ABSTRACT
The current presence of France in the Pacific Ocean is well acknowledged, but its beginnings are often ignored. The subject of this chapter is not limited to the French territories in the Pacific Ocean, nor to the presence of French residents in California. It must be understood as a study of the relationship between the French presence in the Pacific Ocean and the French presence in California. The French were in California because they were in the Pacific Ocean, obviously, but inversely their presence in California helps us understand why they were in the Pacific Ocean (Foucrier 1991).
