Jean Lafitte (1776-1823?) was the last of the great pirates of the Gulf of Mexico ( He insisted throughout his life that he was a privateer, and would have challenged you to a duel if you called him a pirate to his face ) and was one of the leaders or bos of the community of privateers on Grand Terre. Jean was a handsome man by all accounts, of great personal charm and became a legend in his own time, after his patriotic actions in the Battle of New Orleans.

 By 1805, he appears Jean operating a warehouse in New Orleans to help sell the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre and on Grand Terre, where the Lafittes made their privateering base, on the western tip of the island, facing Barataria Pass . The Lafittes grew rich from the sale of their privateered goods during the trade embargo before the War of 1812 and the British blockade. Grande Terre was six miles long and one to three miles wide . By 1809, it was well known that slaves fresh from Africa could be gotten at Grande Terre, which were kept in barracon, or slave barracks. Here they erected storehouses and a small brick fort . The last remains of the fort were destroyed by a hurricane in 1965.

Registration for Pierre Lafitte's ship Goelette la Dilidente,a 136 ton schooner, captained by Jean Lafitte in 1813. Jean lists his age as 32 and his birthplace as Bordeaux. The la Dilidente had a crew of 84 and 12 14 pounder cannon .The Lafittes had a fleet of four ships in their privateering fleet by 1813, with the Dorada, Petit Milan ,the la Dilidente and the Sarpis.