Huguenots – The role and influence of Huguenot families on American civilisation
- joyce hampton
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
The Huguenots showed great willingness to adapt to and integrate into their new homeland. New York City was among those that welcomed many Huguenots. Some evidence of Huguenot input into the area is of Pierre Minuit, who purchased the Island of Manhattan for 24 dollars. According to legend, Isaac Bethlo from Picardy, who arrived in New Amsterdam in 1652, gave his name to the island that is home to the Statue of Liberty. Staten Island was named “Huguenot Island” for some years because of the great number of French refugees who lived there.
Further afield, in Boston, “Faneuil Hall” was given to the city by the Faneuil family, who came from La Rochelle, to serve as a public market. It is one of the oldest buildings in Boston.
Another place was Charleston, South Carolina, where the ship “Richmond” arrived with approximately 50 families on board. The journey was financed by the Crown of England, to enable Huguenots to settle in that area and develop the culture of vines, mulberry trees, and olive trees. They created model farms, carried out land clearing, and developed agriculture.
The first 207 Huguenots, arriving in Virginia in 1700, were warmly greeted by Governor Francis Nicholson. Colonial officials used the Huguenots as a means to clear land and act as a buffer between civilisation and the Indians to the west. However, instead of settling them at the border of Virginia and North Carolina, as originally planned, they were relocated to Manakin, the site of an extinct Monacan Indian village not far from the present-day town of Richmond.
There was a further influx of Huguenots later in the year when more than 400 followed the first settlers to Manakintowne. They settled in a 10,000-acre area along the James River, which had been granted to them by King William. Manakintowne became the largest French settlement in America. They soon conformed to the established Church of England.
In 1704, they petitioned and received naturalization by the Virginia Assembly.
Descendants of Huguenot refugees often played a significant role in the future of America and the development of its civilisation.
During the American War of Independence, amongst the military leadership were Huguenot descendants, including General Daniel Roberdeau and General Francis Marion, who each played a prominent role.
Statesmen such as John Jay, Henry Laurens, and Elias Boudinot made definite contributions to the American Revolution. Two out of five people (John Jay and Henry Laurens) were descendants of Huguenot refugees and signatories of the Treaty of Paris and the Declaration of Independence, officially recognising America’s independence.
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