California’s Pirate Raids

Author and former professor William Briggs will introduce you to the pirate Bouchard. Briggs is the author of That Pirate Bouchard, Revolutions, Redemption and the Plunder of Old California. Few Californians are aware that California was once the target of a series of pirate raids.  This is an overlooked period of early 19th century.

The book recounts the adventures of the French-born privateer Hipolito Bouchard, who sailed for Argentina during the South American wars of independence from Spain.  Privateers practiced a form of government-sanctioned piracy and Bouchard sailed around the world searching for Spanish ships and coastal seaports to plunder.  In 1818 he attacked and burned Monterey before raiding Santa Barbara and sacking the mission at San Juan Capistrano.

According to Briggs, a former California State University communications professor and dean, Bouchard’s California raids didn’t yield much plunder, but they did demonstrate the weak hold Spain held on Alta California in the last days of empire.  Bouchard is revered as a national hero and Father of the Navy in three South American countries.  But to Californios, he was “Ese Pirata, Buchar” (“That Pirate, Bouchard”), said with fear and scorn.

William Briggs is former professor and director in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San Jose State University, and Emeritus Dean of the College of Communications at California State University Fullerton.

Dr. Briggs earned a degree in history from Stanford University.  He holds a master’s degree in communication from San Jose State University and received his doctorate in education from University of San Francisco.  He received the Bronze Star medal for military service in Vietnam.  A native Californian, he is past president of the Morgan Hill Historical Society and a 50-year resident of Santa Clara County.