Jean Ribault

Lore & Background

Ribault was born in Dieppe, Normandy, in 1520 and entered the French navy under Huguenot admiral Gaspard de Coligny. In 1562, Coligny chose him to lead an expedition to the New World. Ribault left France on February 18 with 150 colonists, possibly guided by Portuguese pilot Bartolomeu Borges. They explored the mouth of the St. Johns River, naming it the 'River May,' and erected a stone column claiming the territory for France. The fleet then proceeded north to Port Royal Sound in present-day South Carolina, where Ribault established Charlesfort on Parris Island, leaving 27 men under Albert de la Pierria before returning to France for supplies.

Upon arriving at Le Havre, Ribault found the French Wars of Religion had broken out. He assisted the Huguenots at Dieppe but fled to England when the city fell. There, he gained an audience with Queen Elizabeth I and organized backers for a settlement plan, but was arrested and detained in the Tower of London as a spy. During this time, he wrote an account of the voyage, which survives only in English translation. The 1563 Peace of Amboise allowed Coligny to appoint René Goulaine de Laudonnière to replace Ribault in North American endeavors. Meanwhile, Charlesfort fell into despair: a fire destroyed stores, and after a mutiny that killed Captain de la Pierria, the survivors built a crude vessel and sailed for France, most dying before being rescued off the English coast.

Laudonnière set sail on April 22, 1564, founding Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River. Ribault was to follow in spring 1565 with reinforcements but was delayed by war in France. He finally departed with 800 settlers and five ships, arriving on August 28, 1565, relieving Laudonnière as governor. Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, newly appointed adelantado of Florida, encountered Ribault's ships and established St. Augustine. After a naval skirmish and a hurricane that destroyed Ribault's fleet, Menéndez captured Fort Caroline, executing 140 men. Ribault and his marooned sailors surrendered at Matanzas Inlet; they were asked if they were Catholics, and those who were not were executed. Ribault and about 350 officers and men died in the two massacres.

Reader's Guide

Jean Ribault's significance lies in his role as a key figure in early French colonization of North America, particularly in Florida and South Carolina. His 1562 expedition established Charlesfort, one of the earliest French settlements in the present-day United States, and his later command of Fort Caroline represented a direct challenge to Spanish claims in the region. The violent destruction of both colonies by Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, culminating in the Matanzas Inlet massacres, underscored the intense religious and imperial conflicts of the 16th century. Ribault's death and the eradication of the French presence solidified Spanish control over Florida for decades. His legacy is commemorated by a replica of his stone column, erected in 1924 by the Daughters of the American Revolution, now at the Fort Caroline National Memorial, and by the 2018 discovery of the wreck of his flagship, La Trinité, off Cape Canaveral. The name 'Matanzas' (Spanish for 'slaughters') still marks the site of the executions.

Did You Know?

• Ribault was arrested and detained in the Tower of London as a spy after meeting Queen Elizabeth I.
• The survivors of Charlesfort built a crude vessel and attempted to sail back to France; most died before being rescued off the English coast.
• The location of Ribault's execution is still called 'Matanzas,' Spanish for 'slaughters.'
• In 2018, the shipwreck of Ribault's flagship, La Trinité, was located off Cape Canaveral, Florida.