<P> Pierre Belain 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 . Belain sailed to the Caribbean in 1625 , hoping to establish a French settlement on the island of St. Christopher ( St. Kitts ) . In 1626 he returned to France , where he won the support of Cardinal Richelieu to establish French colonies in the region . Richelieu became a shareholder in the Compagnie de Saint - Christophe , created to accomplish this with d'Esnambuc at its head . The company was not particularly successful and Richelieu had it reorganized as the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique . In 1635 d'Esnambuc sailed to Martinique with one hundred French settlers to clear land for sugarcane plantations . </P>
<P> Pierre Belain 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 . Belain sailed to the Caribbean in 1625 , hoping to establish a French settlement on the island of St. Christopher ( St. Kitts ) . In 1626 he returned to France , where he won the support of Cardinal Richelieu to establish French colonies in the region . Richelieu became a shareholder in the Compagnie de Saint - Christophe , created to accomplish this with d'Esnambuc at its head . The company was not particularly successful and Richelieu had it reorganized as the Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique . In 1635 d'Esnambuc sailed to Martinique with one hundred French settlers to clear land for sugarcane plantations . </P>
when did the french come to the caribbean
when did the french come to the caribbean
1625
1625