Sieur de La Salle
(René-Robert Cavalier) Famous French Explorer
Sieur de La Salle
Reasons Why La Salle Explored
Map Of Sieur de La Salle's Explorations
Description of Map
- First La Salle voyaged across the Atlantic to Quebec, Canada where there was a French colony. (Mountain symobl)
- After he was wandering through the New World and ended up near places like Ohio and Illinois, where the tree in the Wilderness symbol is located.
- Then La Salle voyaged around the Great Lakes claiming them all for France. (blue anchor symbols)
- La Salle and his men found a route to the Gulf of Mexico by voyaging down the Mississippi River, claiming all the land surrounding it, and landing where the River flows into the Gulf.
- Later, La Salle went back to France, to bring over 300 colonists to settle near the Mississippi River, but accidentally sailed past it to present day Texas, and his crewmen killed him there, because they were so frustrated with La Salle for bringing them to nothing but Indian territory where most people died from Disease. (death symbol)
Journal Entry
March 18, 1687
I feel like a failure. I have let down all of the colonists that I brought to the New World. My explorations at first were so great, it was almost too good to be true. I explored all throughout the New World. I have conquered so much land, and named it Louisiana in honor of my dearest King Louis XIV who made all of my explorations possible. I have always landed where I needed to be, like the Great Lakes, or the forts in Ohio and Illinois, and conquering all of the land near the Mississippi River. But all throughout my life, I never expected to have failed as much as I have on this last voyage. Instead of getting the colonists to the settlement I had planned next to the mouth of the Mississippi, I ended up in this unknown land, because I have sailed too far. I have learned to speak and communicate with natives all over, and for the most part, they did not mind me, but these Natives near the new settlement feel threatened. These natives do not like us, with most of my people dying from disease it would be hard to fight off the natives attacking. The settlers, and my crew men, have all been angry at me. Even though I have gained so much new land for France, that does not mean that the settlers are not mad. Thy are all very mad, for God’s sake, they killed my poor nephew only a few hours ago. Tomorrow I have a feeling that I am next, so as a goodbye, in case I do die, I have finished my journal entry. My life has come with many successes and failures. Even if the outcome of my last exploration was not successful, I am proud.
-Sieur de La Salle