The position was created in 1628, formally named the "Governor-general of the islands and mainland of America" (Gouverneur général des Isles et Terre Ferme de l'Amérique).

Jean-Charles de Baas moved the governor's residence from Saint-Christophe to Martinique, first to Saint-Pierre in 1671, then to Fort-Royal in 1674.

The colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in the Greater Antilles was assigned to the Governor General of Saint-Domingue, while the islands of the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe to Tobago were assigned to the Governor General of the Windward Islands (Gouverneur général des Isles du Vent).

The governor-general of the islands and mainland of America was the representative of the King of France in the French West Indies.

Along with lieutenant-generals and local governors, the royal power soon installed intendents with jurisdiction over justice, police, and especially finance.