History of the Huguenot Emigration to America

This Book Provides An Analysis Of Attempts To Establish Protestant Colonies In Brazil And Florida In The 16Th Century. While Many Attempts To Establish Protestant Colonies In North America Are Discussed In Other Works This Book Uniquely Focuses On The Earlier Attempts To Create Such Colonies In South America. The Book Is A Work Of Historical Scholarship And Is Grounded In Research In French And British Archives. The Author Draws On A Variety Of Primary Sources Including Letters Government Documents And Accounts By Both Colonists And Native Peoples To Piece Together The Story Of These Colonies. In Particular The Book Focuses On The Figure Of Admiral Gaspard De Coligny Who Was A Major Supporter Of These Colonial Efforts. The Author Argues That Coligny'S Motivations In Supporting These Colonies Were Both Religious And Political. He Saw Them As A Way To Spread Protestantism To The New World And Also As A Way To Weaken The Power Of Spain Which Was Then The Dominant Power In The Americas. The Book Also Explores The Experiences Of The Colonists Themselves Who Faced A Variety Of Challenges Including Disease Starvation And Attacks By Hostile Natives. Ultimately Both Of The Colonies The Author Examines In This Book Failed. However Their Story Sheds Light On The Complex Religious And Political Dynamics Of The 16Th Century And On The Challenges Faced By Early European Settlers In The Americas.