In 1564, the French attempted to establish a colony, calling it Fort Caroline, along the May River (now St. Johns River). The original site is has been lost. Here, Thornton uses histories, documents, and maps in an effort to locate the elusive Fort Caroline, and to determine if it might be located in Georgia or Florida, which has been historically debated.

North Georgia has been found to contain some of the most advanced indigenous cultures north of Mexico. Very little of what one reads about its Native American history, whether on historic markers or tourist brochures, is accurate.