Parris Island Pre-History The first inhabitants of Parris Island were American Indians. From about 6,000 BC to 500 AD, these stone age people traveled throughout the southeast staying along the coast for only part of the year. Starting around 500 AD, they began to settle along the coast in semi-permanent communities. The American Indians lived by gathering food, hunting game, fishing, harvesting shellfish and some subsistence farming. Then, in the sixteenth century their simple lifestyle was totally disrupted by the arrival of Europeans looking for riches, slaves and settlement sites.
Arrival of the EuropeansParris Island and Port Royal Harbor have long been associated with the European settlement of North America. Twenty-two years after Columbus made his first landfall in the Caribbean, Spanish seafarers were exploring the southeastern coast. The Spanish called the region Florida and in 1521, Spanish vessels entered the sound off Parris Island and captured Indian slaves. In 1526 the Spanish named the region around Parris Island Santa Elena (St. Helena). Later that year a settlement attempt failed and the Spanish ceased the colonial ventures in the southeast until the 1560's when French incursions drew the back to Santa Elena.
Charlesfort The threat to the Spanish domain came from a French squadron led by Jean Ribaut who was searching for possible settlement sites for French Huguenots (Protestants) who wished to leave their Catholic dominated homeland. In May 1562, after exploring the coast northward from the St. John's River, Ribaut arrived at Santa Elena, which he named Port Royal. Impressed with the natural qualities of the harbor, Ribaut erected a stone column claiming the land for his king, Charles IX. He then constructed a small fortification known as Charlesfort on Parris Island. The fort was to serve as an outpost until Ribaut could return from France with more men and supplies. When Ribaut sailed away in June he left behind a garrison of 26 men. Though he promised to return within six months, political unrest in France delayed Ribaut, and the men at Charlesfort, suffering under the control of a harsh captain, mutinied, killed their commander, constructed a vessel and sailed to France.
The Battle for Florida When Spanish authorities in Cuba learned of Ribaut's fort, a warship was sent to search for the French. By the time the vessel reached Santa Elena the French garrison had already evacuated. The Spanish located and destroyed the abandoned Charlesfort and returned to Cuba.
In 1564, the French Huguenots returned to Spanish Florida and constructed Fort Caroline on the St. John's River. To end the French presence in Florida the Spanish King, Phillip II, hired Pedro Menedez to drive the French from Florida and to establish a series of colonies along the southeastern coast. During the fall of 1565 Menedez established a base at St. Augustine and then in a whirlwind campaign he captured Fort Caroline and eliminated the French presence in Spanish Florida.
Comments 0 comments