011 La Salle

In this episode we feature René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

La Salle was one of North America’s foremost explorers whose travels expanded knowledge of the Ohio River, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River valley.
La Salle led the first expedition down the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in 1682, establishing France’s claim to the vast Mississippi River drainage basin. His vision of a New France stretching from Quebec to the Gulf of Mexico anticipated the future greatness of the Mississippi Valley.