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Robert La Salle: French Explorer of the Mississippi

Explore the life and expeditions of French explorer Robert La Salle, the first European to sail down the Mississippi River. Learn about his voyages, encounters, and the mysterious disappearance of The Griffon. Discover his quest to find a transcontinental water route and his legacy in North America.

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Robert La Salle: French Explorer of the Mississippi

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  1. Robert La Salle By: Mary Beth Russell and Brooke Pasquale

  2. Robert La Salle • Robert La Salle was born in 1643 and died in 1687. • He was a French Explorer. • He went on 3 voyages. • He was the first European to sail down the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. • He went on a voyage to Louisiana. • He was looking to find a water route through North America linking the Atlantic and the Pacific. • When he was 23, his plans were to go to Canada to be a farmer. • He was shot in Eastern Texas by two of his men on March 20,1687.

  3. The Griffon • It took early carpenters all the winter of 1678-79 • Indians called the Griffin “The Ship with Wings” • Carried a crew of 32 men. • At Green Bay, the crew loaded 12,000 pounds of fur onto the ship. • The Griffon was the first full sized ship to set sail in the Great Lakes. • The Griffin was set sail to Nigeria on September 18th and was never seen again.

  4. Why He Went • He left for Canada to become a farmer. • He was granted a piece of land, that he eventually turned into a village. • He let the natives live there, and he quickly learned their language. • The natives told him about the Ohio river that flowed into the Mississippi. • He believed that the Mississippi river would flow into the Gulf of California, and he could find a western route to China.

  5. First Expedition • On July 6, 1669. THEY SET SAIL. • During his expedition, he met Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette. • They are better well known as, the first white men to explore and map the Mississippi River • His expedition continued from there, and eventually he reached the Ohio River, which flowed up to Louisville, Kentucky.

  6. Second Expedition • August 7,1679 he set sail with an Italian explorer Henri de Toni. • Began at Fort Conti. • Had to use a portage route to avoid the Niagara Falls. • Followed the Miami River until they got to Fort Crevecoeur. • La Salle left Toni in charge while he went back to Fort Frontenac for supplies. • The fort was later destroyed by mutinying soldiers.

  7. Louisiana Expedition • Crew of 18 Indians and reunited with Toni. • Set sail in 1682 down the Mississippi River. • Name the Mississippi Basin La Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV. • 1683, he established Fort Saint Louis at Starved Rock in Illinois and left Toni in charge to go get supplies from France.

  8. Pictures

  9. Our Resources • We got all of our information from http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/delasalle.htm\ • www.Google.com/search

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