French Explorers 4-3 Power Notes Main Idea: When the French established a presence in Texas, it forced Spain to renew its interest in the area.

The French Challenge Spanish Claims In the early 1600s, France established the colony of Quebec in Canada. 1682 France sent explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle to challenge Spain’s claims to land in and around Texas. La Salle was the first European to navigate the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He claimed all the land draining into this river for King Louis XIV, naming it Louisiana. He returned to France with plans for a French colony at the mouth of this river.

Robert La Salle WHEN: 1678-1687 COUNTRY: FRANCE

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The French Challenge Spanish Claims 1684-1685 He took 4 ships with 280+ colonists to settle the Louisiana colony. One ship was captured by Spanish pirates, while the others were separated in a storm. As a result, he missed the mouth of the Mississippi River and sailed southwest landing ashore at Matagorda Bay, Texas!

French Flag Over Texas La Salle’s Success: La Salle built a stockade—an enclosure of posts to form a defense, on the banks of a small river. This outpost becomes known as Fort St. Louis.

An Artists’ Drawing of Fort St. Louis

French Flag Over Texas La Salle’s Failures: One ship wrecks upon landing, another leaves, and the last one wrecks on a sandbar—a ridge of sand in a river or coastal waters. Also, in addition to failed crops, colonists are dying from starvation, disease, and fighting with the Karankawa natives.

French Flag Over Texas La Salle’s Second Expedition In need of help, he leads a small group to search for the Mississippi River. His goal is to travel north to Canada and find help at French settlements there. He ventures into east Texas and is later murdered by his own men (they were fed up!) Some of these men made it to Quebec and eventually back to France.

La Salle’s Routes

La Salle Statues in Texas Indianola, Texas (near Matagorda Bay) Navasota, Texas (where they claim he was killed)

French Flag Over Texas The Fate of Fort St. Louis Overall, the French colony fails as a settlement. Some colonists are taken hostage (but later adopted) by the Karankawas, while most are killed.

French Flag Over Texas Result of La Salle’s Effort The French NEVER successfully settle Texas, but claim it for France anyway! La Salle’s efforts shifted the focus of Spanish interest from western Texas to eastern Texas. New Spain also renewed efforts to explore the northern Gulf shore. Factoid: Later in 1803, the U.S. government tries to claim that Texas should be part of the “Louisiana Purchase” since it was claimed by France in the late 1600s!