship. He swam to the Cuban coast, where he was captured by Spanish guards in the vicinity of the city of Santa Cruz del Sur. Jean Lafitte spent several weeks in prison in the city of Puerto Princigga (modern Camagüey), then he was transferred to the San Juan de Dios hospital, from where he escaped on February 13 of the same year. The governor of Puerto Principe wrote on March 19 that Jean Lafitte was with a band of pirates at the anchorage of Rincon Grande, one league from Viaro (on the northern coast of Cuba). Apparently, he continued to engage in the illegal slave trade for several years, then his trace was lost.
According to a number of researchers, on June 7, 1832, under the name John Laughlin, he married Emma Mortimer in Charleston. On April 4, 1834, their son Jules was born, and two years later their second son, named Glenn. In 1836, the couple settled on the banks of the Mississippi in St. Louis, where John Laughlin opened an office selling gunpowder. In 1848, Jean Lafitte - already under his own name - made a trip to France, where he delivered a cargo of gunpowder for an “unknown buyer”.
In the late 40s and early 50s of the 19th century, Jean Lafitte financed the publication of books and pamphlets by abolitionists (opponents of slavery), gave money to the fund of an organization that was engaged in the ransom of black slaves and their resettlement in the northern United States. After the tragic death of his youngest son Glenn, he moved to Alton (Illinois). Lafitte died on May 5, 1854, after catching a cold on the river. Mississippi, where in bad weather he met secret transport with fugitive slaves.
From the book 100 great architects author Samin Dmitry From book Summary works of Russian literature of the first half of the 20th century (collection 2) by Yanko SlavaBoyhood Tale (1854) Immediately after arriving in Moscow, Nikolenka feels the changes that have happened to him. In his soul there is a place not only own feelings and experiences, but also compassion for the grief of others, the ability to understand the actions of other people. He is aware of all the inconsolability
From the book 100 Great Vocalists author Samin Dmitry From the book 100 great musicians author Samin DmitryNICCOLO PAGANINI /1782-1840/ The famous composer Robert Schumann, hearing Paganini for the first time, wrote: “I thought that he would begin with an unheard-of force of sound. And so he began - but how gentle and quiet his sound was. When did he easily and barely noticeably begin to throw his
From the book Big Soviet Encyclopedia(BEFORE) the author TSB From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (SE) by the author TSB From the book 100 Great Monuments author Samin DmitryBronze Horseman (1782) The monument created by Falconet has few equals in world sculpture. The monument to Peter I became the work of his whole life for the sculptor. For two centuries, right up to the present day, the monument, sung by many poets, writers, inspiring artists,
From the book 100 great composers author Samin DmitryNicollo Paganini (1782–1840) The famous Polish critic M. Mochnacki wrote that evaluating Paganini only as an instrumentalist does not cover the extraordinary phenomenon as a whole: “The violin in the hands of Paganini is an instrument of the psyche, an instrument of the soul.” This is his personality, his
From the book All Masterpieces of World Literature in summary. Plots and characters. Foreign literature of the 17th-18th centuries author Novikov V IPietro Metastasio
From the book 100 great Cossacks author Shishov Alexey VasilievichAfanasy Fedorovich Bursak 2nd (1782–1825) Colonel. Commander of the Life Cossack Black Sea HundredFather of the famous hero Patriotic War 1812 there was a military ataman of the Black Sea Cossack army Fyodor Yakovlevich Bursak, the threat of “unpeaceful” Circassia on the eve
From the book 100 great Russian emigrants author Bondarenko Vyacheslav VasilievichOrest Kiprensky (1782–1836) One of the greatest Russian artists was born on March 13, 1782 on the Nezhinskaya manor, Oranienbaum district, St. Petersburg province. His father was a retired brigadier, landowner Alexei Stepanovich Dyakonov, and his mother was a serf peasant woman, Anna Gavrilova.
From the author's bookKiprensky Orest Adamovich (1782–1836) Portrait of Life Hussar Colonel E.V. Davydov 1809. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg The portrait depicts the cousin of the famous poet and hero of the war of 1812 Denis Davydov - Evgraf Vladimirovich Davydov (1775–1823). TO