Rebellion & Pirate Outpost: Why Galveston Was Settled in the First Place

Geography, opportunity, and conflict. From indigenous history to pirates and privateers, this episode explores the island’s earliest known stories.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why Europeans Settled Galveston Island
• 1:32 Indigenous History and Pirate Arrivals
• 3:16 The Lafitte Brothers' Rise
• 4:42 Building the Pirate Colony Campeche
• 6:28 The Fall of Lafitte's Galveston Empire

Transcript

Speaker 0: 0:03

Why did Europeans settle on this island in the first place? What makes Galveston Island so attractive? Like lots of big questions like this, the answers are surprisingly simple, and in this case geography and money. The Spanish first saw strategic value in the region and laid claim to what we now call Texas in the early 1500s. But for this island, which didn't yet have an official European name, but rather a nickname given by Cabeza de Vaca when he shipwrecked on or near Galveston Island, calling it Isla de Culibras or Snake Island. For 300 years, the Spanish Empire pretty much maintained control over the Gulf Coast, but France, the colonies, britain and the United States never really took their eyes off of it. The northeastern edge of the Gulf, especially, was just a short sail away from New Orleans and was increasingly tempting to fortune seekers. The coast of Texas remained pretty wild and uncolonized until the 1810s, and then the island was on everyone's radar, bear in mind.

Speaker 0: 0:59

The Karankwa and other indigenous people have had a very long history on what is now called Galveston Island. The Karankwa, the peoples often associated with Galveston Island, were nomadic between the coast and interior of Texas, and groups of Karankwa frequently camped on the barrier islands of Texas, including Galveston Island. Archaeologists and modern scholars, alongside living members of the tribe now known as the Karankwa Kadla, have been able to unearth and bring to light lots of this deep history in the region. When it comes to studying and talking about history, most of our information and primary sources come from written records which indigenous people just didn't do like the Europeans did. So when we're talking about early history of the island, most of what we know comes from European sources only because they were the ones writing it down, and many of these records came from not just settlers and pioneers, but pirates.

Speaker 0: 1:50

First off, when it comes to pirates, should we call them pirates or privateers? The only difference is whether or not their activity has been legally sanctioned, usually by an official letter of marque from a government. Now, the issuance of a letter of marque is essentially granting a government license that authorizes a private person called a privateer to attack and capture enemy ships during wartime. It turns private vessels into a legal naval force and without a letter of mark, attacking and plundering other ships would be considered piracy. Now, at this time in history, in the 1810s, many governments just didn't have enough ships to control and monitor their quickly growing area of ocean territory, so some private citizens were given permission to engage in battles and keep a portion of the spoils, also known as booty.

Speaker 0: 2:36

Some of the earliest settlers on Galveston Island were engaged in piracy and privateering. It's safe to say that the Lafitte brothers embraced both methods. And yes, jean and Pierre Lafitte there were at least two Lafittes who worked together in this scheming, but Jean in particular is usually credited with establishing the first, let's say, european-themed, pirate colony on Galveston Island. Now, depending on where you look, some historical sources say that the Lafitte brothers claim to have been born in France, with Pierre being about 10 years older than Jean. They first show up in New Orleans in the early 1800s, where they establish a blacksmith shop, which actually still stands on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. There the brothers quickly realized how much money could be made from trading, smuggling and privateering, but not just that, but also the illegal slave trade along the Gulf Coast. As they began building their fortune and wealth, they became well-known and respected members of New Orleans' high society. In fact, jean Lafitte even helped the Americans defeat the British forces at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. During the War of 1812, the Lafittes were doing very well for themselves and saw room to expand their personal empire, but he couldn't pull it off all alone and he certainly wasn't the only one who wanted it At this point.

Speaker 0: 3:50

Texas was owned by Spain and the island may have been legally a part of Spain, but people in Spanish Mexico, which included Texas, began organizing to rebel for independence against Spain. Those organizing the Mexican rebellion saw the potential value of controlling Galveston Island. Ports, forts and men were needed to successfully. Also. A French pirate and privateer was one of these men. He reached the island first, established the first camp in July of 1816. The flag of rebellion was raised over Galveston Island on September 13, 1816. Arry quickly built a shantytown on the east end of Galveston Island, a settlement of rebel fighters who killed time and raised money, privateering and pirating, mainly against Spanish vessels in the maritime commerce-rich Gulf of Mexico. Over the following months, reinforcements arrived until over 200 men were living on the island. In April of 1817, ari's gathered forces mounted up and left the island and began sailing south toward Spanish Mexico for an offensive invasion to gain independence.

Speaker 0: 4:54

This expedition for independence, like many others against Spain, did not work out. Around the same time Ari was leaving on this expedition, jean Lafitte had been expelled from New Orleans and later Louisiana, mainly from his involvement in piracy and smuggling there. Although he helped the US during the War of 1812, he returned to illegal activities afterward. The US government and Louisiana authorities saw him as a threat to law and order. Eventually they shut down his base at Barataria and forced him out, but Jean Lafitte's men sailed into Galveston Bay in Ari's wake.

Speaker 0: 5:27

Because of Galveston's deep natural harbor, the island was an attractive place for Lafitte's various businesses. A man named Bartholomew Lafon was enlisted to help and in a very practical sense he's actually responsible for building the colony. Lafon was another New Orleans notable and jack of all trades. He was an architect, land developer, cartographer and pirate too. Before Lafitte personally arrived to stay, though he had almost certainly visited before, lafon first brought the materials to build the colony in May 1817, on his ship, the Carmelita. In fact, lafon is likely responsible for designing and building Lafitte's home, known as Maison Rouge In French that means Red House. From 1817 to 1820, their pirate colony called Campichi was Jean Lafitte's home base of operations. Over a thousand people lived here at the time. Now one key piece to this operation that is often overlooked.

Speaker 0: 6:20

Lafitte and his men continued to engage in the illegal slave trade here along with other nefarious dealings. Lafitte and his men would assist in smuggling enslaved people across the Spanish-Texas and Louisiana border into the United States and then turn them in for a bounty at a US customs house and have associates purchase these enslaved people back, acquiring the legal documents to then sell these enslaved people throughout the early 1800s United States. But the Kroenkewa people, still nomadic and occasionally living on the island, weren't too happy to share it with these shady Europeans. They might be able to trade, mingle and live alongside each other, but they definitely did not trust each other. Tensions peaked at the Battle of the Three Trees, culminating in a complete standoff between these pirates and indigenous people. The Krakow ended up leaving and nothing too terrible happened, but things were certainly getting less friendly on this island for Lafitte and his men.

Speaker 0: 7:14

Ultimately, this endeavor wasn't sustainable for the pirates and by 1820, the United States government was also having problems with Jean Lafitte and his men. Ultimately, this endeavor wasn't sustainable for the pirates and by 1820, the United States government was also having problems with Jean Lafitte and his outfit. They had inadvertently attacked a US merchant ship and if you know anything about the history of the US and their ships, the United States does not play when you touch their boats. The government drew a hard line and the United States Navy came sailing in. Jean Lafitte and his outfit were ordered to leave Galveston Island and Lafitte abandoned the colony without a fight.

Speaker 0: 7:43

But his last wish for Campeche was to completely burn the entire colony to the ground. So go to the earliest, or just best recorded, european stories of life on Galveston Island. Only scattered archaeological evidence and documents remain to record this legacy. But of course, where there are pirates there are stories of lost treasure left behind. But for some people the stories left behind are the real treasure of Galveston Island. And while Lafitte himself vanished into history, the myth of his buried treasure still lingers, proof that some legends are too rich to ever be buried for good.