This idyllic Florida beach town was a pirate nation for 200 wild days in 1817

MacGregor and Aury’s Brief Pirate Kingdom on Amelia Island

Amelia Island once had its own pirate nation, if only for a few months.

In June 1817, Scottish mercenary Gregor MacGregor sailed from Charleston with 55 men and took Fort San Carlos without firing a shot.

“I shall sleep either in hell or Amelia tonight!” he boasted. Soon after, his “Republic of the Floridas” fell apart.

Then French pirate Luis Aury moved in, sold slaves for $60,000, and ran a smuggling hub until President Monroe had enough. U.S. troops shut down this “colony of pirates” that December.

Today, Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park stands where these bold rogues once ruled their tiny kingdom.

The Scottish Con Man Sold $160,000 in Fake Florida Land

MacGregor showed up in Baltimore in February 1817 with plans to take Florida from Spain.

He talked American investors into buying $160,000 worth of “scripts” promising Florida land once he took over.

He gathered about 200 fighters from Charleston and Savannah, many who fought in the War of 1812.

MacGregor claimed he had backing from several rebel governments fighting Spain. Spanish spies helped by spreading rumors that MacGregor led a huge army of 1,000 men.

His Bold Bluff Won Him a Fort Without Firing a Shot

MacGregor landed at Amelia Island on June 29, 1817, with just 55 men after most recruits got stuck in American ports.

Before surrounding Fort San Carlos, he boldly stated, “I shall sleep either in hell or Amelia tonight.” Spanish commander Francisco Morales quickly gave up his 51 men and several cannons without a fight.

MacGregor raised his “Green Cross of Florida” flag and announced his new Republic of the Floridas. Most locals fled to mainland Florida or Georgia rather than support him.

Pirates Got Taxed in the New Republic

MacGregor set up a court to take a cut of the pirates’ loot and make seized ships look legal. He put out notices asking locals to join his government, but almost nobody showed up.

He tried making money by grabbing and selling enslaved people found on the island. MacGregor stopped his troops from looting, which angered men who joined hoping to get rich.

He first paid soldiers with worthless “Amelia dollars” he printed himself, then stopped paying them completely.

Battle of Amelia Island Changed Everything

Spanish forces attacked in July 1817 but got pushed back by guns from MacGregor’s ships in the harbor. Things got worse when eighteen of his scouts sent to St.

Augustine got killed, wounded, or captured by Spanish troops. His men started leaving because they weren’t getting paid and couldn’t plunder for extra cash.

By August, MacGregor’s force shrank from 200 to fewer than 100 men. His officers wanted to attack mainland Florida, but MacGregor knew they lacked men and supplies.

He Skipped Town as Angry Crowds Shouted Insults

MacGregor quit his Florida dream on September 4, 1817, claiming his friends lied about sending support. He boarded a ship called the Morgiana with his wife while angry crowds yelled at him from the docks.

He handed control to Pennsylvania congressman Jared Irwin and American fighter Ruggles Hubbard.

Later, MacGregor spread a story that he sold the island to Aury for $50,000, though this was likely just another lie.

In Nassau, he ordered special medals made that read “Amelia, I Came, I Saw, I Conquered.

French Pirate Brought 300 Men to Take Over

French pirate Louis-Michel Aury sailed into Amelia Island in September 1817 after Jean Lafitte kicked him out of Galveston.

Aury teamed up with MacGregor’s leftover lieutenants Hubbard and Irwin. He brought 300 men who carried papers from Mexican rebels after leading failed attacks in Texas.

His larger crew beat back two Spanish counterattacks trying to reclaim the island. Aury created a new “Supreme Council of the Floridas” to run things his way.

Mexico’s Flag Flew Over Florida Territory

Aury claimed Amelia Island for Mexico in October 1817 and raised the Mexican rebel flag. He said he acted for Mexico’s rebel government in their fight against Spain.

Courts were set up to make captured ships look legal and give his pirating a cover of legitimacy. Aury brought in Pedro Gual Escandón and Vicente Pazos Kanki to write a constitution for his new territory.

He sent messages inviting all of Florida to join him in breaking free from Spanish control.

Slave Ship Sale Brought in $60,000 of Quick Cash

Aury captured the Spanish slave ship Isabelita carrying 95 enslaved people during his trip to Amelia Island.

Under his control, Fernandina became a base for attacking Spanish ships throughout the region. His court declared the ship and its human cargo “war prizes” that could be legally sold.

Aury sold all 95 enslaved people to a Georgian named Bowden for $60,000, breaking the 1808 U.S. ban on importing slaves.

He ran a busy smuggling network that moved illegal goods into Georgia and other southern states.

President Monroe Called It a "Colony of Pirates"

President James Monroe grew worried about what was happening at Amelia Island, calling it a “colony of pirates and slave traders.”

American officials became concerned about violations of the 1808 law that banned importing slaves.

Monroe described the island as “a channel for the illicit introduction of slaves from Africa.
His cabinet held long meetings in October 1817 to deal with the growing pirate problem.

They also feared the island was becoming a safe place for enslaved people escaping from nearby states.

The White House Shut Down Piracy on Amelia Island

Monroe told Congress on December 2, 1817, that he planned to shut down the Amelia Island operation.

He called it “a mere private, unauthorized adventure” with an “unfriendly” nature.

The president sent U.S. naval forces to capture the island and restore order. American officials said they had to step in because of the smuggling and illegal slave trading.

Monroe promised to hold the island “in trust for Spain” until proper handover arrangements could be made.

American Troops Raised the Stars and Stripes

U.S. forces took control of Amelia Island on December 23, 1817, ending the six-month pirate republic. Aury gave up to American naval commanders without much of a fight.

The American flag replaced the Mexican rebel banner over Fort San Carlos.

Monroe reported to Congress that “the establishment at Amelia Island has been suppressed, and without the effusion of blood.”

The U.S. kept the island until Spain officially gave up Florida in 1819, when it became part of the new Florida Territory.

Visiting Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park, Florida

Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park on Estrada Street is where Scottish mercenary Gregor MacGregor captured Amelia Island in 1817 with just 55 men, creating his short-lived “Republic of the Floridas” before French pirate Luis Aury took over and made Fernandina a smuggling center.

This free 0.8-acre grassy park overlooks the Amelia River and is open daily from 8am to sunset. You can picnic here with river views, and Fort Clinch State Park manages it.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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