Jean Lafitte facts for kids

This page is about the privateer. For the town named after him, see Jean Lafitte, Louisiana.

Quick facts for kids Jean Lafitte
Presumed portrait of Jean Lafitte
Born	September 25, 1780 France or Saint-Domingue
Died	c. February 5, 1823 (aged 42) (presumed) Gulf of Honduras
Piratical career
Nickname	"The Terror of the Gulf"
Type	pirate, privateer, spy, naval artillery officer
Years active	1810-1823
Base of operations	Barataria Bay Galveston Island
Battles/wars	Battle of New Orleans

Jean Lafitte (around 1780 – around 1823) was a French pirate and privateer. He operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 1800s. Jean and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite. However, English documents often used "Lafitte," which is now the common spelling in the United States.

Around 1805, Lafitte ran a warehouse in New Orleans. This helped his brother Pierre smuggle goods. When the U.S. government passed the Embargo Act of 1807, the Lafitte brothers moved their operations. They went to an island in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. By 1810, their new port was very successful. The Lafittes had a profitable smuggling business and also started acting as pirates.

In September 1814, a U.S. naval force attacked Barataria Bay. They captured most of Lafitte's ships. Later, Lafitte and his fleet helped General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans. This was during the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. The British wanted to control the Mississippi River. After the victory, Jackson praised the Lafitte brothers and their privateers. In return, Lafitte and his men received a legal pardon.

The Lafittes later became spies for Spain during the Mexican War of Independence. In 1817, Jean started a new colony on Galveston Island. He named it Campeche. This colony made millions of dollars each year from stolen or smuggled goods. Not much is known about Lafitte's later life. Historians still wonder about his life and death.

Jean Lafitte's Early Life

Many details about Jean Lafitte's early life are unclear. Stories often contradict each other. Some say he was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1780. His parents were said to be Jewish. Other sources say his father was French and his mother's family was from Spain. Jean and his brother Pierre sometimes claimed they were born in Bayonne. Other papers say he was born in Saint-Malo or Brest.

Historian Jack C. Ramsay noted that claiming to be from France was helpful. It offered protection from American laws. Other accounts say Lafitte was born in Orduña, Spain, or in Westchester, New York.

Born in Saint-Domingue?

Some people think Lafitte was born in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). In the late 1700s, many children of French planters moved to New Orleans in La Louisiane. Families named Lafitte appear in Louisiana records as early as 1765.

According to Ramsay, Lafitte, his brother Pierre, and their mother moved from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans in the 1780s. Around 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant. Jean stayed with his mother. Pierre was raised by other family members in Louisiana.

Ramsay believes that young Lafitte spent a lot of time exploring the swamps and bayous south of New Orleans. Later, people said he knew "every inlet from the Gulf" better than anyone else. His older brother Pierre became a privateer. He might have worked from Saint-Domingue, which often issued letters of marque. Lafitte likely helped his brother sell or trade captured goods. By 1805, he was thought to be running a warehouse in New Orleans. He might also have had a store on Royal Street.

Born in France?

Historian William C. Davis has a different story about Lafitte's childhood. He says Lafitte was born near Pauillac, France. His parents were Pierre Lafitte and Marguerite Desteil. They had six children. Jean Lafitte was likely born in 1782, but he wasn't baptized until 1786. Pierre Lafitte had another son, also named Pierre, from his first marriage. The boys received a basic Catholic education.

Davis admits that details about Lafitte's first twenty years are scarce. He guesses that Lafitte spent a lot of time at sea as a child. He probably sailed on ships owned by his father, who was a trader. Davis places Lafitte's brother Pierre in Saint-Domingue in the late 1790s. Due to the Haitian Revolution, Pierre fled to New Orleans in early 1803. By 1806, several "Captain Lafitte"s were operating in New Orleans. Jean Lafitte was probably one of them.

Lafitte's Personality and Skills

Sources say Lafitte was smart and clever. He was also handsome and friendly. He enjoyed drinking, gambling, and being with women. He was known to act and dress more like a rich person than most other privateers.

Lafitte's first language was French. He could speak English quite well and probably knew some Spanish. He and his brother went to a military academy on Saint Kitts. We don't have any of his own writings, except his signature. His letters were always written by a secretary. So, we don't really know how well he could read and write.

