Unit Four: Arrival of the Europeans
The first whites believed to set foot on the land that is now Missouri came from Spain. Half a century after Columbus landed in the Caribbean and claimed the continent for Spain we find the group of Spaniards led by Hernando de Soto trekking up the Mississippi River. De Soto and others envisioned great caches of gold and other precious riches in North America poised for the plunder. Mythical cities, such as Cibola, El Dorado, and Quivara were upon the minds of these explorers as they journeyed across the Atlantic. The Spaniards did find gold and silver in Mexico and parts of South America, so their dreams were fueled by these gains. De Soto’s men traveled northward and near modern day Memphis Tennessee they encountered the Mississippi in 1541. Missouri lay just across the river.
Left: Early drawing from Mark Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" of de Soto discovering the Mississippi River.
Right: The Spaniards traveled with horses and war dogs in their conquering of native lands. These mastiffs were bred to tear their opponents apart, a tactic many of the conquistadors and explorers used in battle against Native Americans. |
There is legend in the New Madrid area that de Soto held a religious service atop an Indian mound in that town. This would give speculation to the belief that de Soto, or members of his group crossed the river and found their way into the extreme south part of our state. It was not long after reaching the Mississippi that de Soto died and was buried in the river for fear of the Indians disturbing his grave. Where he was buried is unknown and there were no written evidence of their entrance to Missouri. So we have no clear proof of their arrival in the land. Whether this group actually came into Missouri remains an unknown. Whatever their activity in Missouri was, it was insignificant. Since they did not find gold or silver in the area, and with the death of their leader, this journey was seen as a failure and they returned to Mexico and the Southwest. It would be many years before any other whites would trek into the area. The next known group would be the French. It is the French who are generally claimed with first exploring Missouri.
The secret burial of Hernando de Soto on the Mississippi River.
French Exploration
Whereas the Spanish came from the South in reaching the Mississippi Valley, the French traveled downriver from the North. They had established territory in Canada and discovered other resources to grow their interest in the interior of the continent. The furs of otter, beaver, and mink were quite valuable in Europe. Their use in the fashion world for felt hats and the trimming of fancy clothes escalated the entrepreneur spirit of the French settlers. Fur trapping became a dramatic economic base for the French and trade with Native Americans was successful, both economically and in relational. There was competition between the French, English, and Dutch for power in the trading with Native Americans throughout the region of the Great Lakes, but most of the area that is known as eastern Canada would exist as “New France” as of 1627.
Whereas the Spanish came from the South in reaching the Mississippi Valley, the French traveled downriver from the North. They had established territory in Canada and discovered other resources to grow their interest in the interior of the continent. The furs of otter, beaver, and mink were quite valuable in Europe. Their use in the fashion world for felt hats and the trimming of fancy clothes escalated the entrepreneur spirit of the French settlers. Fur trapping became a dramatic economic base for the French and trade with Native Americans was successful, both economically and in relational. There was competition between the French, English, and Dutch for power in the trading with Native Americans throughout the region of the Great Lakes, but most of the area that is known as eastern Canada would exist as “New France” as of 1627.
1670 saw the establishment of the Hudson Bay Company by King Charles II of England. Hostilities between the Native Americans and the French would begin to dissipate. This “peace” would give the French opportunity to continue their pursuit of the “Northwest Passage,” or a direct water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the North American continent.
This was also a time of religious thought. Catholic and Protestant movements sought to convert the Native Americans to Christianity throughout the North American continent. The French were predominantly a Catholic people and the “Black Robes” as they were called by the Native Americans traveled with the French traders. These long black robe wearing Catholic priests were missionaries determined to live and work among the Native Americans. One of these men was a Jesuit priest by the name of Jacques Marquette.
Marquette was born in France and entered the priesthood late in his teens. He would be sent to North America by the Church in 1666 to work among the Native Americans. Marquette worked among many Indian tribes, learning the languages of six different tribes, the Illinois, Pottawatimis, Foxes, Huron, Ottawa, Mackinac, and Sioux. While ministering on the southwestern shore of Lake Superior, Marquette was visited by a group of Illinois Indians. The Illinois came from a distant area to the south and spoke of a mighty river flowing through their country. The river covered such a distance that no one knew what body of water in which it emptied. The Illinois Indians consisted of eight thousand people and they spoke of many other large tribes that lived along this river. They asked Marquette to come and instruct them in the ways of the white man’s religion. Exploration and evangelism both drove Marquette to accept their invitation.
