Early Explorers

Arkansas Becomes a Part of the European World

Hernando De Soto

Hernando de Soto► Spanish explorer (1540? – 1542)► Explored Cuba and Florida and was proclaimed the Governor

of Cuba by the king of Spain► Claimed Florida for Spain; claimed the area that would have

included Arkansas for Spain, but no one made a permanent settlement there

► First European to enter Arkansas in 154; met Quapaw Indians► Crossed the Mississippi River on rafts► Searching for gold for Spain► Made slaves of the Indians ► Explored the Arkansas River, White River, and Quachita

Mountains► Artifacts, such as bells, have been found in Arkansas► Buried in the Mississippi River or on its banks by his men

Father Jacques Marquette

Father Jacques Marquette

► French explorer and priest (1637 – 1675) who traveled with Joliet, the fur trader

► Roman Catholic priest and missionary► Learned 6 Indian languages to be their friends► Visited Arkansas in the 1670s with Louis Joliet► Smoked a calumet (peace pipe) with Indians

(Quapaw in Arkansas) for safe travel► Traveled down Mississippi River to border between

Arkansas and Louisiana before returning north, First European men to travel on Mississippi River

► With Joliet, called the land “Arkansas” from the Illinois Indian word for the Quapaw “downriver people.”

Louis Joliet

Louis Joliet

► French explorer and fur trader (1637 – 1675)►Born in New France (Canada)►Traveled with Father Jacques Marquette in

birch bark canoes from the Great Lakes down the Mississippi River. They hoped the river went to the Pacific Ocean, but soon realized it did not.

►They traveled as far south as the border of Arkansas and Louisiana before returning north.

►He lost their report and map when their canoe tipped over in the river.

► Had a successful fur trading business

Robert La Salle The Griffin (Griffon)

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Robert La Salle

► French explorer ( 1643 – 1687) whose real name was Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, moved to the New World at age 23

►Successful fur trader in Canada (New France)

►Given permission by King Louis IV of France to explore the New World

►Wanted to find a way to the Pacific Ocean►Had the huge sailboat Griffin built to sail

down the Mississippi River, but it was too large to go

► First European to travel from Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico on Mississippi River in 1682

►Was the leader of Henri de Tonti whom he met in Paris, France, in 1678

Robert La Salle• Claimed all the land from the Great Lakes to the

Gulf of Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rocky Mountains (including Arkansas) for France and called the whole region “Louisiana” after the king

• Traveled into Arkansas and met the Quapaw Indians in March, 1682

• Granted land on the Arkansas River to Henri de Tonti, the first land grant in Louisiana. It became the Arkansas Post, the first European settlement in Arkansas

• La Salle was murdered by one of his own men in 1687

Henri de Tonti

Henri de Tonti

► French explorer (1649? – 1704)► Is sometimes called the “Father of Arkansas”► Born in Italy but moved to France as a child► Served in French army and lost his hand to a

grenade. Had a metal hook for a hand and was known as “Iron Hand”

► Joined La Salle in 1678 in Paris and went to Canada and then sailed down the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River

► Established a trading post (fort) called the Arkansas Post on the Arkansas River near the Mississippi River; this was the first permanent European settlement in Arkansas

► Died in 1704 of yellow fever in what is now Alabama