During his life, he was a soldier, sailor, diplomat, and merchant. This shows he had natural leadership skills.

Barataria Bay Operations

This map shows Barataria Bay (lower right), near Grande Isle.

The United States bought Louisiana in 1803. In January 1808, the government started enforcing the Embargo Act of 1807. This law stopped American ships from going to foreign ports. It also put a ban on goods imported into the U.S. This was a problem for New Orleans merchants. They relied heavily on trade with other countries' colonies in the Caribbean. The Lafitte brothers began looking for another port to smuggle goods to local merchants.

They settled on Barataria, a small island in Barataria Bay. The bay was hidden behind a narrow passage between Grand Terre and Grande Isle. Barataria was far from the U.S. naval base. Ships could easily smuggle goods without being seen by customs officials. Workers would transfer goods into smaller boats called pirogues or barges. These would then travel through the bayous to New Orleans.

Pierre Lafitte stayed in New Orleans. He managed their business interests in the city. Jean Lafitte spent most of his time in Barataria. He managed the daily work of preparing privateer ships and arranging the smuggling of stolen goods. By 1810, the island was a busy port. Sailors came to the island, working on the docks or in warehouses. They waited to be chosen as crew for a privateer ship.

In October 1812, the Lafitte brothers bought a schooner. They hired Captain Trey Cook to sail it. Since the schooner didn't have official permission from a government, its captain was considered a pirate. In January 1813, they captured their first prize. It was a Spanish ship carrying 77 enslaved people. Selling the enslaved people and other cargo made $18,000 in profit. The brothers changed the captured ship for piracy and named it Dorada. Within weeks, Dorada captured another schooner with over $9,000 in goods. The captured schooner wasn't useful for piracy. So, after taking its cargo, the Lafittes returned the ship to its original captain and crew. The Lafittes became known for treating captured crews well. They often returned captured ships to their owners.

The brothers soon got a third ship, La Diligente. They armed it with 12 cannons. Dorada captured a fourth ship, a schooner they renamed Petit Milan. The brothers took guns from their first ship to arm the new one. They now had three ships. Historian Davis called this "one of the largest privately owned corsair fleets" in the area. For several months, the Lafittes sent ships directly to New Orleans with legal cargo. They would pick up supplies in the city. The crew would create a list of goods that actually showed smuggled items stored at Barataria. Customs agents rarely checked these lists. The ship would sail to the mouth of Bayou Lafourche, load the illegal goods, and then sail "legally" back to New Orleans.

Changing Views on Smuggling

Governor William C.C. Claiborne left office for a time in September 1810. Thomas B. Robertson became acting governor. Robertson was angry about Lafitte's operations. He called Lafitte's men "bandits who infest our coast." But the people of New Orleans were thankful to the Lafittes. They provided them with luxury goods that were otherwise hard to get because of the embargo. When Claiborne returned to office, he didn't say much about the issue.

A 1837 woodcut of Lafitte, W.C.C.Claiborne, and Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812

On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Britain. Britain had a powerful navy, but the U.S. had little naval power. To help their navy, the U.S. offered letters of marque to private armed ships. New Orleans gave six such letters, mostly to smugglers who worked with Lafitte at Barataria. These smugglers often had letters of marque from several countries. This allowed them to capture goods from different nations. They gave captured British goods to American authorities in New Orleans. Goods from other ships were often sold through Lafitte's business.

The smuggling reduced the money collected by customs offices. American authorities wanted to stop Barataria's operations. The U.S. Navy didn't have enough ships to act against the smugglers. So, the government turned to the courts. On November 10, 1812, the U.S. District Attorney John R. Grymes accused Lafitte of breaking revenue laws. Three days later, 40 soldiers tried to ambush the Baratarians. They captured Lafitte, his brother Pierre, and 25 unarmed smugglers on November 16. They also took thousands of dollars worth of illegal goods. Officials released the smugglers after they paid bail. The smugglers then disappeared and didn't return for trial.

