Design work on the Jean Bart class[a] began in 1885 under the direction of the French naval minister, Charles-Eugène Galiber, who wanted a new commerce raiding protected cruiser similar to the earlier Amiral Cécille, albeit smaller and with a smaller secondary battery.

By the time French shipyards had responded to requests for design proposals, Admiral Théophile Aube had replaced Galiber as naval minister, but Aube was an ardent supporter of the Jeune École doctrine that emphasized long-range, commerce raiding cruisers.

[b][2][4] The two Jean Barts proved to be the last of the initial series of commerce raiders built under the influence of the Jeune École.

The ship's propulsion system consisted of a pair of triple-expansion steam engines driving two screw propellers.

She was placed on the navy's list in January 1887, and work on Jean Bart began with her keel laying in September 1887.

Her initial tests were approved on 8 October, and ten days later she departed for Toulon, where further trials were carried out.

[3] In early 1893, Jean Bart visited the United States in company with the unprotected cruiser Aréthuse and the aviso Hussard for the international Columbian Naval Review held off New York on 27 April 1893.

She took part in annual training exercises that year to evaluate the effectiveness of the French coastal defense system.

The light guns that had been carried in the military masts' tops were relocated to her upper deck and superstructure.

[12] With the beginning of the unrest that led to the Boxer Uprising in Qing China in 1898, many European colonial powers began to reinforce their naval forces in East Asia.

Salvage rights were sold to Blandy Brothers of Las Palmas, and Jean Bart was struck from the naval register on 13 April.

[3] This was the first in a series of disasters for the French Navy that year, which also included the wrecking of the armored cruiser Chanzy off the coast of China and the destruction of the pre-dreadnought battleship Iéna by an accidental magazine fire.

The captains of both cruisers were both brought before courts-martial, both convicted of negligent ship handling, and both barred from further commands for three years.