What Is Fort Caroline National Memorial?
Fort Caroline National Memorial has recreated the first French fort in the United States!
What Makes It Historical?
Eager to compete with Spain for ground in the Americas, and to get rid of some Protestant Huguenots, France sent out Jean Ribault in 1562 to find fertile land for French roots. After scoping out this area and setting up a monument, he returned to France with his report. Two years later, the torch of colonization passed to Rene de Goulaine de Laudonniere, who led 200 soldiers and artisans to this part of the Florida coast and, with the help of the Timucua tribe led by Chief Athore, set up a fort: La Caroline after King Charles IX!
The settlement at Fort Caroline only lasted a year. In that time, they’d not only managed to tick off the Timucua, but also each other! Two mutinous groups abandoned the fort and sailed to Havana… where they were captured by the Spanish. With all the loot crossing the Atlantic from this area, the last thing the Spanish wanted was a safe haven for French pirates just north of San Agustín! So, Admiral Pedro Menendez took 500 soldiers and wiped out Fort Caroline. Only sixty were spared.
One of the fort’s artisans, Jacques Le Moyne, escaped the slaughter but died before he could publish his account. A Flemish engraver named Theodore de Brys bought his paintings from Mr. Le Moyne’s wife. Most of what we know from this place and time comes his interpretations of those paintings. Mr. de Bry spent years translating firsthand accounts of the Americas into engravings, which became the main lens for Europeans to see the “New World!” Though detailed in his depictions of clothes, he gave Native Americans Greco-Roman features and really focused on cannibalism, because that sold books! His work would influence colonial attitudes toward Native Americans for generations.
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Fort Caroline National Memorial!
- Become a member of the Timucuan Parks Foundation!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
12751 Fort Caroline Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32225
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The park is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM!
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