Jacques de Sores facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jacques de Sores
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Jacques de Sores looting and burning Havana
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| Born | 16th century |
| Died | 16th century |
| Nationality | French |
| Movement | Huguenot pirates |
| Piratical career | |
Jacques de Sores was a French pirate and a type of pirate called a corsair. He is famous for attacking and burning the city of Havana in Cuba in the year 1555.
Not much is known about Jacques de Sores, apart from his attack on Havana. People called him "The Exterminating Angel" (which means "L'Ange Exterminateur" in French). He led a group of Huguenot pirates. Huguenots were French Protestants.
Jacques de Sores worked with another French pirate named François Le Clerc. Le Clerc was known as "Pegleg" because he had a wooden leg. In 1553, Le Clerc and Sores left France with royal ships and other privateer ships. They had permission from the French king, Francis I of France. The king wanted some of the wealth that Spain was getting from the New World.
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Raids in the Caribbean
In 1554, François Le Clerc attacked Santiago de Cuba. Some stories say that Jacques de Sores also raided Santiago de Cuba. It's not clear if he did this with Le Clerc or on his own. De Sores might have used islands like Cayo Romano and Cayo Coco as his secret bases. These islands are near the northern coast of Cuba.
The Attack on Havana
Details about Jacques de Sores' attack on Havana are not very clear. Some reports say he used only 2 ships, while others say he used as many as 20. No matter how many ships he had, de Sores easily captured the town. Havana was not well protected at the time.
Most stories say that de Sores expected to find lots of gold in Havana. Some also claim he tried to get money from important people in the town to let them go. However, he was disappointed. He did not find much gold. If he asked for ransom, it was mostly not paid.
De Sores destroyed an old fort called La Fuerza Vieja. He also burned most of the town. He set fire to the ships in the harbor and ruined much of the land around the city.
Havana's New Defenses
Because de Sores captured Havana so easily, the Spanish king decided to build strong new forts. The Castillo de la Real Fuerza was built to replace the old fort. Later, two more castles were built at the entrance to Havana harbor. These were the Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro and the smaller Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta.
Attack on the São Tiago
On July 15, 1570, Jacques de Sores was near Santa Cruz de La Palma in the Canary Islands. He saw a Portuguese merchant ship called the São Tiago. This ship was carrying Jesuit missionaries and settlers to Brazil.
De Sores' five ships approached the São Tiago and boarded it. They captured the ship. During this attack, 40 Jesuit Portuguese missionaries were killed. Crosses on the sea floor at Malpique still mark this spot today. One of the missionaries, Inácio de Azevedo, is remembered as one of the "Forty Martyrs of Brazil."
See also
- France-Americas relations
Images for kids
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The vision of Saint Teresa of Ávila of the Forty Martyrs of Brazil, showing the capture of the São Tiago below.
