La Salle
René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was a French Explorer born on November 21, 1643 in Rouen, France who explored the Mississippi River. During his time, La Salle explored the Great Lakes, Mississippi river and Gulf of Mexico. He is most noted for claiming the entire Mississippi area for France. He got to know about the river from Seneca Indians. La Salle thought that he would be led to the Gulf of California. But today, we know it isn’t true. He was 1725 miles short!
La Salle got his permission from the governor and went his way with his men, about 40 or 45 of them. The men traveled in 5 canoes that La Salle bought .After 1000 miles in, all the men were sick. In two months, they found a Seneca group. After that, they continued to Lake Ontario and Niagara Falls. In the end, he meets an Indian named Nika who joins them.
After that, no one knows what happens to La Salle. This period of two years is called the lost years. Historians believe that La Salle’s men stole his supplies and left him alone except for Nika. La Salle continued anyway and during this time he found the Ohio River. In Montréal, nobody went looking for him. Even his brother didn’t want to look for him. He died when two of his men shot him in the head.
In France, when La Salle was a boy, he lived near a dock. He grew up in the time the Ottomans blocked the way to Asia. He dreamed of finding a shorter route to Asia. Historians don’t know how many explorations he had but say he went on about 4-6. They were mainly to the Mississippi and France.
La Salle and his men didn’t have to go through terrible weather. If anything happened, they would just pull over to the shore. Many times did La Salle meet Indians, mainly Seneca’s. Even though he didn’t find the Mississippi River (Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette found it three years after his first voyage), La Salle’s first voyage would be proven a success later. The part of the U.S.A he claimed for France is actually 2/3 of the United States today!!!
By: Paul
