Jean Lafitte: Prince of Pirates

Who, exactly, was Jean Lafitte and why does his legacy linger in New Orleans? Infamous for piracy in the Gulf of Mexico, he was also honored for his bravery in the Battle of New Orleans.

Born in France in 1780, Lafitte was a pirate who inspired Lord Byron to write, “He left a corsair’s name to other times/Linked one virtue to a thousand crimes.” He was a man who was condemned, exonerated, and condemned again for his actions by U.S. presidents.

Said to be handsome, intelligent, and charming, Lafitte was known as the “prince of pirates,” “the terror of the Gulf,” and the “hero of New Orleans.”

Jack C. Ramsay Jr., in his book Jean Lafitte, Prince of Pirates, said of Lafitte, “Some considered him a rapacious rogue, a man of unmitigated violence. Others, many of whom were young women, regarded him as a charming person. He was seductive, perhaps deceptive, but always elegantly gracious.”

When Lafitte appeared in New Orleans around 1806, he operated a blacksmith shop as a cover for his real business, which was selling goods stolen by pirates. Further, when the U.S. outlawed the importing of slaves, Lafitte began smuggling them illegally.

However, in later years, Lafitte, who never attacked an American ship and was said to admire American ideals, refused Britain’s plea for help in its attempt to capture New Orleans. Although he was offered $30,000 to fight on Britain’s behalf, Lafitte passed British battle plans to the Americans and helped Andrew Jackson defend the city in 1815 in the Battle of New Orleans.

No one knows for certain, but Lafitte is thought to have moved to the southwest Louisiana coast during the last years of his life. He died around 1826. Many years later the people of New Orleans named a national park after him.