The ship was named after Jules Ferry, the former Prime Minister of France, and Jean Marie Antoine de Lanessan, Minister of the Navy, ordered the Arsenal de Cherbourg to begin work on the ship on 28 June 1900 in compliance with the recently passed Naval Law (Statut Naval).
She was laid down on 19 August 1901, launched on 23 August 1903 and began her preliminary sea trials on 23 June 1905.
Her propulsion machinery was plagued by troubles and her full-power steam trials did not begin until December 1906.
The ship was commissioned (armement définitif) on 1 June 1907.
Her construction cost 28,897,875 francs.

Jules Ferry was assigned to the Light Squadron (Escadre légère) of the Mediterranean Squadron upon her completion and she became the flagship of Vice Admiral (Vice-amiral) Jules François Joseph Krantz, the squadron commander.
He remained in command until mid-1909 when he was relieved by Vice Admiral Louis-Joseph Pivet.
On 5 October 1909, the French Navy reorganized its forces and redesignated the Mediterranean Squadron as the 1st Squadron (1ᵉʳ Escadre) and the Light Squadron became the 1st Light Division (1ᵉʳ Division légère (DL)).
Jules Ferry was replaced as the 1st DL's flagship by Léon Gambetta by 4 April 1911 She had been transferred to the 2nd DL of the newly formed 2nd Squadron by 4 September when she temporarily served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Horace Jauréguiberry during the fleet review by Armand Fallières, President of France, and the Navy Minister, Théophile Delcassé, that day off Toulon.

After the Agadir Crisis of 1911, the French and British governments agreed in 1912 that the Royal Navy would defend the northern French coast and the French would concentrate her fleet in the Mediterranean and defend British interests there.
The French designated the consolidated fleet the 1st Naval Army (1ʳᵉ Armée Navale) and grouped its two DLs into the 1st Light Squadron.
The ship was named after Jules Ferry, the former Prime Minister of France, and Jean Marie Antoine de Lanessan, Minister of the Navy, ordered the Arsenal de Cherbourg to begin work on the ship on 28 June 1900 in compliance with the recently passed Naval Law (Statut Naval). She was laid down on 19 August 1901, launched on 23 August 1903 and began her preliminary sea trials on 23 June 1905. Her propulsion machinery was plagued by troubles and her full-power steam trials did not begin until December 1906. The ship was commissioned (armement définitif) on 1 June 1907. Her construction cost 28,897,875 francs.
Jules Ferry was assigned to the Light Squadron (Escadre légère) of the Mediterranean Squadron upon her completion and she became the flagship of Vice Admiral (Vice-amiral) Jules François Joseph Krantz, the squadron commander. He remained in command until mid-1909 when he was relieved by Vice Admiral Louis-Joseph Pivet. On 5 October 1909, the French Navy reorganized its forces and redesignated the Mediterranean Squadron as the 1st Squadron (1ᵉʳ Escadre) and the Light Squadron became the 1st Light Division (1ᵉʳ Division légère (DL)). Jules Ferry was replaced as the 1st DL's flagship by Léon Gambetta by 4 April 1911 She had been transferred to the 2nd DL of the newly formed 2nd Squadron by 4 September when she temporarily served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Horace Jauréguiberry during the fleet review by Armand Fallières, President of France, and the Navy Minister, Théophile Delcassé, that day off Toulon.
After the Agadir Crisis of 1911, the French and British governments agreed in 1912 that the Royal Navy would defend the northern French coast and the French would concentrate her fleet in the Mediterranean and defend British interests there. The French designated the consolidated fleet the 1st Naval Army (1ʳᵉ Armée Navale) and grouped its two DLs into the 1st Light Squadron.
French cruiser Jules Ferry