Later expeditions La Salle expeditions

native americans guide french explorers through indiana depicted maurice thompson in stories of indiana.

in late 17th century, la salle began process of expanding , securing fur trade building series of forts , line of communications montreal upper great lakes , ohio valley , mississippi regions. in 1673 built fort frontenac @ cataraqui (now kingston) on lake ontario. in 1679 built fort conti @ mouth of niagara river on lake ontario. near fort constructed sailing ship named le griffon , used explore of great lakes. voyaged far modern green bay, wisconsin in following summer set trading post. region still locked in beaver wars , new route on lakes allowed french bypass dangerous countryside , trade tribes beyond front lines of war. while remained @ post, sent 2 men indian guide westward in search of mississippi river. 2 men located falls of st. anthony before returning.

in september 1679 began return trip niagara stopped @ mouth of st. joseph river on east shore of lake michigan. paddled upstream , there built small fort serve base of operations continued expeditions illinois , ohio country. there waited supplies , men traveling overland meet them. sent griffon , crew montreal, never arrived , believed have died on return journey.

on december 3, 1679 party of twenty-men started out illinois country. set out search kankakee portage, overland path connected st. joseph river kankakee river, missed portage , la salle became separated rest of men. group spent night separated in snow storm, next morning la salle able relocate river , rejoin men. continued searching , found path , started overland kankakee river. once reaching river took canoes , traveled westward , down mississippi. supplies began run low, found bison stranded in mud pool able kill , eat, replenishing large part of supplies. continued downstream , encountered large indian village stopped build fort named fort crèvecoeur.

using new fort start of trading post, la salle invited local tribes negotiations. there established trading agreement tribes , discovered locked in war iroquois had been frequent raiders in area. area contained numerous tribes, including miami tribe east, wea , piankeshaw south-east, illinois tribe in immediate area, , peoria tribe farther west. there several groups of refugees far away maine had fled region hoping avoid iroquois had invaded own homelands. of country east of fort, ohio country, empty according local tribes, of inhabitants had fled illinois country , beyond escape iroquois.

the remainder of winter spent collecting furs surrounding area , after spring arrived group of men sent deliver furs montreal via trade route had been established. men returned , sold furs, deserted , did not return. la salle set out canada discover had become of men. on return trip encountered new governor of new france coming take possession of outposts la salle had established crown , put in garrisons. upon return outpost discovered had been destroyed own men mutinied not long after departure in autumn of 1680. local tribes found , had fled west of mississippi river, because of continued iroquois raids.

later expeditions

in 1681 la salle returned again illinois country , rebuilt fort. time began negotiations tribes return , set alliance. began trade them , through next 2 years began import firearms , other metal tools tribes never had previous access to. in 1682 la salle began establish post named fort saint louis on mississippi. used post more forward base countryside. spent next several years establishing posts , trade throughout illinois country. although iroquois returned again destroy french posts, plan succeeded in years after la salle s death in 1687. using new arms, odds evened iroquois , tribes able reclaim homeland following 1701 great peace of montreal.

a 1688 map of region explored la salle, based in large part on findings of expeditions

la salle assembled party expedition remembered. leaving fort crevecoeur eighteen native americans, canoed down mississippi river in 1682, naming mississippi basin la louisiane in honor of louis xiv. @ site of memphis, tennessee built small fort, fort prudhomme. on april 9, @ mouth of mississippi river, near modern venice, louisiana, la salle buried engraved plate , cross, claiming territory france. in 1683, on return voyage, established fort saint louis of illinois, @ starved rock on illinois river, replace fort crevecoeur. tonti command fort while la salle traveled again france supplies.

on july 24, 1684, la salle sailed again france , returned america large expedition designed establish french colony on gulf of mexico, @ mouth of mississippi river. left france in 1684 4 ships , 300 colonists. expedition plagued pirates, hostile indians, , poor navigation. 1 ship lost pirates in west indies, second sank in inlets of matagorda bay, third ran aground. established fort saint louis near victoria, texas. la salle led group eastward on foot on 3 occasions try locate mississippi. during search mississippi river, remaining 36 followers mutinied, near site of modern navasota, texas. on march 19, 1687, la salle slain pierre duhaut, 1 of 4 attacking him, 6 leagues westernmost village of hasinai tejas indians. colony lasted until 1688, when karankawa-speaking indians massacred 20 remaining adults , took 5 children captives. destroyed fort saint louis.