The Laffite brothers, Pierre and Jean, were born in France, but left, probably for Espanola, probably after 1796. By 1803, the year the United States made the Lousiana Purchase, they were in New Orleans, where they were businessmen who made their money from privateers, armed warships that attacked other ships (usually Spanish). Americans regarded the Laffites as criminals. The Laffites helped out the American cause during the War of 1812, becoming involved on the American side in the Battle of New Orleans. After the war, Jean went to Washington, D.C., to try to get recognition from the American government but President Madison would not give it to them and the Laffites became Spanish spies. This book includes accounts of wealthy people's life in New Orleans when it was a small, but boisterous city.
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Be warned, this book comes in at close to 700 pages, with a text of 486 pages and thus close to two hundred pages of footnotes, bibliographical references, etc.
The review of this Book prepared by Ann Gaines
