Fort-de-France is a commune and the capital city of Martinique, an overseas department and region of France located in the Caribbean. It is also one of the largest cities of the lesser antilles.
The French West Indies or French Antilles are the parts of France located in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean:
The Carib Expulsion was the French-led ethnic cleansing that removed most of the Carib population in 1660 from Martinique. This followed the French invasion in 1635 and its conquest of the people on the Caribbean island that made it part of the French West Indies.
Pierre Belain, sieur d'Esnambuc was a French trader and adventurer in the Caribbean, who established the first permanent French colony, Saint-Pierre, on the island of Martinique in 1635.
The Company of the American Islands was a French chartered company that in 1635 took over the administration of the French portion of Saint-Christophe island from the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe which was the only French settlement in the Caribbean at that time, and was mandated to actively colonise other islands. The islands settled for France under the direction of the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique before it was dissolved in 1651 were:
The Compagnie de Saint-Christophe was a company created and chartered by French adventurers to exploit the island of Saint-Christophe, the present-day Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1625, a French adventurer, Pierre Bélain sieur d'Esnambuc, landed on Saint-Christophe with a band of adventurers and some slaves. Returning to France, in 1626 he applied for and received a charter from Cardinal Richelieu to create the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe. Richelieu was a major stockholder in the company, contributing some 10,000 livres out of the company's capital stock of 45,000 livres. The company was not very successful. In 1635 Richelieu directed his councilor François Fouquet to reorganize the company under the new name Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique and with a charge to colonize Sainte-Christophe, Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Jacques Dyel du Parquet was a French soldier who was one of the first governors of Martinique. He was appointed governor of the island for the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique in 1636, a year after the first French settlement had been established. In 1650 he purchased Martinique, Grenada and Saint Lucia. He did much to develop Martinique as a colony, including introduction of sugarcane.
Médéric Rolle de Goursolas, or Médéric Rools de Gourselas,, was a French soldier who was active in the French colonies in the Antilles, and for a period was governor of Martinique. He organized the expedition that drove the last Caribs out of Martinique and destroyed their villages.
Marie Bonnard du Parquet was the wife of Jacques Dyel du Parquet, one of the first governors of Martinique, who purchased the island in 1650. When her husband died she tried to act as governor in the name of her children, but was forced out of power. She fell ill and died while returning to France.
Robert le Frichot des Friches, sieur de Clodoré was a French governor of Martinique from 1665 to 1667. He was an energetic and effective leader during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, in which France was an ally of the Dutch from the start of 1666. He used Caribs as auxiliaries, and helped take several islands in the Antilles from the English.
Adrien Dyel, Seigneur de Vaudrocques et de Gournay was a member of the French minor aristocracy who was governor of Martinique from 1658 to 1662.
François Rolle, Sieur de Laubière was a French soldier who was acting governor of Martinique from 1667 to 1672. As a militia leader he helped defeat the indigenous Caribs and established full French control over the island.
Noël Patrocles, seigneur de Thoisy was an early governor general of the French Antilles. He was appointed by the infant king Louis XIV of France during the regency of Anne of Austria at a time when the colonies were owned by the Company of the American Islands. His predecessor refused to recognise his appointment, forcefully prevented him from taking office on Saint Christopher Island, and eventually had him arrested and returned to France. In the aftermath the discredited company sold the islands to their local governors and was dissolved.
Pierre du Halde was a French soldier who was the second governor of the French colony on Saint Christopher Island between 1636 and 1638.
René de Béthoulat, seigneur de La Grange-Fromenteau was deputy governor of the French colony of Saint-Christophe, on Saint Christopher Island, from 1638 to 1639. When the governor arrived the two men began quarreling, La Grange was imprisoned on a charge of high treason, and later was shipped back to France.
Robert de Longvilliers de Poincy was a French local governor of Saint Christophe and Saint Martin in the French Antilles. His uncle, Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, was commander of the French colonies in the Antilles from 1639 to 1651, then commander of the colonies of Saint Christophe, Saint Croix, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin for the Knights of Malta. Longvilliers reestablished French control of the northern part of Saint Martin after the Spanish withdrew and the Dutch tried to take over the whole island.
Jean Dupont was the first local governor of Martinique after the island had been taken by French forces under Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc. Accounts of events are confused, but after some fighting he managed to establish an uneasy peace with the island Caribs, who withdrew to the east of the island. He was returning to report to d'Esnambuc in Saint Christophe when he was shipwrecked, taken captive by the Spanish, and held captive for the next three years.
Jérôme du Sarrat, sieur de La Pierrière was a French soldier who was interim governor of Martinique in 1646–47 when the governor, Jacques Dyel du Parquet, was the prisoner of Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, governor of Saint Christophe.
Charles Liénard, sieur de L'Olive was a French colonial leader who was the first governor of Guadeloupe.
Léon de Sorel, marquis de Sorel was a French naval officer and colonial administrator who was governor of Saint-Domingue in 1719–1723.