Timucuan Natives Contributions

As with all expeditions to the New World the reasons vary. Some came from across the sea in the hopes of finding riches or glory, others came to spread religion or to follow their own religion without proscoucation. Whatever the reason, all those who eventually made it through the first few years had something in common, support and numbers. Support came in many ways, supplies, food, money, help from the Natives or help from home. Although important, it was not what would ultimately make or break a settlement, instead it was numbers and manpower. Something, sadly, the French colonies would lack for too long. As stated in Fishman’s article, the French took were only able to set up small outpost within the New World during the mid to late 1500s1.

Fishman does again bring up this point with René Laudonnière’s recount of the Timucuan Natives, which for some time during the Florida outpost the French setup, were friends with the Frenchmen3. Again, the motivations for this early expansion into the New World was, as Fishman stated was more political rather than economic or religious. With this mission in mind, the Spanish attack of the Timucuan yielding no response from the French makes sense. The French could not claim the Natives as their allies once the Spanish in Florida attacked them as it would have spelled their doom even earlier than when Laudonnière’s venture did eventually fail. It all comes down to motivation/mission, and the aid received from the home nation. The French never fully recovered both politically and militarily from the war with Spain before they begin their expedition. With a mission and motive being mostly to flex the French crown’s power by settling into Florida means that the crown had no real plans for colonization. In reference to other discussion throughout this class, the French took the same idea the Spanish used earlier. A stronghold within the territory to attempt to hold the whole area of Florida. The difference, the Spanish at least had support closer to the main outpost of Florida via South America and the islands below Florida. Ultimately, the French crow was not looking for a long term stay in Florida, despite Laudonnière’s ideas and early