Jean Laffite, also Lafitte (* around 1780 France; "† 1826, the USA or Yucatan) as a second son of a Aristokraten one bore. During the French revolution fled its family after where likewise revolts and civil wars raved. After the slave rebellions and proclaiming the State of Haiti 1804 the brothers Jean and Pierre emigrierten into the USA.

Already four years later applied the Laffites than feared Freibeuter, which with ten ships and 1000 men into the Karibik American, British and Spanish trading vessels kaperten and the booty of the Barataria Bay after new Orleans smuggled. The attempts of the governor William Claiborne to drive Laffite out from its "kingdom of Barataria" failed pitifully - when it exposed a premium of 750 dollar to head on Laffites, turned Jean to the Spiess and offered for Claibornes life the double. Laffites planned expansion to the coast of Texas was stopped by the attack of the British on the lower Mississippi area - he fought 1815 at the side of the general Andrew Jackson in the battle of new Orleans and attained so its legality again. The park, which is today at the scene of this battle, carries the name Jean Laffites.

After one refused it in Washington the rendition its seized possession, he returned 1816 to new Orleans and terminated its short existence in the legality. He began to work on plans for a landing place on the coast from Texas to, which would attack as port for Kaperschiffe and base with on Texas function should. Laffite drove 1817 out the notorious Piraten Louis Michel Aury of the island Galveston, those the center of the smuggling, which became Piraterie and the slave trade. A second time was dependent the USA on the assistance of the Piraten, when on behalf the president Monroe the Laffite brothers with driving the Frenchmen and Spaniards out from Texas for support asked 1818 George Graham - they rejected, and Texas was attached Mexico.

Around 1820 the brothers left Laffite Galveston, since Jeans plots each friend bounced and Pierres had become worthless work for the Spanish secret service. They burned Galveston down and settled on the Mugeres island, where Jean up to its death attacked 1825 ships. Although Pierre Laffite was the older and of the brothers, Jean Laffite hero of many hero narrations became.

The battle of new Orleans was model for that the film "Buccaneer" (1938; German: "The Freibeuter of Louis IANA"). Direction led Cecil B. DeMille; Fredric March played Laffite, Hugh Sothern general Jackson. 1958 should turn DeMille a Remake, since he became ill, substituted its son-in-law Anthony Quinn, which had already 1938 a Nebenrolle. Leading actor Yul Brynner (Laffite) and Charlton Heston (general Jackson). A Nebenrolle played late than Ben the Cartwright admits become Lorne Greene. The Remake ran as a "king of the Freibeuter" in German cinemas.

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