What did Sieur de La Salle discover?

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was an explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. He claimed the region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries for France and named it Louisiana after King Louis XIV.

Where did Sieur de La Salle explore?

René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, (born November 22, 1643, Rouen, France—died March 19, 1687, near Brazos River [now in Texas, U.S.]), French explorer in North America who led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed all the region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries for …

What was the purpose of La Salle expedition?

La Salle secured a contract for the colonization of lower Louisiana from Louis XIV in 1683. The plan was to reach the Mississippi by sea and secure a permanent settlement upriver that would provide the French with a strategic advantage over Spanish interests throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

Who Killed La Salle the explorer?

Pierre Duhaut
On his second eastward journey, intended to reach his post on the Illinois River, La Salle was slain by Pierre Duhaut, a disenchanted follower, on March 19, 1687, “six leagues” from the westernmost village of the Hasinai (Tejas) Indians.

Why did La Salle create a settlement in Texas?

René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, established a French settlement on the Texas coast in summer 1685, the result of faulty geography that caused him to believe the Mississippi River emptied into the Gulf of Mexico in the Texas coastal bend.

How many years did Robert de La Salle explore?

La Salle made many exploring trips during the years 1671 to 1673. La Salle returned to France in 1677, getting permission form the King to explore the area between Florida, Mexico and New France (Canada).

How did La Salle impact Texas?

The La Salle expedition shifted the focus of Spanish interest from western Texas to eastern Texas. The French began exploring this area, too. Men from La Salle’s colony became explorers and set up settlements in the South and Southwest.

What was the largest French settlement?

A major French settlement lay on the island of Hispaniola, where France established the colony of Saint-Domingue on the western third of the island in 1664. Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Antilles”, Saint-Domingue became the richest colony in the Caribbean due to slave plantation production of sugar cane.

What impact did La Salle have on Texas?

Who was Sieur de la Salle and what did he do?

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle Biography. (1643–1687) René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was a French explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Mississippi River, claiming the region for France.

When did La Salle first explore the Great Lakes?

Adventurous, independent, and bullheaded, La Salle started to explore the Great Lakes area in 1669. He came close to his dream of exploring the Mississippi River and finding an opening to the Pacific Ocean but failed in his first attempt. In 1682 and after many difficulties,…

Where did Robert Cavelier de la Salle set sail from?

In 1683 La Salle established Fort St. Louis at Starved Rock in Illinois and left Tonti in charge while he returned to France to resupply. In 1684, La Salle set sail from Europe to establish a French colony on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

How did Jacques La Salle get to Lake Erie?

The French explorers were delayed for a month until an Iroquois man passed by and offered to guide them from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. La Salle and his companions, however, were once again delayed when he was bitten by a snake when they arrived near Burlington Bay.