Marquette’s thoughts concerning bringing Christianity to the Native Americans filled his desires to make the journey. He is quoted as saying, “I have obtained from God the favor of being enabled to visit the nations on the Mississippi River…and find myself in the happy necessity of exposing my life for the salvation of all these tribes, especially the Illinois.”
Marquette surmised that this river must empty into the Gulf of California from the information he gathered from his visitors. If that was true then this would be the Northwest Passage they were seeking. The Huron Indians he worked with called this river, “Messipi,” or “the Great Water.” The Hurons told Marquette that they would build a canoe for him for his journey down the Great Water.
The Governor General of New France granted permission to Marquette to make his expedition in 1673 In May of that year Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet set off on their journey south with two canoes and five men. The trip took them south on Lake Michigan to the Fox River and Wisconsin. From the Wisconsin River they first saw the Mississippi.
Marquette surmised that this river must empty into the Gulf of California from the information he gathered from his visitors. If that was true then this would be the Northwest Passage they were seeking. The Huron Indians he worked with called this river, “Messipi,” or “the Great Water.” The Hurons told Marquette that they would build a canoe for him for his journey down the Great Water.
The Governor General of New France granted permission to Marquette to make his expedition in 1673 In May of that year Marquette and fur trader Louis Jolliet set off on their journey south with two canoes and five men. The trip took them south on Lake Michigan to the Fox River and Wisconsin. From the Wisconsin River they first saw the Mississippi.
The first two weeks on the Mississippi brought no encounters with other people. The people in the first group they met were friendly and gave them a great welcome. These Indians were members of the Illinois tribe and this was near current day Keokuk, Iowa along the Des Moines River. Marquette and Jolliet were not far from what is now Missouri. The Illinois people gave to the explorers a calumet, or “peace” pipe. This would play an important role for Marquette and Jolliet later on their journey.
Not long afterward they discovered two large monstrous looking birds painted on the bluffs along the east side of the river. The explorers were awestruck by the vision. Who could have created it? They didn’t think the Native Americans they had encountered had the ability to create such a lavish display. Maybe greater civilizations await them. These images were near the current day town of Alton, Illinois, a short distance north of current St. Louis. It would be soon that they would encounter another great site, the entrance of the Missouri River into the Mississippi.
The explorers soon visited with members of the Missouri Indian tribe and set foot within what is now Missouri. At the mouth of the Arkansas River, south of present-day Missouri, they met with Quapaw Indians. The Quapaw told them that the sea was only 10 days away, but unfriendly Indians and Spaniards were in the way. Their stories of unfriendly Indians reinforced similar stories from the Missouri Indians. The explorers did not want to be captured by the Spaniards, nor did they want to engage in battle and possible death with a hostile group of Native Americans. That and the fact that they realized the Mississippi must flow into the Gulf of Mexico instead of traveling to the Pacific caused the group to decide to halt the journey and begin their trek back toward New France. Instead of returning up the Mississippi, they crew traveled up the Illinois River, through what is now the State of Illinois, and reach Chicago and Lake Michigan. From there the group could head back to the start of their journey.
It was late in June when Marquette and Jolliet encountered the Missouri and it was in flood stage. Marquette wrote “A mass of large trees, entire with branches, real floating islands, came rushing from the mouth of the river so impetuously that we could not pass across without exposing ourselves to great danger. The agitation was so great that the water was all muddy.” Marquette called the Missouri “Pekitanoui” and they were amazed by its force and magnitude. The large amount of trees and debris rushing down the water made them believe that it was a river large enough to reach all the way to the Pacific.
Both Marquette and Jolliet were intrigued by the geography of the land. They were functioning “cartographer” or map-makers and their graphic depictions of the area of the Mississippi would encourage more exploration of the land.
La Salle
The decade after Marquette and Jolliet travelled through the Mississippi Valley another Frenchman, Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, made his way to the Mississippi Delta and the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle took a larger group of men with him and claimed all of the land drained by the Mississippi River for French king Louis XVI. La Salle would name the area “Louisiana” in honor of King Louis XIV.
