Jean Ribault came to fame as a French naval officer, navigator, explorer, and colonizer of what we know nowadays as the southeastern United States. A proud Huguenot, Ribault was heavily involved in colonizing modern-day Florida, leading an expedition to the New World in 1562 which resulted in the founding of Charlesfort on Parris Island, which […]
Category Archives: French Huguenots
15
Feb
Feb
Contrary to popular belief, French Huguenot, Jean Ribault, was not the founder of Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida. It was, in fact, Ribault’s second in command, the courageous René Goulaine de Laudonnière. In 1564, our man Jean Ribault was locked away in the Tower of London and couldn’t make the return journey to re-supply […]
16
Jan
Jan
The Spanish had long planned on becoming the dominant force in the colonization of Florida from the late 1400s through to the 1500s. Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish conquistador, and explorer, are widely known to have led the very first European expedition to Florida. After traveling to the New World with Christopher Columbus in […]
16
Dec
Dec
After being released from prison in 1564, French Huguenot explorer, navigator, and sea captain Jean Ribault was sent on a relief mission back to Florida, on his second voyage. Setting sail with a fleet of seven ships, five hundred soldiers, weapons and ammunition, various supplies, a selection of livestock, and five hundred sailors and colonists, […]
15
Nov
Nov
The history of St. Augustine is fascinating. Founded on September 8th, 1565, by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the conquistador originally named the settlement ‘St. Augustín’. He arrived with supplies, soldiers, and settlers from Spain with the intention of establishing a stronghold in the area, which he achieved success. From their fleet, Menendez and […]
16
Oct
Oct
Before European colonizers reached the shores of modern-day Florida, the Timucua Indians occupied the region. They represented the largest indigenous group in the area, with thirty-five different chiefdoms being established that led thousands of people. Timucuan speakers occupied an area of more than 19,200 miles, which consisted of many different and diverse environments, including lakes, […]
15
Aug
Aug
French explorer, colonizer, naval officer, and navigator, Jean Ribault, was born in 1520 in the coastal community of Dieppe in the Normandy region of Northern France. Dieppe was a critical port during the Renaissance period where some of the country’s most infamous cartographers, navigators, and sailors were based. Born in such a place during the […]
15
Jul
Jul
History of Jacksonville, Florida: Early European Settlement To Thriving Metropolis Early in the 16th century, uncertain times in Europe brought several explorers to the shores of the New World. The first of these was the Spanish explorers who landed in Florida in 1513. As a result, Spanish explorers such as Pedro Menéndez forged Florida’s history, […]
15
Jun
Jun
The early history of Florida is interwoven with the spread of the French Protestant movement across Europe, the United States, and Africa. From the early 1600s to the late seventeenth century, thousands of Huguenots left their homes in France due to repeated waves of religious persecution. One of these Huguenots was the famous French navigator, […]
16
May
May
An integral part of the history of Florida is its maritime heritage that dates back thousands of years. Around 2400 BC, Native Americans began to occupy what is now modern-day Florida. As a loose amalgamation of tribes that shared a common language, the Timucua were not bound politically as a common people. While they traded […]