Jean Ribault

Explorer and sea captain

• Born: ca. 1520
• Birthplace: Dieppe, France
• Died: October 11, 1565
• Place of death: Matanzas Inlet, Florida

Significance: Jean Ribault was a French naval officer who led an expedition to Florida in 1562 and claimed the territory for France. In 1564, a settlement was established at the site near what is now Jacksonville. Ribault returned to Florida a year later to resupply and defend the colony against the Spanish. His efforts failed, however, and the colony was destroyed. Ribault and most of his men were killed.

Background

Jean Ribault was born about 1520 near the French coastal town of Dieppe. His mother was believed to be Isabeau du Bust and his father a squire named Jean Ribault Sieur du Mesnil and d'Ornanville. Growing up near a seaport likely influenced Ribault's decision to embark on a career as a mariner. He joined the French navy and rose to the rank of captain. In 1558, Ribault commanded a supply ship in the recapture of Calais, a French port town that had been under English control for two centuries.

Ribault was born into the Catholic Church, but he likely converted to Protestantism as a young adult. French Protestants in the sixteenth century mainly followed a belief system known as Calvinism—named after its founder, French theologian John Calvin. Calvinists believed that salvation could only be achieved through God and his words in the Bible, not through the authority of the church in Rome. This philosophy put them at odds with both the church and the King of France and led to years of persecution. French Protestants who adhered to Calvinist beliefs were known as Huguenots.

Life's Work

In 1562, a French Huguenot admiral petitioned the former queen of France to sponsor an expedition to the New World territory of Florida. Florida had been claimed in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. The French expedition would not only give France a foothold in the territory, but provide a refuge for Huguenots fleeing persecution in their homeland. Jean Ribault, by this time a renowned sea captain, was chosen to lead the expedition.

Ribault and a contingent of about 150 men left France in February for the journey across the Atlantic. After steering clear of Spanish warships, the expedition landed in northern Florida on May 1, 1562. Ribault erected a stone monument near what is now the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, claiming the territory for France. The expedition scouted the region and made contact with the local Timucuan people. Ribault and his men then sailed north to South Carolina and established a fort on Parris Island. Ribault left a contingent of about thirty men to guard the fort and headed back to France to gather supplies for the settlement.

By the time of his return, the religious conflict in France had worsened, and Ribault could not secure the money he needed for supplies. He sailed to England to ask Queen Elizabeth I for aid. Elizabeth was at first supportive of Ribault, but later changed her position. The queen was related to King Philip II of Spain and may not have wanted to anger him by supporting one of Spain's rivals. Elizabeth had Ribault imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he remained for more than a year.

In 1564, a second French expedition was sent to Florida to establish a colony. This effort was led by René de Laudonnière, who was second in command on Ribault's 1562 voyage. Laudonnière and a group of three hundred settlers landed near the St. Johns River in June 1564 and began construction of Fort Caroline. The colonists built homes and searched the region for gold, but they did not plant enough crops to be self-sufficient, forcing them to wait on resupplies from France.

By November, supplies were growing scare in the settlement, prompting a group of colonists to hijack several boats and begin raiding ships in the Caribbean. This attempt at piracy alerted the Spanish to the presence of the French colonists.

Ribault was released from prison sometime in late 1564 or early 1565. Upon his return to France, he pushed to lead a resupply mission to Fort Caroline and take command from Laudonnière. In June 1565, Ribault left France with a fleet of seven hundred soldiers and sailors and three hundred colonists. Spain became aware of Ribault's attempt and sent out a fleet of its own to intercept the French.

Just as Laudonnière and the near-starving colonists were ready to abandon Fort Caroline, Ribault arrived in late August with his supplies. In early September, the Spanish fleet encountered several of Ribault's ships off the coast and engaged in a brief battle. Unable to come ashore and attack the fort directly, the Spanish retreated south. Ribault set off in pursuit, but a fierce storm destroyed all of his ships, leaving him and his men stranded on the beach.

The Spanish commander regrouped and led an assault on Fort Caroline by land. On September 20, the Spanish launched a surprise attack on the fort. About 130 French colonists and soldiers were killed and about 50, including Laudonnière, escaped. The Spanish seized Fort Caroline and renamed it Fort San Mateo. They released about 50 women and children colonists. Days later, the French survivors of Fort Caroline salvaged Ribault's remaining ships and returned to France.

Ribault and hundreds of shipwreck survivors had been attempting to make their way north back to Fort Caroline. On September 29, one group encountered Spanish forces and surrendered. Instead of receiving mercy, many of the survivors were executed. On October 11, the remaining group, led by Ribault, met the Spanish near Matanzas Inlet. About half the group fled south, but Ribault and the remaining men surrendered. Again, the Spanish executed most of the survivors. Ribault and between 70 and 150 of his men were among those killed.

Impact

In the 1970s, artifacts and archeological evidence from camps set up by Ribault's stranded crew were discovered near Cape Canaveral, Florida. The sites are preserved as part of the Canaveral National Seashore. In the 1950s, Ribault was honored as the namesake of Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville.

Personal Life

While Ribault was most likely married, no records exist that can identify his wife. He had at least one son, Jacques, a French naval officer who escaped Fort Caroline with Laudonnière and returned to France.

Bibliography

"Historical Background Part I: French Colonization in Florida, 1562–1565." National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/14lostfleet/background/history-pt1/history-pt1.html. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

"Jean Ribault Claims Florida for France." University of South Florida, 2002, fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/ribault/ribault1.htm. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

"Juan Ponce De León." History.com, 2009, www.history.com/topics/exploration/juan-ponce-de-leon. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

"The Massacre of the French." National Park Service, www.nps.gov/foma/learn/historyculture/the‗massacre.htm. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

"May 1, 1562—Jean Ribault Lands at St. Johns, Claims Florida for France." Florida History Network, www.floridahistorynetwork.com/may-1-1562---jean-ribault-arrives-at-st-johns-river-claims-florida-for-france.html. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

"Timeline of the French Colonization Attempts in Florida and the Loss of the 1565 French Fleet." City of Jacksonville, www.coj.net/commemorate450/docs/french-colony-timeline.aspx. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.

Thornton, Richard. Fort Caroline: The Search for America's Lost Heritage. Lulu Press, 2014.

Van Ruymbeke, Bertrand. "Ribault, Jean." American National Biography, www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-2000853. Accessed 6 Feb. 2018.