The decade after Marquette and Jolliet travelled through the Mississippi Valley another Frenchman, Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, made his way to the Mississippi Delta and the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle took a larger group of men with him and claimed all of the land drained by the Mississippi River for French king Louis XVI. La Salle would name the area “Louisiana” in honor of King Louis XIV.
La Salle knew that forts along the Mississippi could keep the English and Spanish from expanding their territories, giving France the capability to rule the continent. His efforts opened the door to more French exploration. Missouri was part of the Illinois Territory. Forts and trading posts would be established on the eastern side of the river. Even though France was quick to explore the area, they didn’t pursue the maintaining of a strong government in the area. Most of the activity in the land at this time was relegated to fur trading, mining, and missionaries.
The first white settlement in Missouri would be the Mission of St. Francis Xavier, created by missionaries in 1700. This community was on the River des Peres in the area of current-day St. Louis. This community would only last three years due to nearby swamps being seen as unhealthy. It was a community where French and Indians lived together. Traders and missionaries both interacted with the Native Americans at this location.
Some French came to Missouri with African slaves. Some came to trade furs. A few came as missionaries to share Christianity with the Native Americans. The Church was integral to government during this era, so most of the leadership in the region came from the religious leaders. One other group that settled in the area came for the mineral resources found in abundance. There wasn’t much gold or silver to draw these people to Missouri, instead they engaged in lead mining.
A French mineralogist named LeSueur began exploring from Minnesota to Missouri in search of precious metals. Some of the ore he found was copper and other was lead. While he had been given directions to search for gold and silver, he returned to France and promoted what he did find. The government wasn’t interested in these deposits and caused LeSueur to falter in his pursuits. It would take the efforts of Philippe Francois Renault to make lead a successful product from Missouri.
The first white settlement in Missouri would be the Mission of St. Francis Xavier, created by missionaries in 1700. This community was on the River des Peres in the area of current-day St. Louis. This community would only last three years due to nearby swamps being seen as unhealthy. It was a community where French and Indians lived together. Traders and missionaries both interacted with the Native Americans at this location.
Some French came to Missouri with African slaves. Some came to trade furs. A few came as missionaries to share Christianity with the Native Americans. The Church was integral to government during this era, so most of the leadership in the region came from the religious leaders. One other group that settled in the area came for the mineral resources found in abundance. There wasn’t much gold or silver to draw these people to Missouri, instead they engaged in lead mining.
A French mineralogist named LeSueur began exploring from Minnesota to Missouri in search of precious metals. Some of the ore he found was copper and other was lead. While he had been given directions to search for gold and silver, he returned to France and promoted what he did find. The government wasn’t interested in these deposits and caused LeSueur to falter in his pursuits. It would take the efforts of Philippe Francois Renault to make lead a successful product from Missouri.
Philippe Francois Renault was given the authority to investigate the mineral resources of the central Mississippi valley from the Company of the Indies, a group that consisted of the former French East India Company. In 1723, Renault was granted “in freehold, in order to make his establishment upon the mines” a tract of land on the Little Marameig River in Upper Louisiana. With the purchase of 200 African slaves, Renault set out to develop mines. Renault was instrumental in the mining of lead, a key component necessary for the making of bullets. The area he worked was in Illinois and Missouri. Some of the land he had been granted was in the current Ste. Genevieve and Washington Counties of Missouri. Renault is attributed with establishing lead mining as Missouri’s first industry.
Another beneficial French settler in Missouri was Etienne Veniard de Bourgmont. De Bourgmont was a deserter of the French military who fell in love with a Missouri Indian woman. He lived with her and her tribe for six years. De Bourgmont maintained some of the earliest known written record for the Missouri River. He was friendly with the tribes in the area and this may have helped keep peace between French settlers and the Native Americans.
De Bourgmont was given the task of setting up a fort on the Missouri River by the French government. He established Fort Orleans, near the present-day town of Brunswick in 1724. Fort Orleans was a busy place, with Indians coming to trade furs for blankets, cloth, mirrors, combs, needles, thimbles, axes, knives, iron kettles, and guns. Although there was all of this activity at Fort Orleans, it was not successful financially. It was the only French settlement in Missouri at the time and it was expensive to bring supplies the long distance from other French settlements. The fort was abandoned in 1728 and eventually washed away during flooding. De Bourgmont’s amiable presence with the Native Americans in the region may have helped set the stage for more French settlement of this area.
