Illuminates the early American period in the upper Caribbean

Scourge of the Caribbean explores the mysterious and dramatic life and career of Charles E. Hawkins, a relatively unknown naval figure in early national America. Hawkins’s action-packed life at sea in his brief but accomplished career reveals much about an era when the rules of the maritime world, especially in the Caribbean, were in flux. For the US Navy and its commanders, the Caribbean presented an untold number of ambiguities: revolutionary juntas, privateering, piracy, and deadly disease, all within some of the most beautiful landscapes and waterscapes on earth.

Hawkins, from a well-connected family, took to the sea as a midshipman in the US Navy. Stalled promotion, economic setbacks, and blunted opportunities stymied the young officer, but ambition, combined with varied experiences and maritime pursuits, presented other prospects. At a time when individual agency mattered most, Hawkins stepped outside traditional boundaries of conduct on numerous occasions. Hawkins followed a mentor into the Mexican navy and became the most successful and feared raider of Spanish ships, earning the sobriquet “scourge” because of his raids along Cuba’s northern coast. In 1835, Hawkins joined the Texas independence movement against Mexico. Within the historical narrative are lurid accounts of adultery, affairs of honor, a bloody assassination, and complicated maritime legal battles. Based on prodigious research, this lively tale will appeal to those interested in maritime and early American history and the upper Caribbean in the Age of Sail.

This biography of Charles E. Hawkins uncovers the adventurous life of a daring naval officer whose exploits in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico blurred the lines between patriotism and piracy. Through scandal, warfare, and maritime intrigue, Hawkins's story reveals the chaotic and opportunity-filled world of early-nineteenth-century naval history.

A Swashbuckling Life Across Three Nations:
This is the true story of Charles E. Hawkins, a daring naval officer who served in the U.S., Mexican, and Texas navies - chasing pirates, fighting duels, and shaping early American maritime history.

History That Reads Like a Novel:
Murder, scandal, revolution, and redemption - Hawkins's life unfolds like a historical thriller, from the Caribbean to Key West to the Texas coast, with vivid storytelling and rich archival detail.

A Forgotten Founder of the Texas Navy:
Hawkins helped build the Republic of Texas's first navy from scratch, commanding its flagship and playing a key role in the fight for independence - all before dying of smallpox at just 34.

A Window into Early Gulf Coast America:
Through Hawkins's adventures, readers get a front-row seat to the wild, lawless world of 19th-century Key West, New Orleans, and the Gulf - where honor, ambition, and survival ruled the seas.