ebooks Three Voyages by Rene Laudonniere in History

Review

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Concealed history is now being revealedBy Richard L. ThorntonSince writing the original review; our organization found that all French; Spanish and English maps place Fort Caroline near the mouth of the Altamaha River in Georgia. We recently found a passage in "The Travels of William Bartram" where he visited the ruins of Fort Caroline on the Altamaha River. Using Bartram's descriptions and satellite imagery; we found the footprint of Fort San Mateo; which was built on top of Fort Caroline. Therefore; the book is really about the Native Americans of Georgia and South Carolina; not Florida. The Fort Caroline at Jacksonville is a fake that was built after Florida archaeologists were unable to find the site of the real fort in Florida. Now we know why. The books is still a very valuable resource.It is the biggest secret of early North American history. In 1562; 1563 and 1564 French Huguenot colonists; based near present day Beaufort; SC; went on numerous expeditions into the interior of what is now South Carolina; Georgia and North Carolina. One journey into the mountains of Georgia and western North Carolina lasted five months. On that expedition; the French named the Georgia and North Carolina Mountains; "Les Montes Apalachien" in honor of their Apalachee Indian inhabitants. These Apalachee later became a division of the Creek Indian Confederacy.The translated memoir of René Goulaine de Laudonnière; Captain of the colony; brings those expeditions to life. It also describes in detail the last days of the French colonies in South Carolina and Florida. The South Carolina colony was abandoned because of starvation; while Fort Caroline; on the St. John's River in Florida; was massacred by the Spanish.In stark contrast to Hernando de Soto's passage through the North Carolina Mountains in the spring of 1540; the French enjoyed very friendly relations with the natives of the Southern Highlands. The Spanish generally treated Natives brutally; while the French Protestants treated them as equals. René Goulaine de Laudonnière describes intimate details of the lifestyles of the various peoples he met; usually from a very sympathetic perspective. He was also a botanist; so the reader is introduced to the early encounters with North American plant species by Europeans.De Laudonnière's big mistake was becoming involved with a war between two Native American provinces. However; his indiscretion provides the reader with eyewitness accounts of Native American warfare prior to the availability of European firearms. The reader is also given eyewitness accounts of the Apalachee Indian (Muskogean) inhabitants of northern Georgia mining and working gold. Apparently; the Apalachee towns in the North Carolina Mountains mined some silver; and another tribe in Tennessee harvested copper nuggets from the surface. De Laudonnière states that his men observed silver and copper ore in these regions; but does not go into details.Why are the French Huguenot expeditions into the Southeast's interior not mentioned in most history books? These expeditions claimed the region for the King of France. Spain also claimed the Georgia gold-bearing mountains; but did not establish a trading post there until 1646. Thirty years later; France and Great Britain began a second Hundred Years War for control of the Southeast. Maps printed on the Mainland of Europe generally labeled South Carolina and the Georgia Mountains as Florida Francaise. These maps clearly stated that the gold-bearing Appalachian Mountains were discovered in 1562 by the French and claimed by the King of France. Maps produced for or by Great Britain did not mention the French expeditions.In the early 1700s British Crown officials organized 14 tribes in SW Virginia; Tennessee and western Carolina into a new tribe they called the Cherokees. The Cherokees soon occupied the lands in North Carolina that had been lived on for centuries by tribes allied with France; such as the Shawnees. Great Britain won the French and Indian War in 1763. To the victor goes the spoils. The United States inherited maps that presented the British Crown's perspective of North American history. Any aboriginal tribes who had been French allies were deleted from the region's collective memory.This book is recommended highly to any person interested in the early history of the Southeastern United States and its indigenous peoples. It is far more readable and credible than the translations of the de Soto and Juan Pardo Expeditions.Richard L. ThorntonNational Architecture Native American History columist for the ExaminerAuthor of "Itsapa: the Itza Mayas in North America."0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. First hand history is usually best. This book is a treasure and one of ...By Donald L SchuttFirst hand history is usually best. This book is a treasure and one of the only contemporary accounts of Florida of the 1500s. Of course the author is coloring his reports to enhance his image but his story rings with truth. Cabeza de Vaca's book on the tragic Panfilo de Navarez expedition of 1528; The DeSoto chronicles; testimonies of Fontenada; and this book are a must for anyone studying early Florida History. Also there are some accounts from folks who arrived with Pedro Menedez De Aviles in 1565. Anyway; this is the best account I have read of early contact Native Americans after De Vaca. Laudonniere seems to have been a weak leader compared to the Great; but ruthless; warrior DeSoto; the Sadistic murderous Psychopath Navarez; or the cunning and villanious Pedro Menedez. Anyway; you don't know early Florida history until you add this book to your knowledge.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Most authentic history of the exploration of FloridaBy loraxWhat could be more authentic than a first-hand account? This book consists of the journal of René Laudonniére who was on the first three voyages of the French to Florida. The descriptions of the natives and their culture and life-styles are from the view of a European seeing the new world for the first time. Interesting story of conflicts; mutinies; and hardship as well as attempts at understanding; and misunderstanding. This is interesting to anyone interested in the Florida Indians; early colonization; and First Contact. There are three sides to this story. The French; the Spanish; and the natives. This is the French side of the story of First Contact and it has authenticity because it is a first person account.