In the 1730s, settlers from Kaskaskia, Illinois came across the Mississippi to create Missouri’s first permanent town, Ste. Genevieve. The community would be a port for lead and fur trading on the Mississippi. At first, French farmers and African slaves came into the vicinity. The French saw the rich farmland as promising. They raised corn, wheat, oats, barley, cotton, tobacco, and vegetables.
Most of the original community of Ste. Genevieve was located along the river bottom. This location brought frustration when the Mississippi would flood. The residents were resilient and jovial, even with the frequent flooding of their town. They gave the town the nickname “Misere” or misery. A very devastating flood occurred in 1785 where the boats were tied to chimney tops because of the deepness of the river. This flood led the residents of Ste. Genevieve to come to a conclusion to relocate. They decided to move their homes, and the town, to higher ground about three miles upriver. This is where the community has remained and provided for its continued growth. Some of the original homes of this new location are still around today. They are some of the oldest houses west of the Mississippi.
Another beneficial French settler in Missouri was Etienne Veniard de Bourgmont. De Bourgmont was a deserter of the French military who fell in love with a Missouri Indian woman. He lived with her and her tribe for six years. De Bourgmont maintained some of the earliest known written record for the Missouri River. He was friendly with the tribes in the area and this may have helped keep peace between French settlers and the Native Americans.
De Bourgmont was given the task of setting up a fort on the Missouri River by the French government. He established Fort Orleans, near the present-day town of Brunswick in 1724. Fort Orleans was a busy place, with Indians coming to trade furs for blankets, cloth, mirrors, combs, needles, thimbles, axes, knives, iron kettles, and guns. Although there was all of this activity at Fort Orleans, it was not successful financially. It was the only French settlement in Missouri at the time and it was expensive to bring supplies the long distance from other French settlements. The fort was abandoned in 1728 and eventually washed away during flooding. De Bourgmont’s amiable presence with the Native Americans in the region may have helped set the stage for more French settlement of this area.
In the 1730s, settlers from Kaskaskia, Illinois came across the Mississippi to create Missouri’s first permanent town, Ste. Genevieve. The community would be a port for lead and fur trading on the Mississippi. At first, French farmers and African slaves came into the vicinity. The French saw the rich farmland as promising. They raised corn, wheat, oats, barley, cotton, tobacco, and vegetables.
Most of the original community of Ste. Genevieve was located along the river bottom. This location brought frustration when the Mississippi would flood. The residents were resilient and jovial, even with the frequent flooding of their town. They gave the town the nickname “Misere” or misery. A very devastating flood occurred in 1785 where the boats were tied to chimney tops because of the deepness of the river. This flood led the residents of Ste. Genevieve to come to a conclusion to relocate. They decided to move their homes, and the town, to higher ground about three miles upriver. This is where the community has remained and provided for its continued growth. Some of the original homes of this new location are still around today. They are some of the oldest houses west of the Mississippi.
The Founding of St. Louis: Laclede and Chouteau
The second largest community in Missouri today is St. Louis. It has played an important role in history, from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to the Civil War, and on through the 20th Century. But it started as a small trading post near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Pierre Laclede Liguest was a French merchant from New Orleans. Commonly known as Pierre Laclede, he entered into a common-law marriage with Marie Therese Bourgeois Chouteau around 1755. Marie and her young son, Auguste, had been deserted by her husband in 1752, a marriage that had been pre-arranged by her family. Since the previous marriage was never ended, French and Roman Catholic law would not allow Laclede and Marie to officially marry. Pierre would consider Auguste as his stepson even without the legal documentation.
The second largest community in Missouri today is St. Louis. It has played an important role in history, from the Lewis and Clark Expedition, to the Civil War, and on through the 20th Century. But it started as a small trading post near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Pierre Laclede Liguest was a French merchant from New Orleans. Commonly known as Pierre Laclede, he entered into a common-law marriage with Marie Therese Bourgeois Chouteau around 1755. Marie and her young son, Auguste, had been deserted by her husband in 1752, a marriage that had been pre-arranged by her family. Since the previous marriage was never ended, French and Roman Catholic law would not allow Laclede and Marie to officially marry. Pierre would consider Auguste as his stepson even without the legal documentation.