Even though he was accused, Lafitte registered as captain of Le Brig Goelette la Diligente in March 1813. He claimed he was going to New York. Historian Jack Ramsay thinks this trip was meant to make Lafitte seem like a privateering captain. Lafitte soon got a letter of marque from Cartagena. But he never sent any captured goods there. He brought all captured items to Barataria.

Lafitte's continued breaking of laws angered Governor Claiborne. On March 15, he issued a statement against the Baratarian "bandits." He said they were breaking U.S. laws and hurting the government's income. This statement was printed in the national Niles' Weekly Register.

In October, a tax officer tried to ambush Lafitte's smugglers. The smugglers wounded one officer and escaped with the illegal goods. The next month, the governor offered a $500 reward for Lafitte's capture. Within two days, posters appeared all over New Orleans offering a similar reward for the governor's arrest. Although these posters used Lafitte's name, Ramsay believes Lafitte didn't make them. After the reward offer, Lafitte wrote to Claiborne denying the piracy charges.

Because his auctions at the Temple were so successful, Lafitte set up another auction in January 1814. This one was just outside New Orleans. Many city merchants were unhappy. This auction allowed their customers to buy goods directly from Lafitte at lower prices. Officials tried to stop this auction by force. In the gunfight, one tax officer was killed and two others were wounded.

Claiborne asked the state legislature for help. He mentioned the lost tax money due to smuggling. He asked for permission to raise a militia to "disperse those desperate men on Lake Barataria." The legislature formed a committee to study the issue. But since most of their voters benefited from the smuggling, they never approved the militia. A grand jury accused Pierre Lafitte after hearing a city merchant's testimony. Pierre was arrested, tried, found guilty, and jailed. He was charged with helping people commit acts of piracy.

War of 1812 and Lafitte's Role

British Offer to Lafitte

After Pierre was jailed, Jean continued the piracy and smuggling business. Over the next few months, the British Navy increased patrols in the Gulf of Mexico. By August, they had a base in Pensacola. On September 3, 1814, the British ship HMS Sophie fired on a pirate ship returning to Barataria. Lafitte's ship got stuck in shallow water. The larger British ship couldn't follow. The British raised a white flag and sent a small boat with officers. Lafitte and some of his men rowed to meet them.

Captain Nicholas Lockyer, commander of the Sophie, was told to contact the "Commandant at Barataria." He was with Captain John McWilliam of the Royal Marine infantry. McWilliam had a package for Lafitte. The Baratarians invited the British officers to their island. Once ashore and surrounded by Lafitte's men, Lafitte introduced himself. Many smugglers wanted to harm the British, but Lafitte stopped them. He placed guards outside his home to protect them.

McWilliam brought two letters for Lafitte. One, from King George III, offered Lafitte and his men British citizenship and land. This was if they helped fight the United States and returned any recent property taken from Spanish ships. (Spain was an ally of Britain against France.) If they refused, the letters said the British would capture Barataria to stop their smuggling. The second letter was a personal note from McWilliam's boss, Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls. It urged Lafitte to accept the offer.

Lafitte believed the U.S. would win the war against Britain. He thought he could defeat U.S. tax officers more easily than the British navy. He had also heard in August that American officials planned to attack Barataria. They feared Lafitte and his men might join the British.

Lafitte tried to convince the Americans they had nothing to fear. He sent a message saying few of his men wanted to help the British. But he asked for 15 days to think about their offer. Lafitte sent copies of the letters to Jean Blanque, a state lawmaker who had invested in Barataria. In a personal note, Lafitte reminded Blanque that his brother Pierre was still in jail and deserved to be released early. Lafitte also added a note to Governor Claiborne, saying: "I am the stray sheep, wishing to return to the sheepfold ... If you were thoroughly acquainted with the nature of my offenses, I should appear to you much less guilty, and still worthy to discharge the duties of a good citizen." Lafitte promised his men would help defend New Orleans. Within two days, Pierre "escaped" from jail.

American Attack on Barataria

US Commodore Daniel Patterson led an attack against Lafitte and his men at Barataria in 1814.

