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Description

René Laudonnière, leader of the French fleet in America, 1598.

This is an elegant copperplate engraving of René Goulaine de Laudonnière (c. 1529–1574), a notable French Huguenot explorer and founder of the French colony of Fort Caroline in what is now Jacksonville, Florida.

The portrait is bust-length, depicting Laudonnière facing slightly to the right within an oval. The surrounding imagery includes maritime and military emblems such as a cannon in the lower left and a flag to the lower right. The print, created as an illustration for De Passe's Effigies Regum Ac Principum Vis Ac Potentia in Re Nautica (1598), highlights Laudonnière's contributions to French naval and colonial ventures.

Transcription of the Latin text:

"Laudibus intactus num Laudonierus abibo? Florida regnorum comprendi America quae nunc Haud minimum cuius Francis virtute subactum. Perfida quem si non sociorum turpiter hos ti Factio prodiit (cuius tamen omnibus ultis Elapsus manibus) quae, qualia, quanta patraes!"

"Shall Laudonnière remain untouched by praises? Who seized Florida among the kingdoms of America, A land subdued greatly by the courage of the French. Though treacherously betrayed by allies, He escaped their hands, avenging all dishonor. Oh, what deeds, what qualities, what achievements for his fatherland!"

This print honors Laudonnière's achievements in exploration and leadership, emphasizing his role in the French colonization efforts and his resilience against betrayal. The detailed imagery and Latin inscriptions underline his significance as a figure of French naval and colonial history. 

René Goulaine de Laudonnière French Huguenot Explorer and Colonizer

René Goulaine de Laudonnière was a French Huguenot nobleman, merchant mariner, and explorer instrumental in early French colonization efforts in the Americas. In 1562, he served as second in command under Jean Ribault during a Huguenot expedition to establish a French presence in Florida. The expedition, supported by Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, sought to provide refuge for French Protestants amid the religious conflicts between Catholics and Huguenots in France. That voyage resulted in the founding of Charlesfort in present-day South Carolina, though the settlement was abandoned shortly thereafter.

In 1564, with Ribault in exile, Laudonnière led a second expedition to Florida with the support of King Charles IX. He arrived at the mouth of the St. Johns River (then known as the May River) on June 22, where he established Fort Caroline, named in honor of the French king. The fort, located in modern-day Jacksonville, Florida, became the first significant French settlement in North America. Laudonnière maintained peaceful relations with the local Timucua people, particularly the Saturiwa chiefdom, who initially supported the colony by supplying food and resources. However, tensions grew as the settlers faced internal dissent, food shortages, and ill-fated attempts at privateering by some colonists.

Fort Caroline's precarious position worsened in 1565 when Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived to assert Spain’s claim to Florida. Spain, citing earlier expeditions by Juan Ponce de León and others, viewed the French colony as a direct threat to its territorial dominance in the Americas. Menéndez established St. Augustine, 40 miles south of Fort Caroline, and launched an overland attack on the French settlement during a hurricane. On September 20, 1565, Spanish forces overwhelmed the lightly defended garrison, killing most of the male colonists and sparing only a few women and children. Laudonnière narrowly escaped the massacre with a small group, eventually fleeing to Europe.

Following his return to France, Laudonnière reported to the French royal court but faded from prominence in the years that followed. By 1572, he reemerged as a merchant mariner in La Rochelle, surviving the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of Huguenots. His memoirs, L’histoire notable de la Floride, were posthumously published in 1586, providing a detailed account of his voyages and the challenges faced by the French Huguenots in the New World. Laudonnière's efforts, though ultimately unsuccessful, marked an important chapter in the early European exploration and colonization of North America.

Condition Description
Includes a bit of hand coloring in the beard and hair.