On This Day

Spaniards capture Fort Caroline Florida and massacre the French

The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the mass killing of French Huguenots by Spanish Royal Army troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, under orders from King Philip II to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the...

The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the mass killing of French Huguenots by Spanish Royal Army troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, under orders from King Philip II to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the adelantado of Spanish Florida (La Florida).

The Spanish Crown in the 16th century laid claim to a vast area that included what is now the state of Florida, along with much of what is now the southeastern United States, on the strength of several Spanish expeditions made in the first half of the 1500s, including those of Ponce de Leon and Hernando de Soto. However, Spanish attempts to establish a lasting presence in La Florida failed until September 1565, when Menéndez founded St. Augustine about 30 miles south of the newly established French settlement at Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River.

Historical Significance

The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the mass killing of French Huguenots by Spanish Royal Army troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, under orders from King Philip II to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the adelantado of Spanish Florida (La Florida).

Events Before

  1. The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and

    The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism

  2. Influential politician Cardinal Granvelle flees Brussels

    Influential politician Cardinal Granvelle flees Brussels

  3. England and France sign the Treaty of Troyes

    England and France sign the Treaty of Troyes

  4. (-31st) The first battle of Öland (between the islands of Gotland and Öland): Lübeck & Denmark beat Sweden

    (-31st) The first battle of Öland (between the islands of Gotland and Öland): Lübeck & Denmark beat Sweden

  5. Robert Dudley becomes Earl of Leicester

    Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester (24 June 1532 – 4 September 1588) was an English statesman and the favourite of Elizabeth I from her accession until his death.

Events After

  1. Foundation stone laid for the new city of La Valletta in Malta by Knights Hospitaller Grand Master Jean de Valette

    Fra' Jean "Parisot" de (la) Valette (la) valɛt]; c. 4 February 1495 – 21 August 1568) was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568.

  2. Three hundred nobles in the Habsburg Netherlands submit the Compromise of Nobles petition to Margaret of Parma against t

    Three hundred nobles in the Habsburg Netherlands submit the Compromise of Nobles petition to Margaret of Parma against the Inquisition and the enforcement of the placards against heresy

  3. Tribunal convicts Agnes Waterhouse of witchcraft and sentences her to be the first British woman executed for the crime

    Tribunal convicts Agnes Waterhouse of witchcraft and sentences her to be the first British woman executed for the crime (Chelmsford, England)

  4. Great Britain executes Agnes Waterhouse, the first British woman convicted of witchcraft in Chelmsford, England

    Great Britain executes Agnes Waterhouse, the first British woman convicted of witchcraft in Chelmsford, England

  5. Protestant Iconoclasm "Beeldenstorm" (Iconoclastic Fury) begins in the European Low Countries

    Protestant Iconoclasm "Beeldenstorm" (Iconoclastic Fury) begins in the European Low Countries

More from the 1560s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 20, 1565?
The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the mass killing of French Huguenots by Spanish Royal Army troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, under orders from King Philip II to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the adelantado of Spanish Florida (La Florida). The Spanish Crown in the 16th century laid claim to a vast area that included what is now the state of Florida, along with much of what is now the southeastern United States, on the strength of several Spanish expeditions made in the first half of the 1500s, including those of Ponce de Leon and Hernando de Soto. However, Spanish attempts to establish a lasting presence in La Florida failed until September 1565, when Menéndez founded St.
Why is Spaniards capture Fort Caroline Florida and massacre the French significant?
The Massacre at Matanzas Inlet was the mass killing of French Huguenots by Spanish Royal Army troops near the Matanzas Inlet in 1565, under orders from King Philip II to Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, the adelantado of Spanish Florida (La Florida).

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