René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

Timeline

1. 1667–1673Montreal · CanadaLa Salle was born in Rouen, Normandy, France, and moved to New France in 1667, receiving a land grant on La Chine Island and engaging in the fur trade. He learned Native languages and established contacts with tribes such as the Huron, accumulating resources and connections for later inland exploration.
2. 1673–1682Great Lakes and Illinois River basin · Great LakesIn the 1670s La Salle established frontier forts in the Great Lakes region, including Fort Niagara and Fort Saint Louis. In 1679 he built the sailing ship Griffon to explore Lake Erie, then pushed deep into the Illinois River valley in preparation for finding the source of the Mississippi.
3. 1682–1687Mississippi River basin to Texas · New FranceIn 1682 La Salle traveled down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the entire basin as Louisiana in the name of Louis XIV. In 1684 he led four ships on an expedition to the Gulf of Mexico seeking to establish a colonial outpost, but landed in Texas due to navigational errors, and in March 1687 was killed by mutinous followers, ending the expedition in failure.