1687day.year
René-Robert Cavelier
(1643 - 1687)
Sieur de La Salle, French-American explorer
Sieur de La Salle
French-American explorer
French explorer who led the first European expedition down the Mississippi River and claimed the Louisiana territory for France.
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was born in 1643 in Rouen, France.
He embarked on voyages of exploration in North America, notably charting the Great Lakes and Mississippi River.
In 1682, he claimed the Mississippi basin for King Louis XIV, naming it Louisiana in honor of the king.
La Salle founded Fort Saint Louis on the Gulf Coast and sought to establish French colonies in Texas.
On an ill-fated return expedition, he was killed by mutinous members of his party in 1687.
His explorations expanded French influence and mapping of North America's interior.
1687
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle