Trip Report - Fort Caroline, Florida

August 22, 2003

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After initial exploration in 1562 by French explorers, a colony was established in 1564, only to be eliminated by Spanish forces from nearby St. Augustine in 1565. Nothing remains of the original Fort de la Caroline; a near full-scale rendering of the fort, together with exhibits in the Visitors Center, provide information on the history of the French colony, its interaction with the native Timucuans, and the colonists' brief struggle for survival. Fort Caroline National Memorial, a site within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, memorializes the short-lived French presence. In May of 1562, Jean Ribault, commander of two small ships, sailed several miles up the St. Johns River and claimed the surrounding area for France. The present day site has reconstructed walls of the French Huguenot fort memorializing the 1564-65 colony. The site was designated a national memorial on September 21, 1950. The area was also the site of pivotal Civil War involvement. Federal forces occupied Jacksonville on four separate occasions during the war. Only once was a major effort made by the Confederacy to stop the federal forces. In 1862, Confederate forces heavily fortified St. Johns Bluff with both troops and artillery. Exaggerated reports of the number of Union troops approaching the bluff lead to its being hastily abandoned. The Union forces successfully captured the bluff and began their first occupation of Jacksonville, Florida. Union soldiers eventually occupied and fortified St. Johns Bluff four separate times during the Civil War. Occupation of St. Johns Bluff was vital to maintaining military control of the St. Johns River. Today, visitors may observe re-enactments. Visitors to Fort Caroline National Memorial will find a visitor center depicting the historical efforts of the French and Spanish explorers. The site offers educational programs, hiking trails, and a picnic area. Viewing the lovely St. Johns River is a natural attraction as well. This page will be expanded greatly next Spring, I will be here as a volunteer for two months so I should have much more information as I go through the images there.