Jacques Le Moyne 1533?-1588
Map-maker of Early Florida
Jacques Le Moyne (zhahk luh MWAHN) was a French cartographer. A cartographer is someone who draws maps. In 1564, the French government sent Le Moyne on an expedition to northeastern Florida. His job was to draw maps of the region's coasts and waterways. At that time, France and Spain were competing for control of Florida. Knowing the details of the land would help the French to colonize Florida.
Le Moyne's expedition built a camp, Fort Caroline, at the mouth of the St. John's River. Le Moyne traveled around the region studying the land. He also got to know the Timucuas (tihm uh KOO uhz), a nearby American Indian group.
In 1565, the Spanish attacked Fort Caroline. Le Moyne and others escaped and sailed back to Europe. Le Moyne completed drawings, a detailed map of Florida, and descriptions of his experiences there. His writings about the Timucuas were among the earliest descriptions of an American Indian group by a European.
Critical Thinking
Why do you think Le Moyne's group went back to Europe after the Spanish attacked their settlement?