Pierre Laclede Liguest (left) and Rene Auguste Chouteau (right)
Laclede was engaged in the fur trading business with Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent. The company was known as Maxent, Laclede, and Company. Maxent would sponsor Laclede to set up a trading post near the meeting of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in 1763. Laclede and family would reach the location in December of that year.
Finding a high-point location about twelve miles south of the junction of the rivers, the group set out to create a community and trading center. Laclede would appoint Auguste to supervise a crew of 30 men in the clearing of land and building of the town. Auguste Chouteau had not seen his fourteenth birthday yet. Laclede would return to the site in April 1764 to find that Chouteau had worked well at proceeding toward the town’s creation. Laclede continued the work with his design for the town. Laclede named the community they were building St. Louis in honor of King Louis IX of France.
Some of these builders and the earliest residents in St. Louis may not have been French at all. The Treaty of Paris in 1763, following the French-Indian War, gave land east of the Mississippi to the English. French settlers around Fort Chartres, the nearest settlement to St. Louis, were upset and didn’t want to become English subjects. Laclede encouraged them to move to his community. The building of St. Louis caused nearby Native Americans to come and see what was going on. Laclede got them involved in the construction of the town, digging a cellar.
It wasn’t long before St. Louis became a bustling hub of business and settlement. The Laclede and Chouteau families would be considered St. Louis’ “First Family” and remain active in fur trading and eventually steamboat travel. Auguste Chouteau would live in the community for the rest of his life, sixty five years after he first directed men in the building of structures on the site. He played a role in the Battle of St. Louis during the American Revolution. He provided information to the Lewis and Clark about wildlife, Indian tribes, and other settlements in the Louisiana territory. The Lewis and Clark expedition bought supplies for their journey from Chouteau’s trading house. He negotiated part of the Treaties of Portage des Sioux after the War of 1812. Chouteau remained active in Indian concerns, serving as a Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1817. He was also a judge, helped start the first bank in Missouri, and served on the St. Louis Board of Trustees and the St. Louis School Board. Chouteau would live to see the city that he built and loved grow to nearly 5,000 residents before he died in 1829.
Finding a high-point location about twelve miles south of the junction of the rivers, the group set out to create a community and trading center. Laclede would appoint Auguste to supervise a crew of 30 men in the clearing of land and building of the town. Auguste Chouteau had not seen his fourteenth birthday yet. Laclede would return to the site in April 1764 to find that Chouteau had worked well at proceeding toward the town’s creation. Laclede continued the work with his design for the town. Laclede named the community they were building St. Louis in honor of King Louis IX of France.
Some of these builders and the earliest residents in St. Louis may not have been French at all. The Treaty of Paris in 1763, following the French-Indian War, gave land east of the Mississippi to the English. French settlers around Fort Chartres, the nearest settlement to St. Louis, were upset and didn’t want to become English subjects. Laclede encouraged them to move to his community. The building of St. Louis caused nearby Native Americans to come and see what was going on. Laclede got them involved in the construction of the town, digging a cellar.
It wasn’t long before St. Louis became a bustling hub of business and settlement. The Laclede and Chouteau families would be considered St. Louis’ “First Family” and remain active in fur trading and eventually steamboat travel. Auguste Chouteau would live in the community for the rest of his life, sixty five years after he first directed men in the building of structures on the site. He played a role in the Battle of St. Louis during the American Revolution. He provided information to the Lewis and Clark about wildlife, Indian tribes, and other settlements in the Louisiana territory. The Lewis and Clark expedition bought supplies for their journey from Chouteau’s trading house. He negotiated part of the Treaties of Portage des Sioux after the War of 1812. Chouteau remained active in Indian concerns, serving as a Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1817. He was also a judge, helped start the first bank in Missouri, and served on the St. Louis Board of Trustees and the St. Louis School Board. Chouteau would live to see the city that he built and loved grow to nearly 5,000 residents before he died in 1829.
Chouteau's Mansion in St. Louis, Missouri. Lewis and Clark stayed here while in St. Louis.
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http://www.biography.com/people/jacques-marquette-20984755#explorations-and-discoveries
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http://www.engr.psu.edu/mtah/timelines/timeline3.htm
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