The French Fleet of 1565

Summary

16th century France was a vigorous, expansionist nation emerging from feudalism and dreaming of empire. Spain, the world's leading power, already had a foothold in the Americas, and France wanted a share of the riches. After a first attempt, France assembled a more powerful expedition in May 1565. Shortly after they arrived in Florida, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés' fleet appeared and challenged the French. What followed led to the loss of the French fleet and the founding of St. Augustine, the oldest permanent settlement in North America. Recently discovered manuscript documents in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, reveal some interesting facts about the expeditions. Archaeological evidence from shipwreck survivor camps has also lent insight into the wrecking event. The historical context of the expeditions and the circumstances of the loss of the fleet will be addressed as well as a remote sensing survey to locate the shipwrecks scheduled for July 2014.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bringing French Shipwreck Historical Archaeology to the Next Level   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-45,01