Jean Lafitte Ordered to Leave Galveston Island

If such a thing had existed at the time, the front page news in Galveston on this day in 1820 would have headlined: 

“Jean Lafitte Ordered to Leave Galveston Island”

This notable event in Galveston history is related to Jean Lafitte, the infamous French pirate whose name dots the island with lore and remnants. On September 12, 1820, Lafitte was ordered to leave Galveston Island by the U.S. Navy.

He had established a pirate settlement called Campeche on the island in 1817, but his raiding activities, including attacks on Spanish vessels, led to his expulsion.

Before leaving, Lafitte burned down the settlement to prevent others from using it. His presence on the island remains a significant part of Galveston’s pirate history.

This event marked the end of Galveston’s brief era as a pirate stronghold and set the stage for the island’s development into a more structured settlement.