Exploring the Mississippi: Louis Jolliet & Jacques Marquette

🌍 In the mid-1600s, two explorers, Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, set out to explore the mighty Mississippi River.

🗺️ Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, learned native languages and explored the Great Lakes before discovering the Illinois tribe and the great river.

⛵ Marquette was the first European to delve into the vast waters of the Mississippi River, embarking on a journey of unknown length and destination.

🌊 Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette, both with different motives, formed a team to explore the Mississippi River.

🗺️ They were skilled explorers and traders, aiming to find new trading sites and establish trade routes.

⚓ Their primary goal was to discover where the Mississippi River met the sea, with different theories suggesting the Gulf of Mexico or a route to Asia.

🏞️ Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette explored the rivers of North America in 1673.

🚣‍♂️ They discovered the Missouri and Ohio rivers, and reached the intersection of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers.

🌊 Their journey confirmed that the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

🌍 Marquette and Joliet's exploration of the Mississippi River opened up new trade opportunities and spread Christianity.

🗺️ Their journey pushed the boundaries of French colonization and allowed for expansion of French power.

🌌 They explored the center of the continent south of the Great Lakes, away from the eastern coastal areas.