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Pierre Lafitte (1770–1821) was a privateer in the Gulf of Mexico and smuggler in the early 19th century. He also ran a blacksmith shop in New Orleans, his legitimate business. Pierre was the historically less-well-known older brother of Jean Lafitte. While not as much of a sailor as his brother, he was the public face of the Lafitte operation, and was known for his wit and charm, in addition to his handling of the sale of smuggled goods. Pierre Lafitte also spied for Spain and commanded artillery units. He died in 1821 near Dzilam de Bravo in the Yucatán Peninsula. ==Early life== Details of Pierre Lafitte's early life are scarce and often disputed. His brother Jean gave contradictory information about his birthplace, including the two French cities of St. Malo and Brest. However, as Jean Lafitte's biographer Jack C. Ramsay states, "this was a convenient time to be a native of France, a claim that provided protection from the enforcement of American law."〔Ramsay (1996), p. 10.〕 Further contemporary accounts claim that Jean Lafitte was born in Orduna, Spain, or even Westchester, New York.〔 Ramsay speculates that Lafitte was actually born in the French Caribbean colony Saint-Domingue (now Haiti).〔 It was not uncommon in the late 18th century for the adult children of the French landowners in Saint-Domingue to resettle in the Mississippi River Delta, also owned by France. Families with the surname Lafitte are mentioned in Louisiana documents dating as early as 1765.〔Ramsay (1996), p. 12.〕 According to Ramsay, Lafitte, his younger brother Jean, and their widowed mother sailed from Saint-Domingue to New Orleans, Louisiana (New Spain) in the 1780s. Approximately 1784, his mother married Pedro Aubry, a New Orleans merchant; Jean stayed with his mother while Pierre was raised by extended family elsewhere in Louisiana.〔Ramsay (1996), p. 13.〕 Biographer William C. Davis reports a different childhood. According to his book, Lafitte was born in or near Pauillac, France. He was the son of Pierre Lafitte and Marie LaGrange, who married in 1769. LaGrange died the following year, likely while giving birth. The elder Pierre Lafitte remarried in 1775 to Marguerite Desteil; they had six children, including Jean Lafitte. The boys were likely given a basic education,〔Davis (2005), p. 2.〕 and Pierre Lafitte later joined his father's trading enterprise.〔Davis (2005), p. 3.〕 The father died in 1796, and Davis speculates that the younger Pierre Lafitte journeyed to Saint-Domingue (soon to be Haiti).〔Davis (2005), p. 5.〕 In May 1802 Lafitte requested a passport so that he could go "to Louisiana to join one of his brothers".〔Davis (2005), p. 4.〕 As the Haitian Revolution became more violent, French citizens began leaving the islands. Lafitte, probably accompanied by an infant son, left the island aboard a refuge ship in early 1803.〔Davis (2005), p. 7.〕 Lafitte's ship landed in New Orleans, originally part of colonial French Louisiana, although it had been a Spanish possession for nearly forty years. Records indicate that on March 21, 1803, Pierre Lafitte partnered with Joseph Maria Bourguignon to purchase a city lot, home, and outbuildings near Royal Street.〔Davis (2005), p. 9.〕 The men were unable to pay their mortgage and returned the property three months later.〔Davis (2005), p. 10.〕 In December 1803, Louisiana became a territory of the United States.〔Davis (2005), p. 12.〕 The following year, Lafitte moved to Baton Rouge, located in Spanish-controlled West Florida.〔Davis (2005), p. 13.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pierre Lafitte」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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