Rouen-born French visionary explorer known for exploring the Mississippi River basin, which he named Louisiana after his king, in an attempt to broaden the base of the French empire in America. Educated by the Jesuits, he settled in Canada, near Montreal, and engaged in the fur trade (1666). Informed by the Indians of the existence of a large lake to the south, and eager to find a river path to the Pacific and from there to the East, he sold his goods (1669) and set out on an expedition that went down the São Lourenço River and reached Lake Ontario.
He returned to France (1675) and obtained from Louis XIV confirmation of his position as governor of the lands to be conquered and the monopoly of trade with the new regions. Back in America (1677) he built the Griffon boat and set out on it (1679) to explore Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, south of which he founded Fort Miami. Next to Lake Peoria, he established the Crèvecoeur fort. In a new expedition (1680) he descended the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and reached the Gulf of Mexico (1682) and called Louisiana the region he considered conquered for the French crown.
Upon his return, he found his monopoly canceled and headed for France where he arranged for Louis XIV to renew his rights and financed an expedition with which he intended to conquer part of the Spanish colony of Mexico, fortify the mouth of the Mississippi and go up the river. Authoritarian, he earned the fleet commander's dislike and was abandoned with a ship and 180 men in Matagorda Bay, Texas, well beyond the mouth of the Mississippi. He founded Fort Saint Louis (1685) and set out to seek help in Illinois with 17 subordinates who, probably reacting to the humiliating treatment, he was shot in the head near the Brazos river, in the Texas.
Rouen-born French visionary explorer known for exploring the Mississippi River basin, which he named Louisiana after his king, in an attempt to broaden the base of the French empire in America. Educated by the Jesuits, he settled in Canada, near Montreal, and engaged in the fur trade (1666). Informed by the Indians of the existence of a large lake to the south, and eager to find a river path to the Pacific and from there to the East, he sold his goods (1669) and set out on an expedition that went down the São Lourenço River and reached Lake Ontario. He returned to France (1675) and obtained from Louis XIV confirmation of his position as governor of the lands to be conquered and the monopoly of trade with the new regions. Back in America (1677) he built the Griffon boat and set out on it (1679) to explore Lakes Erie, Huron and Michigan, south of which he founded Fort Miami. Next to Lake Peoria, he established the Crèvecoeur fort. In a new expedition (1680) he descended the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and reached the Gulf of Mexico (1682) and called Louisiana the region he considered conquered for the French crown. Upon his return, he found his monopoly canceled and headed for France where he arranged for Louis XIV to renew his rights and financed an expedition with which he intended to conquer part of the Spanish colony of Mexico, fortify the mouth of the Mississippi and go up the river. Authoritarian, he earned the fleet commander's dislike and was abandoned with a ship and 180 men in Matagorda Bay, Texas, well beyond the mouth of the Mississippi. He founded Fort Saint Louis (1685) and set out to seek help in Illinois with 17 subordinates who, probably reacting to the humiliating treatment, he was shot in the head near the Brazos river, in the Texas.
Source: http://www.dec.ufcg.edu.br/biografias/
Order R - Biography - Brazil School