The U.S. ordered an attack on Lafitte's colony. On September 13, 1814, Commodore Daniel Patterson sailed on the USS Carolina toward Barataria. He had six gunboats and a tender with him. The fleet anchored near Grande Terre, and the gunboats attacked. Soon, 10 armed pirate ships formed a battle line in the bay. Within a short time, Lafitte's men left their ships, set some on fire, and fled. When Patterson's men landed, they met no resistance. They captured 80 people, but Lafitte escaped safely. The Americans took six schooners, one felucca, and a brig. They also seized 20 cannons and goods worth $500,000.

On September 23, Patterson and his fleet, including the eight captured ships, started back to New Orleans. The raid was widely reported and praised. The Niles' Weekly Register called it "a major conquest for the United States." Lafitte was described as: "a man who, for about two years past, has been famous for crimes that the civilized world wars against. ... [He] is supposed to have captured one hundred vessels of all nations, and certainly murdered the crews of all that he took, for no one has ever escaped him."

Patterson asked for a share of the profits from the captured ships and goods. An attorney for Lafitte argued that the captured ships had flown the flag of Cartagena, which was at peace with the U.S. One of Lafitte's men said the Baratarians never meant to fight the U.S. The judge ruled that Patterson should get his share of profits from the goods already sold. But he didn't decide who owned the ships. They were kept in port by the U.S. marshal.

Governor Claiborne asked the U.S. Attorney General, Richard Rush, for a pardon for the Baratarians. He said that for generations, smugglers were "esteemed honest." He also wrote to General Andrew Jackson. Jackson replied, "I ask you, Louisianans, can we place any confidence in the honor of men who have courted an alliance with pirates and robbers?"

Lafitte Helps in the Battle of New Orleans

When Andrew Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, he found the city had no defenses. It had about 1,000 untrained troops and two ships. The city controlled the eight ships taken from Lafitte, but didn't have enough sailors to man them. Lafitte's men were still upset about the raid on Barataria. They refused to serve on their old ships.

In mid-December, Jackson met with Lafitte. Lafitte offered to help if the U.S. would pardon his men who agreed to defend the city. Jackson agreed. On December 19, the state legislature recommended a full pardon for all former Barataria residents. With Lafitte's encouragement, many of his men joined the New Orleans militia. Others became sailors or formed three artillery companies.

On December 23, British troops reached the Mississippi River. Lafitte realized the American defense line was too short. The British could easily go around the American troops. He suggested extending the line to a nearby swamp, and Jackson ordered it done. The British attacked on December 28. But they were pushed back by artillery crews. These crews were led by two of Lafitte's former lieutenants, Renato Beluche and Dominique Youx.

Patterson praised the Barataria men who served on a U.S. Navy ship. Their artillery skills were better than the British. On land and sea, the former pirate gunners earned praise. On January 21, Jackson praised his troops. He especially thanked the cannoneers and "Captains Dominique and Beluche, lately commanding privateers of Barataria, with part of their former crews and many brave citizens of New Orleans." Jackson also named Jean and Pierre Lafitte for showing "the same courage and fidelity." He formally asked for mercy for the Lafittes and their men. The government granted them all a full pardon on February 6.

Galveston Colony

The flag of the United Provinces of New Granada was used by Jean Lafitte from 1817 to 1821 at Galveston Island, Spanish Texas.

In late 1815 and early 1816, the Lafitte brothers agreed to spy for Spain. Spain was fighting in the Mexican War of Independence. They were known as "Number thirteen." Pierre reported on New Orleans. Jean was sent to Galveston Island. This part of Spanish Texas was the home base of Louis-Michel Aury, a French privateer. Aury claimed to be a Mexican revolutionary. By early 1817, other revolutionaries gathered at Galveston. They hoped to make it their base to free Mexico from Spanish rule. Lafitte visited in March 1817. Two weeks later, the two revolutionary leaders left the island.

The next day, Lafitte took control of the island. He appointed his own officers. On April 18, he sailed to New Orleans to report his actions. With Spanish permission, Lafitte returned to Galveston. He promised to send weekly reports.

Lafitte turned Galveston Island into another smuggling base. Like Barataria, Galveston was an island that protected a large bay. As part of Mexico, it was outside U.S. authority. It was mostly empty, except for Native American Karankawa people. Texas had few people then. So, the base was mostly free from government attention.

