Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "gulf-coast"

Pirates, Raiders & Invaders of the Gulf Coast (No Series by Ryan Starrett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Gulf Coast of the United States has a complex history populated with people from different walks of life and lands near and far. Between 1699 and 1819, six different nations flew their flags here: Spain, France, Great Britain, the State of Muskogee, the West Florida Republic, and the United States. It was a land inhabited by tough survivors and a region fought over more than once because its waterways provided access to land and opportunity.

Among the individual stories found within these pages are those of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, who sought peace between the Choctaws and the Chickasaws. Jean Baptiste Story served as a galley slave. Governor Bernardo de Galvez upset the balance of power along the Gulf Coast when he captured Mobile. William Augustus Bowles went AWOL from the British army, tried his hand at mutiny, and established the State of Muskogee. Emigrés from Haiti sought refuge in New Orleans and its environs, only to experience a well-organized slave insurrection in their new homeland. Jean and Pierre Laffite established a smuggling operation and eventually helped the Americans during the Battle of New Orleans. Lieutenant Robert Gleig, a veteran of the Duke of Wellington’s forces in the Peninsular War, participated in that final battle of the War of 1812. There are also accounts of the Massacre of Fort Mims and the Seminole Wars.

The book is laid out in chronological order and the chapters cover specific periods and people. It opens with the French and Indian Wars, which cover 1702 through 1759 and goes through Manifest Destiny (1816-1835). The authors include a preface, a list of key people, an introduction, an epilogue, notes, and sources. There are many illustrations, but no index, which makes it more difficult to locate information on specific people since they may be discussed in more than one place.

This is an interesting introduction to the early history of the Gulf Coast. The title is something of a misnomer, as the only pirates discussed here are the Laffites, even though many others found safe havens along the coast between Tallahassee in the east and Galveston in the west. For those seeking a quick, enlightening initiation into the history and people of this area, Pirates, Raiders and Invaders of the Gulf Coast is a good place to start.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adultpirat...)



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