Louis-Michel Aury (1788–1821) was a French privateer, corsair, and revolutionary operative active in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean during the early 19th century. He played a significant role in the Latin American wars of independence, particularly in support of Mexican insurgents against Spanish rule.
Born in Paris, France, Aury went to sea at a young age. By 1810, he had established himself as a successful privateer operating out of Cartagena de Indias (in present-day Colombia), which had declared independence from Spain. He received letters of marque from the revolutionary government of Cartagena, authorizing him to attack Spanish shipping.
In 1816, Aury accepted a commission from the Mexican revolutionary envoy José Manuel de Herrera to establish a base on Galveston Island, Texas, then part of Spanish Texas. He arrived in September 1816 and constructed fortifications and a settlement, naming the point "Point Aury." He intended the base to serve as a port for privateers harassing Spanish commerce and a supply point for the Mexican independence movement led by figures such as José Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara and Francisco Xavier Mina.
Aury's tenure at Galveston was marked by friction with other filibusters and privateers, notably Jean Lafitte. In July 1817, while Aury was away on a cruise, Lafitte effectively took control of the island. Upon his return, Aury found his authority usurped and departed for Amelia Island, Florida (then Spanish Florida), in September 1817.
At Amelia Island, Aury proclaimed the "Republic of the Floridas" under the flag of the revolutionary Republic of Mexico (the "Green Flag" revolt led by Gregor MacGregor). He served as the military commander of the island until December 1817, when United States forces occupied Amelia Island to suppress smuggling and piracy, citing violations of U.S. neutrality laws. Aury surrendered the island to U.S. forces without resistance.
Following the loss of Amelia Island, Aury continued privateering activities in the Caribbean on behalf of the Venezuelan and Colombian patriots. He captured Old Providence Island (Isla de Providencia) in the western Caribbean in 1818, establishing a base there. He died on August 30, 1821, in Old Providence, reportedly thrown from a horse.