Lafitte named his colony Campeche. This was after a Mexican outpost further south. His men tore down old houses and built 200 new, stronger ones. Ships from Galveston flew the flag of Mexico. But they didn't join the revolution. Lafitte wanted to avoid a Spanish invasion. Aury returned to Galveston months later. But he left in July when he saw that the men didn't want to revolt.

In less than a year, Lafitte's colony grew to 100–200 men and several women. Lafitte interviewed all new people. He made them promise loyalty to him. His headquarters was a two-story building facing the harbor. It was surrounded by a moat and painted red. It was called Maison Rouge (Red House). Lafitte did most of his business on his ship, The Pride, where he also lived. Lafitte created fake letters of marque from an imaginary country. These letters wrongly allowed ships from Galveston to attack ships from all nations.

At its busiest, the colony had over two thousand people and 120 buildings. It made over $2 million (in today's money) each year from stolen goods. Lafitte lived a fancy life with servants and fine things.

In April 1818, the U.S. passed a law against importing enslaved people. The law had loopholes. It allowed any ship to capture a slave ship. Enslaved people captured this way were turned over to customs. They would be sold in the U.S. Half the profits went to those who turned them in. Lafitte worked with smugglers, like Jim Bowie, to profit from this law. Lafitte's men found and captured slave ships. Smugglers bought the enslaved people cheaply. They marched them to Louisiana and turned them in to customs. A smuggler's representative would buy the enslaved people at the auction. The smuggler would get half the price. The smuggler then legally owned the enslaved people and could resell them in New Orleans or other parts of the Deep South.

In 1818, the colony faced problems. Lafitte's men kidnapped a Karankawa woman. Warriors from her tribe attacked and killed five men in the colony. The corsairs used their cannons against the Karankawa, killing most of the men in the tribe. A hurricane in September flooded most of the island. Several people died. Four ships and most buildings were destroyed. Only six houses remained livable.

Lafitte's Later Years

In 1821, the schooner USS Enterprise was sent to Galveston. Its mission was to remove Lafitte from the Gulf. One of Lafitte's captains had attacked an American merchant ship. Lafitte agreed to leave the island without a fight. On May 7, 1821, he left on The Pride. His men burned the Maison Rouge, the fortress, and the settlement. He reportedly took a lot of treasure with him. He was said to be with his mistress and an infant son. Maison Rouge is believed to have been at 1417 Harborside Drive near the Galveston wharf.

Most of his men believed Lafitte had a valid privateering permission. But they were confused about which country issued it. Two weeks after sailing, they captured a Spanish ship. They sent it to Galveston, hoping others would smuggle the goods to New Orleans. Lafitte's men buried some cargo on the island and ran the captured ship aground. But an American patrol saw the ship. After investigating, they found the buried cargo. Several of Lafitte's men were arrested and found guilty of piracy.

The rest of the crew rejoined Lafitte. He finally admitted he didn't have valid permission. He said his ships would now sail as pirates. Almost half of the combined crew refused to sail as pirates. Lafitte let them leave on his largest ship, the brig General Victoria. That night, his remaining men got back on the General Victoria. They destroyed its masts and spars, making the ship unable to move. But they left the crew unharmed.

Lafitte and his men continued to capture Spanish ships in the Gulf of Mexico. They often returned to Galveston or islands near New Orleans. There, they unloaded cargo or got supplies arranged by Pierre. Lawmakers in Louisiana demanded that the government stop the smuggling. More U.S. Navy ships were sent to the Gulf. Their patrols reduced the number of active pirates. In October or November 1821, Lafitte's ship was ambushed. He was trying to get money for a captured ship. He and some crew escaped at first. But then they were captured and jailed. On February 13, he escaped, likely with help.

Over the next few months, Lafitte set up a base in Cuba. He bribed local officials with a share of his profits. In late April 1822, Lafitte was captured again after taking his first American ship. The American warship that captured him turned Lafitte over to local authorities. They quickly released him. When Lafitte and other pirates started attacking merchant ships going to Cuba, Cuban officials got angry. By the end of 1822, Cuba had banned all sea raiding.

