Jean Lafitte’s last rival left Galveston on Jul. 8, 1817 leaving the self-proclaimed “President” of Texas in complete control of the island.
Whether the famous pirate really made that outlandish claim after setting up shop on the Texas coast in the spring of 1817 is open to debate. No matter, though, because it was an intricate blend of fact and fiction that made Lafitte immortal.
As a teenager, Jean Lafitte stowed away on a French ship bound for the West Indies. The lad was put ashore at Santo Domingo and forced to fend for himself, a task he performed with a resourcefulness far beyond his years. By the age of 20, he could point with pride to a pretty wife and his very own ship bought with the savings from back-breaking toil on a Caribbean plantation.
