Jean Cousin (navigator)
Encyclopedia
Jean Cousin, also Jehan Cousin, was a 15th century French Normand
navigator who was said to have discovered the New World
in 1488, four years before Christopher Columbus
, when he landed in Brazil
around the mouth of the Amazon
. One of his captains was named Alonzo Pinzón, who left Cousin in a dispute after their return to Dieppe, and who is claimed to have left for Spain from where he advised Columbus on his westward sail. Pinzon is known to have displayed a remarkable confidence in guiding Colombus in his discovery of the New World. No indisputable written records remain however to support Cousin's claim to discovery.
Cousin's travel was succeeded by that of Binot Paulmier de Gonneville
in 1504 onboard L'Espoir, which was properly recorded and brought back an Indian named Essomericq. Gonneville affirmed that when he visited Brazil, French traders from Saint-Malo
and Dieppe
had already been trading there for several years.
The precedent of Jean Cousin and his Normand sailors was used by Charles IX
to justify the French attempts at colonizing Florida
at Fort Caroline
in 1564-65, as, it was said, they had discovered the New World before the Spanish did. The area was called "Terre des Bretons" by the French.
The claim of Jean Cousin's discovery of the New World has long been reaffirmed in France. In 1660, Etienne Clairac in Use et coutume de la mer emphasized it. The claim is also sometimes reaffirmed in contemporary popular literature.
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
navigator who was said to have discovered the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
in 1488, four years before Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
, when he landed in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
around the mouth of the Amazon
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
. One of his captains was named Alonzo Pinzón, who left Cousin in a dispute after their return to Dieppe, and who is claimed to have left for Spain from where he advised Columbus on his westward sail. Pinzon is known to have displayed a remarkable confidence in guiding Colombus in his discovery of the New World. No indisputable written records remain however to support Cousin's claim to discovery.
Cousin's travel was succeeded by that of Binot Paulmier de Gonneville
Binot Paulmier de Gonneville
Binot Paulmier, sieur de Gonneville, French navigator of the early 16th century, was widely believed in 17th and 18th century France to have been the true discoverer of the Terra Australis...
in 1504 onboard L'Espoir, which was properly recorded and brought back an Indian named Essomericq. Gonneville affirmed that when he visited Brazil, French traders from Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
and Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
had already been trading there for several years.
The precedent of Jean Cousin and his Normand sailors was used by Charles IX
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
to justify the French attempts at colonizing Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
at Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline was the first French colony in the present-day United States. Established in what is now Jacksonville, Florida, on June 22, 1564, under the leadership of René Goulaine de Laudonnière, it was intended as a refuge for the Huguenots. It lasted one year before being obliterated by the...
in 1564-65, as, it was said, they had discovered the New World before the Spanish did. The area was called "Terre des Bretons" by the French.
The claim of Jean Cousin's discovery of the New World has long been reaffirmed in France. In 1660, Etienne Clairac in Use et coutume de la mer emphasized it. The claim is also sometimes reaffirmed in contemporary popular literature.