Jean Lafitte

Jean Lafitte (שֿאן לאפֿיט) — 1780's-1820's, although never a citizen of Mueva Sefarad, is a popular Muevasefaradí folk hero.

Born in France to a Sefaradic anusí mother whose father was killed by the Inquisition, Lafitte left Europe in the early 1800's and set up what amounted to a small kingdom in and around the Gulf of Mejico. Although he demanded tribute from the towns he controlled no matter which side of what border they fell on, his admiration of Louisiannian Republican and American ideals caused him to never attack a Louisiannian or American ship (or so he claimed).

Lafitte's exploits against Iberian interests earned him fame in Mueva Sefarad, and it is reported that he refused Muevasefaradí citizenship and support, preferring independence and the heat of the southern seas to the frigid North Atlantic. Many Muevasefaradíes were inspired by his story, however, and the increase in privateering and piracy against Iberian ships after his disappearance was one of the factors leading to the War of 1898.

After his main bases of operations were seized in the 1820's, Jean Lafitte sailed off into the Gulf of Mejico never to be seen again. Although it is commonly assumed he died soon thereafter, families and individuals claiming descent from him surfaced in the mid-20th century, mostly in Louisianne and Mueva Sefarad.