Opinion
By Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr.
10-29-23
Any discussion of the Christian Heritage of America would not be complete without remembering the voyage of the French Huguenots to America.
More than 450 years ago, the French Huguenots left Europe in search of religious freedom. They set sail across the Atlantic Ocean for the New World in 1562, which had just been discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The Huguenots were Protestant Christians who believed in salvation by faith and grace, not by works or paying indulgences to the church. They also believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as healing and prophesy, and the priesthood of every believer. They praised God by dancing in the streets of France. Their faith was very similar to the modern day Pentecostals and Charismatic Christians. They had been greatly persecuted for their faith in France and England. Like Martin Luther, they wanted to reform the Catholic Church. The Bible had just been printed in English and French for the first time. The Huguenots believed that the people should be able to read the Bible for themselves, not just a priest. One of their leaders was burned at the stake.
In 1540, Huguenot leaders and nobles tried to negotiate religious freedom with the King of France, but they failed to do so. And, in 1562, a Huguenot prayer meeting in a barn in France was interrupted by Catholics who stormed and burned the building and killed 800 Huguenots.
In 1561, Huguenot leader Admiral Coligny met with Catherine De Medici, Queen of France to propose a voyage to colonize Florida to promote trade with the New World, and to provide a place of religious freedom for the Huguenots. The Queen approved the voyage, to be led by Jean Ribault.
The Huguenots crossed the Atlantic and arrived by ship at the mouth of the St. John’s River in 1562. They landed in modern day Jacksonville, and started a colony at Fort Caroline. They dedicated the land to the Lord Jesus Christ, and held the first Christian prayer meeting in North America. The Huguenots came to America before the Pilgrims, who arrived in 1620, some 58 years later. It is probable that the Huguenots held the first Thanksgiving on our shores with the Timucuan Indians at Fort Caroline. The Huguenots shared the Gospel with the Indians, and converted many of them to the faith. They erected a column, claiming the land for the Queen of France. There is a National Memorial Park at Fort Caroline to honor their memory and courage. The Park includes a marker on the spot where they landed, and a recreated fort. And, Huguenot Park on Fernandina Beach is named in their honor.
In 1564, the Huguenots and their new leader Laudonniere returned to Florida, and endured a very harsh winter. Spain and France were at war over Florida at the time, and the Spanish attacked their fort at Fort Caroline, and killed hundreds of them. A contingent of Huguenots went south to fight, but a hurricane wrecked their boats south of St. Augustine, at Matanzas Inlet. The Spanish led by Menendez cornered them there and demanded that they renounce their faith. When they refused to do so, the Spanish killed 250 of them on the beach, including Jean Ribault, their leader. An historical marker is on the spot at Matanzas inlet. A high school is named after Ribault in the Fort Caroline area of Jacksonville.
The Huguenots were people of great faith and courage and we need to remember and honor their Christian legacy here in North Florida. Paul Revere (who warned the people of the British attack by holding up lanterns and crying “One if by land, and two if by sea”) and John Jay (the first Supreme Court Chief Justice) were both Huguenot descendants, as was George Washington, Father of our country. I believe that we have religious freedom in America in part due to the French Huguenots, who inspired the founders of our country with their courage and faith and their quest for freedom. They are a major part of the Christian heritage of America!
FORT CAROLINE 1562
HUGENOT’S COLUMN AT FORT CAROLINE
PERSECUTION OF HUGENOTS
FORT CAROLINE AS BUILT BY THE FRENCH HUGUENOTS
MASSACRE OF THE HUGUENOTS AT MATANZAS INLET
ABOUT THE AUTHOR- JUDGE JOHN MARSHALL MEISBURG, JR.
Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr., was a U.S. Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration for 26 years in Jacksonville, Florida. He retired as a judge in 2021 and is now living in Fernandina Beach, Florida with his wife of 43 years, Dr. Denise Meisburg. They have six children and 11 grandchildren. Prior to being a judge, he was a lawyer with the Federal government for 23 years, serving in all three branches of the government, with the U.S. District Court, EEOC, Justice Department, Congress, FDIC and Office of Special Counsel (MSPB). He was in private law practice one year in Washington, D.C. and filed the lawsuit that became the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case on sexual harassment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is a lifelong Christian, being raised in the Baptist faith in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an Elder at New Life Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville where he taught Sunday School, the Jewish Roots of the Faith and the Christian Heritage of America. He was a leader of both the National Day of Prayer and the House of Prayer in Jacksonville for over ten years. He has published ten books relating to Christian and legal ssues. He is now a member of Living Waters World Outreach Center in Fernandina Beach, where he serves in the prayer and home group ministry, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Faith Christian Academy.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida.
