Tricentennial & Tricorns
Aye, mates…in 2018 it’ll be 300 years that New Orleans has been on the map – and 10 years since the official start o’ NOLA Pyrate Week! Of course, we have many folks in tricorn hats (and perhaps a couple in bicorns) to thank for the fabulous city we love to call home – most o’ them Pyra…er…Privateers! Of course, we’ll be the first to tell ye there’s but a fine sheet o’ paper between a Pyrate & a Privateer (or as we like to refer to ’em, “Pyrates with a license”) – largely, it depends who ye ask. Even the notorious Jean Laffite claimed the title o’ Privateer, with Letters of Marque from Cartagena…several, apparently!
Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville founded La Nouvelle Orléans in 1718 and the city grew from a large fort that we now call Le Vieux Carré (the old square), or The French Quarter! Nouvelle Orléans remained under French control until 1763 when the Spanish took it over…but then the French took it back in 1803, shortly before Napoléon decided he was tired o’ looking after The Louisiana Territory and sold it to the young USA. We should mention that this included the land along the entire length o’ the Mississippi River – 828,000 square miles covering 15 present US States & two Canadian Provinces – had this ‘sale’ not occurred, these lands today might well be part o’ Canada! In point o’ fact, if Jean Laffite hadn’t supplied the US troops with powder, flint, long guns and two o’ the best Cannoneers in the world, Louisiana and perhaps much o’ the Gulf Coast, would be controlled by the British. Ye can thank President James Madison for signing Proclamation 19, which allowed Laffite & his crew to participate in saving New Orleans.
We hope ye hoist a sail and join us 30 March thru 8 April, 2018 at the bend in the river for our humble 10th anniversary o’ this gathering o’ mates! There is much history & culture to enjoy; not to mention food, drink, camaraderie…and opportunities to do some good in the community as always!
From Pyrates Alley in the Vieux Carré to Old Algiers, The Bywater to the town o’ Jean Lafitte, Slidell to Bayou Dularge, Arnaudville to Ville Platte, Mamou to Abita Springs…and wherever else we may journey!
Are there any gathering tonight 3.31.18. And where
Nothing particular tonight, mate…though there are almost always a few Pyrates hanging out at Pirates Alley Cafe… we’ll be around there tomorrow afternoon for the parades.
An account of Bienville bluffing a British Warship to keep the French Claim on the Louisiana Territory can be found here: https://gonola.com/features/french-teenager-bluffed-british-warship Bienville would have made a fine Pyrate.
Great link, mate, thank ye! Bienville is described as an “Expeditioner”. “Adventurer”, “Privateer”…semantics, really. A Pyrate by any other name!
Is there a pirate museum in New Orleans?
Alas, mate, there is not – though New Orleans is almost it’s own Pyrate Museum with a collection o’ locations related to Laffite and his crew – and the only “official Pyrate grave” in the US. We do generally visit most o’ these locations as they are mostly within the French Quarter. The Town o’ Jean Lafitte (about 40 minutes down river in Barataria itself) has a couple o’ small museums with artifacts form the time – and one spectacular set o’ marionettes (some photos here)
As much as I love Vieux Carré, there is in fact a Pyrate museum in St Augustine FL that I highly suggest visiting. It is directly across from La Castillo de San Marco.
Ah, yes – our mates down there have done quite a piece o’ work putting that together!