099 11/18/02 9:13 AM Page 109

Why It Matters Now France’s interest in Texas spurred 3 The French Explore Texas settlement by Spain, which established the foundation of today’s Texas. TERMS & NAMES OBJECTIVES MAIN IDEA René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur 1. Analyze La Salle’s purpose for coming to Although La Salle’s expeditions may de La Salle; King Louis XIV; Texas. not have been true successes for Mississippi River Basin; 2. Describe how La Salle’s journey affected France, they were seen as competi- buccaneer; delta; Fort St. Spanish exploration and colonization of tion by Spain. This contributed to Louis Texas. the rebirth of Spanish exploration and settlement of the Gulf Coast of Texas.

Imagine that you have been told about a faraway place filled with WHAT Would You Do? enormous riches. You have found a sponsor to pay for your trip, but Write your response now you must recruit a team and plan to overcome whatever dangers to Interact with History in your Texas Notebook. may occur on your journey. How many people will you take? What skills should they have? What if there are people living there? What training and supplies will you need to ensure that you all return home safely?

France Shows Interest in the Gulf In the early 1680s Spain’s interest quickly shifted from southwestern to southeastern Texas. Spanish officials learned that France, their European rival, had established a fort on the coast of Texas. In the winter of 1681–1682, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, sledded down the frozen Illinois River to the Mississippi River. Once he reached the great Mississippi, he canoed all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. He reached the mouth of the Mississippi on April 9, 1682, and claimed the river, all the lands it watered, and all its branches for France. He named the territory La Louisiane, or Louisiana, in honor of King Louis XIV of France. La Salle returned to France in 1683 and asked King Louis XIV for permission to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi. This colony could serve as a checkpoint from which France could track Spanish activities in the Gulf of Mexico. He also convinced the monarch that from Louisiana a French expedition could seize silver mines in Mexico and French missionaries could teach the Catholic religion to the natives. Furthermore, crops would grow well in the region’s rich soil. But most

importantly, a French colony at the mouth of the Mississippi could control French firepot, 5 wide, the casing of an trade in the Gulf and the interior of North America. explosive device from LaSalle’s ship

European Exploration ✯ 109 099 11/18/02 9:13 AM Page 110

120˚W 100˚W 80˚W

French and Spanish Claims on North America, 1682–1688

France

REGION Spain

When La Salle claimed Loui- 40°N R. is o siana for France, he was defin- n i l l ing a region. He claimed all I of the land drained by the

Mississippi River and all of . R i p the river’s branches. This area p i s s i

s

is called the Mississippi River s

i

Basin—the region from which M ATLANTIC R Sabi io ne water flows into the main G R OCEAN ra . n river. Many countries want to d e Lavaca R. control the entire basin of Fort St. Louis their most important rivers, PACIFIC Gulf of Mexico Matagorda Bay but few actually do. ● Why OCEAN

might it be important for a Tropic of Cancer 0 500 Miles

country to control a river 0 1000 Kilometers basin? ▲ 20To°N keep Spain from controlling even more of the Americas, La Salle claimed a large region for France. ● Compare the areas claimed by France and by Spain.

La Salle Establishes a Colony buccaneer a pirate, especially King Louis XIV granted La Salle four ships. He allowed La Salle to one who preyed on ships during bring 300 colonists and 100 soldiers to start a new colony. In 1684 La the 1600s Salle set sail for the Gulf of Mexico to locate the mouth of the Mississippi. delta a triangle-shaped area of But the expedition was in trouble from the beginning. When it reached mud and silt deposits that forms the West Indies, one of the ships was attacked and captured by a Spanish at the mouth of some rivers buccaneer. La Salle knew then that it was only a matter of time before news of the French expedition reached other Spaniards. Once this happened, they would try to end his mission. Many of the colonists Cannons recovered from Fort St. Louis wanted to turn back, but La Salle insisted they continue. La Salle’s mission was a difficult one. The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico through a delta. There, the river divides into many smaller channels that often look like creeks or small rivers, if they can be seen at all. Knowing which ones might lead to the Mississippi would have been almost impossible for La Salle. Also, La Salle had failed to record the exact location of the Mississippi River during his first voyage. Given these obstacles, it was no surprise that he was unable to find the mouth of the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. In January 1685 La Salle reached Galveston Bay. On February 20 he sent colonists ashore at Matagorda Bay. Unfortunately, one of his ships ran aground on a sandbar, losing valuable supplies. La Salle continued on, however, sailing inland on the Lavaca River. Once inland, he built Fort St. Louis near present-day Garcitas Creek in Victoria County.

110 ✯ Chapter 5 099 11/18/02 9:13 AM Page 111

▲ George Catlin painted this imagined scene of La Salle’s party reaching a Coahuiltecan village as they searched for the Mississippi River. ● What can you tell from this painting about how the artist viewed the Native Texans? the French?