In June 1822, Lafitte contacted officials in Great Colombia. Their government, led by General Simón Bolívar, was hiring former privateers for their new navy. Lafitte was given a commission and a new ship. It was a 43-ton schooner named General Santander. For the first time, Lafitte was legally allowed to take Spanish ships.

Lafitte continued to patrol shipping lanes around Cuba. In November 1822, he was in American news. He had escorted an American schooner through a pirate-filled area. He also gave them extra cannonballs and food.

In February 1823, Lafitte was sailing near Omoa, Honduras. This town had the largest Spanish fort in Central America. It guarded Spanish silver shipments. Lafitte tried to capture two Spanish merchant ships on the night of February 4. It was cloudy with low visibility. The Spanish ships seemed to be fleeing. But at 10:00 pm, they turned back for a frontal attack on Lafitte's ship. The Spanish ships were heavily armed privateers or warships. They returned heavy fire.

Lafitte was wounded in the battle. He is believed to have died just after dawn on February 5. He was buried at sea in the Gulf of Honduras. Newspapers in Cartagena and Colombia published obituaries. They noted, "the loss of this brave naval officer is moving." No American newspaper published an obituary for him.

Lafitte's Legacy

Historian Davis writes that Lafitte's death kept him from becoming outdated. By 1825, piracy was mostly gone from the Gulf of Mexico. The new world of the Gulf "simply had no room for [his] kind." Because of his legendary fame, there was much talk about how Lafitte died. Rumors said he changed his name and disappeared. Others said his own men killed him. Or that he rescued Napoleon and both died in Louisiana. In 1843, Mirabeau B. Lamar looked into many Lafitte stories. He found no official death records. But he concluded Lafitte was likely dead.

Ramsay compares the many legends about Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. Lafitte is rumored to have buried treasure in many places. These include Galveston and sites along coastal Louisiana, like Contraband Bayou in Lake Charles. Ramsay believes that over time, almost "every foot of Grande Isle has been spaded for pirate gold." In 1909, a man was jailed for six years for fraud. He tricked people into giving him money by claiming he knew where Lafitte's treasure was buried.

Two fishing towns in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, are named after him: Jean Lafitte and Lafitte.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve was named for him.

Jean Lafitte in Popular Culture

New Orleans Tourism

Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop is named after him. It's on Bourbon Street. People believe Lafitte might have spent time there. He may have used it to arrange the transfer of smuggled goods. His brother Pierre Lafitte was a blacksmith.

Built in the 1720s, the building is possibly the oldest bar in the United States.

The Jean Lafitte Swamp Tour is in the Jean Lafitte National Park and Barataria Preserve. It's also named after the pirate and privateer. Located just 25 minutes from downtown New Orleans, Jean Lafitte Swamp Tours has offered daily bayou tours since the 1980s. Guides teach about wildlife, Cajun culture, and life on the bayou. Because it's in a National Park, feeding alligators is not allowed on this tour.

Books and Stories

Many novels have been inspired by Lafitte's adventures.

