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La Salle was born.
La Salle was born in 1643, possibly on November 22, in Rouen, France. As a young man La Salle attended Jesuit schools to study to become a priest. He soon grew tired of this and went into the fur trading business instead. -
La Salle travels to Canada
At the age of 23, in 1666 La Salle travels to Canada with plans to be a farmer. His intrests changed again and instead he set up a fur trading post. -
Early Exploration
After La Salle had sold his land in 1669, he decided to ask King Louis XIV (shown in picture) for permission to explore western parts of New France. He later in 1679 La Salle led a group that set up forts for France in the Great Lakes area, -
First Voyage
La Salles first voyage left port on his only ship the Griffin in the year 1679. This is when he explored Ohio and the Mississippi River. -
La Salle claims the Mississippi Basin for France
La Salle claimes the entire Mississippi Basin for France and names it Louisiana. -
La Salle Returned to France
La Salle returned to France. -
La Salle traveled to Texas and landed in Matagorda Bay.
La Salle and his crew were trying to go to the Mississippi, but they missed it by 300 miles, and stumbled upon Matagorda Bay. They began a colony with over 200 people, and four ships. The name of the colony was Fort St. Louis. -
La Salle leaves.
La Salle leaves his settlement to explore west in search of the Mississippi. He comes back in 1686 and concludes that the Mississippi River can only lie East of the bay he landed on. -
The Belle wrecked.
In the late winter of 1686 La Salle's last ship, the Belle, was wrecked during a squall leaving La Salle and his fort stranded on Texas. -
La Salle died.
La Salle suffered a tragic death with a shot to the head by one of his very own men, Pierre Duhat and two accomplices, because they believed La Salle was taking their food. Afterwards the Karankawa Massacre occurs.