The Colony Encounters Difficulties The French colonists made contact with the Karankawas, who were friendly at first. When the French discovered the Karankawas had some of their supplies, which had washed ashore from their wrecked ship, they tried to recover their goods. Fighting broke out, and several Frenchmen were killed. The French then treated the Karankawas as hostile. Without help from the Native Texans, conditions were probably more difficult for the colonists. Drought ruined their crops, and some of the colonists grew sick or left the colony. By October of 1685 La Salle was in desperate need of supplies. He decided to take a small party and seek a land route to the mouth of the Mississippi. With his brother and 50 men, he set out to find the Mississippi. They traveled down the Lavaca River and then eastward on foot. He was unsuccessful and returned to Fort St. Louis in late March 1686, having lost most of his men. In April, La Salle tried again to reach the Mississippi. After traveling with 20 men as far east as the Sabine River, he returned to Fort St. Louis with eight survivors. By 1686 only about 45 French colonists were still alive. Most had died from disease or had been killed by the Karankawas. On January 12, 1687, La Salle decided to make another journey in search of a way home, taking with him 17 to 20 of the survivors. On this trip several of his men plotted to kill him and three others. On March 19, 1687, La Salle was shot. Henri Joutel, one of La Salle’s more loyal followers, suggested that La Salle may have been partly to blame.

TEXAS VOICES He had a capacity and talent to make his enterprise successful; his constancy and courage, and his extraordinary knowledge in arts and sciences, which rendered him fit for anything, together with an indefatigable body, which made him surmount all difficulties, would have procured a glorious issue to his undertaking, had not all those excellent qualities been counterbalanced by too haughty a behavior, which sometimes made him insupportable, and by a rigidness towards those that were under his command, which at last drew on him implacable hatred, and was the occasion of his death. Henri Joutel, Journal of La Salle’s Last Voyage La Salle monument located in Navasota

European Exploration ✯ 111 099 11/18/02 9:14 AM Page 112

Some historians believe that La Salle was killed near present-day Navasota. A statue has been dedicated there in his memory. Other histo- The Talon Family rians believe that La Salle was killed farther east, in present-day Grimes or Cherokee County. After Isabelle Talon died at Fort St. Louis, her five children were raised by Native Texans. When The Colony Fails found by Spanish explorers Led by Henri Joutel, seven of the remaining survivors—including La several years later, the children Salle’s brother, Abbé Jean Cavelier—made their way to Canada. In 1688 had tattoos and spoke native languages. The Spanish took Joutel journeyed to France to report to King Louis XIV. Joutel asked the them to Mexico City, where they king to send an expedition to rescue the colonists who had been left learned Spanish and became behind at Fort St. Louis. However, King Louis decided that France had servants to the viceroy. already spent too much money exploring the Gulf of Mexico. Stranded in In 1697, while serving in dangerous territory, most of the remaining settlers either died or were the Spanish navy, the three older killed by the Karankawas. The exception was a group of six French chil- Talon brothers were captured by the French, taken to France, and dren, five of whom were from the same family, the Talons. Native Texans questioned. The information raised these children as their own. Ten years later, Spanish explorers they gave about Native Texans is discovered the French children and took them to Mexico City. very important to historians While La Salle may not have achieved the desired outcome for France, today. The Talons later returned his explorations were of great importance to Texas. The colony that he to Texas as guides for other established played upon Spanish fears that France would claim the French explorers. The remains of a woman Americas for itself. Out of competition, the Spaniards renewed their explo- discovered recently at the Fort ration of the Gulf Coast region and began working in earnest to settle Texas. St. Louis site may be those of The period of European exploration had severe consequences for Isabelle Talon. DNA testing of Native Texans, however. Although population before 1500 is difficult to Talon descendants may help estimate, some experts believe there were about 42,000 Native Texans ● identify these remains. What before the explorers arrived. By 1700, thousands had died of diseases, can be learned from analyzing these remains? most of which were accidentally brought by Europeans in their search for riches, fame, and knowledge.

3 Terms & Names Organizing Information Critical Thinking Interact with History Identify: Use a spider map like the 1. The French colony of Fort Review your response to • René-Robert one shown to list some of St. Louis was established Interact with History in your Cavelier, Sieur de the problems experienced largely by accident. Sum- Texas Notebook. Knowing La Salle by the La Salle expedition. marize La Salle’s true the difficulties La Salle • King Louis XIV purpose for coming to the encountered on his second •Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico and ex- voyage to the Mississippi Basin plain how his trip resulted River, would you answer • buccaneer PROBLEMS in the establishment of differently now? • delta OF LA SALLE Fort St. Louis. • Fort St. Louis 2. Describe the effect France had on the even- tual exploration and colo- How did these problems nization of Texas. affect the expedition? Go to www.celebratingtexas.com ACTIVITY to research the Activity topic. Research current findings of La Salle’s colony at Fort St. Louis. Use this information to write a one-page History report. Share your report with your class.

112 ✯ Chapter 5