2. In February of 1562, a French expedition organized by a
Charlesfort, Protestant leader and led by a Norman navigator landed at the
Here Today, site of the May river, now known as St. Johns River. There they
Gone established the first French colony in the present day United
Tomorrow. States. It was located in what is known today as Jacksonville,
Florida and named Charlesfort. The leader of the expedition
sailed back to France to return with supplies for the new colony
but was intercepted in England and arrested, unable to return.
The settlement went without leadership and supplies and was
suffering from attacks by the Native Indians. The settlers
abandoned Charlesfort and set sail to return to England but
became lost and were rescued in English waters after they had
to resort to cannibalism to survive.
3. In 1564, Rene Goulaine de Laudonniere led a contingent of around 200 settlers
back to Florida where they founded Fort Caroline in the name of the French King,
Charles IX. It was built as a settlement as well as a refuge for the Huguenots, who
were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France from the 16th to 18th
centuries.
For over a year the fort suffered through famine, Indian attacks, and mutiny. In June
of 1565 a large fleet and hundreds of soldiers were sent to reinforce Fort Caroline
due to impending threats by Spain to the territory. But only days after their arrival
Spanish forces skirmished with the French forces but retreated South. The French
fleet followed them but were destroyed in a storm leaving Fort Caroline
unprotected. The Spanish forces took the Fort with brutal force, and were said to be
so merciless it put an end to French settlement of the Atlantic Coast of North
America.
