European exploration Mississippi River

discovery of mississippi de soto a.d. 1541 william henry powell depicts hernando de soto , spanish conquistadores seeing mississippi river first time.



ca. 1681 map of marquette , jolliet s 1673 expedition.

on may 8, 1541, spanish explorer hernando de soto became first recorded european reach mississippi river, called río del espíritu santo ( river of holy spirit ), in area of mississippi. in spanish, river called río mississippi.

french explorers louis jolliet , jacques marquette began exploring mississippi in 17th century. marquette traveled sioux indian named ne tongo ( big river in sioux language) in 1673. marquette proposed calling river of immaculate conception.

when louis jolliet explored mississippi valley in 17th century, natives guided him quicker way return french canada via illinois river. when found chicago portage, remarked canal of half league (less 2 miles (3.2 km), 3 km) join mississippi , great lakes. in 1848, continental divide separating waters of great lakes , mississippi valley breached illinois , michigan canal via chicago river. both accelerated development, , forever changed ecology of mississippi valley , great lakes.

in 1682, rené-robert cavelier, sieur de la salle , henri de tonti claimed entire mississippi river valley france, calling river colbert river after jean-baptiste colbert , region la louisiane, king louis xiv. on march 2, 1699, pierre le moyne d iberville rediscovered mouth of mississippi, following death of la salle. french built small fort of la balise there control passage.

in 1718, 100 miles (160 km) upriver, new orleans established along river crescent jean-baptiste le moyne, sieur de bienville, construction patterned after 1711 resettlement on mobile bay of mobile, capital of french louisiana @ time.