Why did Marquette and Joliet explore the Mississippi river?

Why did Marquette and Joliet explore the Mississippi river?

French officials commissioned Louis Joliet and Father Marquette to explore the region and to claim that vast stretch of land for the French Crown. Count de Frontenac, vice-regent to Louis XIV, saw this expedition as the first step in creating a French empire stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Did Marquette and Joliet discover the Mississippi river?

Marquette and Jolliet did not discover the Mississippi. Indians had been using it for thousands of years, and Spanish explorer Hernan De Soto had crossed it more than a century before them.

Who discovered the Mississippi river?

explorer Hernando De Soto
The Basics It shows Spanish conquistador and explorer Hernando De Soto (1500–1542), riding a white horse and dressed in Renaissance finery, arriving at the Mississippi River at a point below Natchez on May 8, 1541. De Soto was the first European documented to have seen the river.

Why did Louis Joliet explore?

In 1673, Joliet embarked on a privately-sponsored expedition with Jacques Marquette, a missionary and linguist, to be among the first Europeans to explore what was called by Native Americans the “Mesipi” river and ascertain where it led to, with hopes of finding a passage to Asia.

When did Marquette and Joliet go exploring?

May 17, 1673
On May 17, 1673, the Rev. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet set out on a voyage that would take them thousands of miles into the North American interior, confirming that it was possible to travel by water from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico and initiating some of the first white settlements in the region.

What did Joliet discover?

the Mississippi River
Louis Joliet was a 17th century Canadian explorer who, aided by Native American communities, explored the origins of the Mississippi River.

Why did Jacques Marquette come to the Americas?

Jacques Marquette was born in Laon, France, on June 1, 1637. He came of an ancient family distinguished for its civic and military services. He studied and taught in France for several years, then the Jesuits assigned him to New France in 1666 as a missionary to the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Who explored the Mississippi with Marquette?

Louis Jolliet
Jacques Marquette, byname Père (Father) Marquette, (born June 1, 1637, Laon, Fr. —died May 18, 1675, Ludington, Mich.), French Jesuit missionary explorer who, with Louis Jolliet, travelled down the Mississippi River and reported the first accurate data on its course.

How old is the Mississippi river?

Therefore, the Mississippi River is less than 40 million years old. Now, we are going to approach the question from the other direction. During the Illinoisan and Wisconsinan glaciations (300,000 to 10,000 years ago), glacial till and moraines created dams that rerouted the Mississippi River to the west.

When did Marquette and Joliet explore?

What did Joliet do?

Louis Joliet was a 17th century Canadian explorer who, aided by Native American communities, explored the origins of the Mississippi River.

What is Joliet known for?

Joliet is also a shipping and transportation centre. Notable attractions include the 40-room Jacob Henry Mansion (1876), with a foundation made of limestone; the Rialto Square Theatre (1926), on the National Register of Historic Places; and the post office (1903), made of light-coloured limestone.

What did Marquette and Joliet explore?

Marquette and Joliet Exploring the Mississippi. Upper Mississippi River. Oil painting by Frank H. Zeitler, 1921. On May 17, 1673, Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Joliet set out on a four-month voyage that carried them thousands of miles through the heart of North America to explore the path of the Mississippi River.

When did Father Marquette explore the Mississippi River?

Source: Wisconsin Historical Museum Object #1982.448.1 On May 17, 1673, Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Joliet set out on a four-month voyage that carried them thousands of miles through the heart of North America to explore the path of the Mississippi River.

Who was the first person to explore the Mississippi River?

Upper Mississippi River. Oil painting by Frank H. Zeitler, 1921. On May 17, 1673, Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader Louis Joliet set out on a four-month voyage that carried them thousands of miles through the heart of North America to explore the path of the Mississippi River.

Who were Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette?

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Roberta Estes Louis Jolliet (sometimes spelled Joliet) and Jacques Marquette are credited with the (European) discovery of the Mississippi River. Jacques Marquette (also known as Father Marquette) was a Catholic missionary and explorer. He was born in Laon, France.