Laudonnière (1562-1565)

Goulaine de Laudonnière, René (d.1572?). L'Histoire notable de la Floride située es Indes Occidentales [...]. Paris: Guillaume Auvray, 1586.

Around 1560 France became interested in Florida, a name which at the time designated the entire southeastern part of North America. Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, leader of the Huguenots (a term used by the Catholics to refer to French Calvinist Protestants), planned to establish a colony where his co-religionists could enjoy freedom of religion. In 1562 he decided to send an expedition with a view to choosing a suitable site for the future colony. Jean Ribaut, a Huguenot from Dieppe with much experience in deep-sea navigation, was put in command; René Goulaine de Laudonnière, another Huguenot and experienced sailor, was chosen as Ribaut's second in command.

After leaving Le Havre, France in February 1562, the expedition reached the coast of Florida near Saint Augustine in April, then sailed up along the coast to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, the site Ribaut chose for the future colony. Leaving behind 30 of his men, he returned to Dieppe in July. As the Civil War was raging in France, Ribaut left shortly thereafter for England.

After peace was restored between Catholics and Huguenots, Coligny went back to his plans for a colony in Florida. As Ribaut was still in England, Coligny entrusted the command of a new expedition to Laudonnière. The expedition, 300 strong, arrived on the Florida coast in June 1564, and Laudonnière finally decided to settle at the mouth of the May River (the present Saint Johns River, South Carolina). On cliffs which have since been washed away by the sea, he built a fort which he named Caroline in honour of Charles IX. At the end of August 1565 Ribaut arrived at Fort Caroline, having been appointed by Coligny to relieve Laudonnière of his command. Then, on September 4, eight sailing ships arrived before the fort: it was a Spanish squadron led by Pedro Menéndez de Avila, who had been charged by Philip II to destroy the French colony and occupy Florida. Two weeks later the French had succumbed under the assaults of the Spanish. Among the few Frenchmen who managed to escape were Laudonnière, Nicolas Le Challeux and Jacques Lemoyne de Morgues.