Who Were These Huguenots ? Part II of The Real 1st Thanksgiving (rev.2004) Who were these HUGUENOTS that came to Florida ? Or, should I say--"Who are these Huguenots"-- I are one ! My JAUDON ancestors came to CHARLESTON,SC, in 1686, from The Isle of Re, in France The Huguenots were/are French PROTESTANT Religious Refugees, many of whom were followers of Jean Chauvin (John CALVIN )---French Protestant Reformer and contemporary of Luther. The Huguenots started fleeing persecution in France in the 1560's and established communities in: England, Ireland, Flanders, Holland, Switzerland,South Africa, Germany, theCaribbean Islands and ultimately "America"-- NY, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. My JAUDON family came to Charleston, S.C.,USA in 1686 after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (which had granted religious freedom to the Huguenots). Many prominent (USA) Americans are of Huguenot descent, including 11 US Presidents: George Washington, John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, James Garfield, Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush also Paul Revere, Francis Marion, Sidney Lanier, Patrick Henry, the duPonts, John Paul Jones, Jim Bowie, Davey Crockett, Paul Revere,Louis Tiffany, Will Durant, Matthew Vassar, Julia Ward Howe, Harriet Beecher Stowe (and "Simon Legree"), John Jay and many, many others. The Huguenots were faithful to their beliefs. Given the choice of becoming ROMAN CATHOLIC or execution---many were burned at the stake and thousands died in the many massacres in France. ( ---and of as did, of course the Florida colonists at Ft. Caroline and those of RIBAULT's shipwreck--). Their tongues were cut out to prevent them singing hymns as they were burned. Forced tear down their Churches with their own hands, they buried their dead at night and used "secret" symbols in order to enter their underground church services. Admiral Gaspard de COLIGNY a wealthy Huguenot nobleman , was a trusted advisor to Roman Catholic King CHARLES IX of France. In 1562 after years of religious conflict between Protestants (Huguenots) and Roman Catholics which had divided France into two armed camps and fortified cities there was peace. Coligny wanted France to claim and colonize The New World. He also wanted his Huguenot brethren to have their own land where they could have RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. He sent France's best sailor/explorer Jean RIBAULT to Florida. Ribault explored the river and areaaround St. Augustine and the St.John's river at Mayport (Jacksonville)Florida.He erected a stone pillar on a small island, probably MAYPORT (now a US Navy Port and home of the aircraft carrier "John F. Kennedy") . He then sailed on to Port Royal, S.C.Returning to Europe Ribault left 30 soldiers under Albert de la Pierria on the Broad River, SC, on Paris Island ( now the US Marines" Induction and Training Base)---where the original Fort, and a later Spanish one, have been excavated---there is also a Museum--with much interesting Huguenot history) . He called it Port Royal and named the log blockhouse Charlesfort. Arriving in France, Ribault discovered conflict between Huguenots and Roman Catholics. He went to QUEEN ELIZABETH in England for supplies forCharlesfort and she put him in prison for violating Spanish Territory. In 1564 with Ribault imprisoned in London, Rene LAUDONNIERRE was sent from France to rescue the Colony and increase the colony. He carried men, women, tools of war, trade, and agriculture. After Ribault's release from prison he sailed to Florida to succor the new, starving colony audonnierre had established at FT. CAROLINE, present day JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. King PHILLIP II of Spain, sent ships out from Cuba, under MENENDEZ on a search & destroy mission---and to colonize and fortify the area which threatened the nearby route of the Spanish Treasure Fleets. And ultimately, in 1565, Pedro MENENDEZde Aviles, Captain General of the Ocean Sea and Adelantado of la Florida and ST. AUGUSTINE captured Ft. Caroline and massacred most of the colonists. He also captured and executed, at MATANZAS (place of slaughter) Ribault (who had ship-wrecked in a hurricane while sailing to attack Menendez at St. Augustine) and almost all of his men. 40-50 Huguenots escaped from Ft. Caroline and sailed back to Europe. At Ft. Caroline , according to some reports---some women and children were spared. Menendez also spared, along with some Roman Catholics, some "musicians and other useful people" at "first & second " Matazanas and a sizeable group at "3rd" Matanzas. So, St. Augustine, established by Menendez becomes the oldest continuously inhabited city in the USA,---and not Jacksonville. And many of the old buildings still remain along with a historic/reenactment village and the huge old, Spanish, massive coquina fort SAN MARCO . My father, was born in one of the historic buildings on St. George Street in St.Augustine.Roy JAUDON Berry, my grandfather was a blacksmith and carriage maker for the Ancient City Wagon Works (horse drawn trolley system) On June 30th, 1564, after building earthen and log huts, and digging awell, at Ft. Caroline the French Huguenots" sang a hymn of THANKSGIVING gave thanks to God, and prayed for the future of their new home"Another most important enterprise took a little longer. When theydiscovered the wild scuppernong grapes growing on the high bluffs overlooking "The River of May ,now called the ST. JOHNS, and beingFrench, naturally they set about making wine. (For sacramental & medicinal purposes only, I'm sure). Ah, those French. R. Jaudon "Don" Berry, PhD "Bibliography"/Sources/References Bennett, Charles E. "Settlement of Florida" 1968 University of Florida Press "Laudonniere& Ft. Caroline" 2001 University of Alabama Press (contains original French and Spanish documentation). Davis, T. Frederick "History of Jacksonville, Florida and Vicinity, 1513 to 1924:"reprinted 1990 San Marco Bookstore, Jacksonville, FL. Gannon, Michael "Florida, A Short History", "The Cross in The Sand", University of Florida Press Nolan,David in a 1979 " Address to the Florida Society of Mayflower Descendants" in St. Augustine.Florida Plimoth Plantation's Museum Website www.plimoth.org National Park Service Ft. Caroline, and Ft. Matanzas www.nps.gov/foca/ www.nps.gov/foma/ National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/geo-flor/22.htm LeMoyne engravings http://pelotes.jea.com/leMoyne.htm ===== We've tried & tried.We tried everything. Now try Jesus ! R.Jaudon"Don"Berry searchg 4 Huguenot&Salzburger Roots Insurance by "THE" Book.Christian counseling via E mail. http://www.neworleansweb.org/easter1.html http://raindrop.org/hishands/poem.shtml http://orangehillsassembly.com/artpoetry/isawhell.htm http://www.christianpoets.com