Apalachicola Area Historical Society Presents Piracy! The Last Scourge of the Gulf

The Apalachicola Area Historical Society (AAHS) will be presenting a program entitled “Piracy! The Last Scourge of the Gulf” by Michael Thomin, Director of Education and Interpretation at the University of West Florida and Senior Research Associate with the Florida Public Archaeology Network. as part of their Spring Speaker Series on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm in a spacious, covered outdoor area adjacent to the Apalachicola Yacht Club, located at 170 Water Street, Apalachicola, FL. Please note the new times and location for these programs.

This presentation will explore the massive wave of piracy struck the Gulf of Mexico and terrorized shipping along the Gulf coast two centuries ago. Florida was especially dangerous for travelers. Jean Lafitte and Charles Gibbs, two of the most notorious pirates from this period, had close ties to the Florida panhandle. One case of piracy even wound up in the court of West Florida in Pensacola and made newspaper headlines across the nation. This talk examines some of the broader aspects of piracy during the early 1800s in the Gulf and Caribbean. It also focuses on the current archaeological evidence for possible pirate ships from this period that wrecked beneath the waters of the Gulf.

Mike Thomin is the Director of Education and Interpretation at the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s Coordinating Center and a Faculty Senior Research Associate at the University of West Florida. With an M.A. in history/public history, Mike has dedicated nearly two decades to his career as a museum professional, specializing in public archaeology, heritage education, historic preservation, and nonprofit management. He has worked with local communities, state, federal, and international partners on heritage projects through grants and collaborations, both in the United States and abroad. He is also a Florida Master Naturalist. Additionally, he co-authored a chapter in the book Deadman’s Chest: Even More Archaeology of Piracy (University of Florida Press, 2023).

These Speakers events are part of a well-established and popular series by the Apalachicola Area Historical Society with speakers January through May on Saturdays, mid-month. Previous programs have covered Apalachicola’s predominantly African American North Side, Territorial City St Joseph, Early Maps of the area, Niles Register Florida History, the ice delivery industry, Cemetery Preservation, Apalachicola Historic Squares and more.