French Florida (Renaissance French: ''Floride françoise''; modern French: ''Floride française'') was a colonial territory established by

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

colonists as part of

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

in what is now

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

between 1562 and 1565. French Huguenot leader and Admiral of France Gaspard de Coligny envisaged the establishment of

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

colonies as a safe haven for his persecuted

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

coreligionists.''Sixteenth century North America: the land and the people'' by Carl Ortwin Sauer p.196
/ref> The first such attempt was an establishment in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, named

France Antarctique France Antarctique (formerly also spelled ''France antartique'') was a French colony in Rio de Janeiro, in modern-day Brazil, which existed between 1555 and 1567, and had control over the coast from Rio de Janeiro to Cabo Frio. The colony quickly ...

. A first landing in Florida was made by

Jean Ribault Jean Ribault (also spelled ''Ribaut'') (1520 – October 12, 1565) was a French naval officer, navigator, and a colonizer of what would become the southeastern United States. He was a major figure in the French attempts to colonize Florida. A ...

, and a second by René Goulaine de Laudonnière in 1562, before moving north where he set up Charlesfort, on

Parris Island, South Carolina Parris Island is a district of the city of Port Royal, South Carolina on an island of the same name. It became part of the city with the annexation of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 11, 2002. For statistical purposes, the ...

. Charlesfort was abandoned by all colonists, save one, the following year due to hardship and internal conflicts, and they sailed back to France. In 1564, René Goulaine de Laudonnière again traveled from France, this time to establish

Fort Caroline Fort Caroline was an attempted French colonial settlement in Florida, located on the banks of the St. Johns River in present-day Duval County. It was established under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière on 22 June, 1564, follow ...

, in what is now

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. The French establishment was wiped out by the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

in 1565. With the capture of Fort Caroline, Huguenots either fled into the wild mainland or were killed in the subsequent

massacre at Matanzas Inlet The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the killing of French troops by Spanish troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, at the order of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, adelantado of Spanish Florida (''La Florida''). The Spanish Crown in the 16th cent ...

. In 1568, Dominique de Gourgues further explored the area, and, with the help of his allies the

Saturiwa The Saturiwa were a Timucua chiefdom centered on the mouth of the St. Johns River in what is now Jacksonville, Florida. They were the largest and best attested chiefdom of the Timucua subgroup known as the Mocama, who spoke the Mocama dialect ...

Indians, massacred the Spanish garrison in retaliation, but he did not capitalize on this action. File:Floride francaise Pierre du Val.jpg, ''Floride françoise'' ("French Florida"), by Pierre du Val, 17th century File:Exploration of Florida by Ribault and Laudonniere 1564 by Le Moyne de Morgues.jpg, Exploration of Florida by Ribault and Laudonniere, 1564, by Le Moyne de Morgues. Image:LemoyneRibaultMon.jpg, Athore, son of the Timucuan king

, showing Laudonnière the monument placed by

in 1562. File:Founding of Fort Caroline mg 0318.jpg, Foundation of

References

External links

*Short film entitled French in tyrone: 1562-1566
French in Florida Database--University of Florida
*UF LibGuide on Fort Caroline

{{Authority control Pre-statehood history of Florida Colonial United States (French) Former French colonies 1562 establishments in the French colonial empire

See also

References

External links