The first novel about him was The Memoirs of Lafitte, or The Baratarian Pirate; a Narrative Founded on Fact (1826).
Many Americans thought Lord Byron's poem "The Corsair" was based on Lafitte's life. The poem sold over 10,000 copies on its first day. By 1840, Lafitte was known as a charming man with women. He was also seen as a cold-blooded killer of men, but one who still followed some rules of honor.
Lafitte is the narrator in Poppy Z. Brite's 1991 short story "The Sixth Sentinel." He is a ghost who loves a beautiful woman named Hard Luck Rosalie. He tries to convince her to dig up his forgotten treasure so they can be together.
In the second Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book, a story tells how a Confederate captain saw the ghost of Lafitte's ship, The Pride. He described it as "a strange, old fashioned schooner with a big black flag." It was "afire with a sort of weird, pale blue light." The crew had "ghastly bleeding wounds but their faces and eyes were those of dead men."
In Isabel Allende's Zorro, Lafitte is a key character.
In the popular manga/anime series One Piece, the character Lafitte is named after Jean Lafitte.
Charles Gayarre wrote the first serious biography of Lafitte. It was called Historical Sketch of Pierre and Jean Lafitte, the Famous Smugglers of Louisiana (1883). Other biographies followed.
Lyle Saxon wrote the novel Lafitte the Pirate (1930).
Lee Falk's Phantom comic strip story "The Vault of Missing Men" (1979–1980) featured Jean Lafitte against one of the historical Phantoms. The Phantom eventually married Lafitte's (fictional) sister Jeanette. Lafitte himself is said to have been buried in a special vault in the Skull Cave.
Young Lafitte is a small character in Simon Hawke's 1984 science-fiction novel The Pimpernel Plot. He appears as an adult in the sequel The Nautilus Sanction.
In a children's story, Jean Lafitte met Victor Andre, a child in New Orleans. Victor had gotten into trouble, and Lafitte rescued him. Victor invited Lafitte home and offered him hospitality. Victor encouraged Lafitte and his pirates to help Louisiana defend itself. Lafitte took his words to heart. He fought in the Battle of New Orleans for the United States. He credited Victor as his inspiration.
In Image Comics's WildC.A.T.s, issue 20 (1995), Jean Lafitte is revealed to be an alien invader named Hightower.
French comic writers Marc Bourgne and Franck Bonnet created a series called Les pirates de Barataria (2009).
Jean Lafitte is a character in the 2014 science-fiction novel Atlantic Pyramid. He is one of many victims taken by the Bermuda Triangle.
Jean Lafitte is a character in the vampire bunny novel “Bunnicula.” He helps Bunnicula escape a 200-year imprisonment. Andrew Jackson is also mentioned, connecting to the historical setting.
Jean Laffite is a character in the historical fiction novels Theodosia and the Pirates: The Battle Against Britain (2013) and Theodosia and the Pirates: The War Against Spain (2014) by Aya Katz.
Lafitte's legend and treasure start the novel The Marauders by Tom Cooper (2015).
In Suzanne Johnson's urban fantasy series, The Sentinels of New Orleans, an undead Lafitte is a main character.
In the novel The Revenant by Michael Punke, Jean Lafitte and his colony Campeche play an important role in the life of the main character, Hugh Glass.

Movies

Part of the Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve

Saxon's novel was made into the Cecil B. DeMille movie The Buccaneer (1938). The movie showed Lafitte's help in the War of 1812. Fredric March starred as Lafitte.
In 1950, Paul Henreid starred in another movie about Jean Lafitte called Last of the Buccaneers.
In 1958, Anthony Quinn directed a remake of The Buccaneer. Yul Brynner played Lafitte, and Charlton Heston played Andrew Jackson.
The Pirate Island of Jean Lafitte (1998) is an 18-minute film. It is shown year-round at the Pier 21 Theater in Galveston.

Lafitte's Journal

In 1948, John Andrechyne Laflin showed a document to the Missouri Historical Society. He claimed it was a journal Lafitte kept from 1845 to 1850. When the historical society couldn't prove it was real, Laflin went to Louisiana author Stanley Arthur. Arthur wrote Jean Laffitte: Gentleman Rover based on the journal. In 1958, Laflin published an English translation of the journal himself. He refused to let anyone else see the original documents until 1969. Then, he sold them to a document dealer. The paper and ink were tested and found to be from the mid-1800s. An archivist for Bexar County, Texas, said the papers were real.

In 1980, the journal was given to the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Texas. There, it was finally available for research. Many researchers noticed that John Laflin's handwriting looked like the writing in the journal. Handwriting experts found similarities. Laflin had been accused before of faking letters from Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Davy Crockett. Most historians now believe the Lafitte journal is a fake.

Other Appearances

In the Call of Cthulhu game, Jean Lafitte is alive in 1920s New Orleans. He organizes secret activities.
In the 1960s and 70s, a cartoon pirate named Jean LaFoote appeared in ads for Cap'n Crunch cereal. LaFoote was a funny villain who was a rival to Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch. In the 1970s, he was on the front of boxes of Cinnamon Crunch cereal, called "Jean LaFoote's Cinnamon Crunch Cereal."
At Disneyland, there's a ship anchor monument with a plaque for Lafitte in New Orleans Square. He is also mentioned in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The boat dock is labeled LaFitte's Landing.

Images for kids

A persistent rumor claimed that Lafitte rescued Napoleon (pictured) from exile and both of them ended their days in Louisiana. No evidence supports it.