What happened to the first ship La Salle lost?
The explorer was to land at the mouth of the Mississippi River, establish a colony and trade routes, and locate Spanish silver mines. That plan was never realized. Instead, in a series of remarkable circumstances, La Salle lost ships to pirates and disaster, sailed past his destination, and was murdered by his own men.
Did La Salle cause his own death?
After several fruitless journeys in search of his lost Mississippi, La Salle met his death at the hands of mutineers near the Brazos River. His vision of a French empire died with him. In Joutel’s view, this arrogance was the true cause of La Salle’s death.
When was Belle found?
The La Belle (meaning “the beautiful”) was constructed in France in 1684. Its original measurements were 54 feet long and 14 feet wide and was specifically designed with a shallow draft to navigate coastal and river waters, such as the Mississippi River.
What happened to La Salle’s colony?
Spain learned of La Salle’s mission in 1686. When the Spanish finally discovered the remains of the French colony at the fort in 1689, they buried the cannons and burned the buildings. Years later, Spanish authorities built a presidio at the same location.
When was La Salle’s ship found?
La Belle and Fort St. Louis Excavations First was the excavation in 1996–97 of La Salle’s ill-fated ship La Belle that sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686. La Belle is one of the most important shipwrecks ever discovered in North America.
What happened to the twenty odd persons remaining at the settlement?
Almost two years later, a Karankawa band, feigning friendship, fell upon the twenty-odd persons remaining at the settlement on Garcitas Creek. Only half a dozen children were spared, to be ransomed later by Spaniards and taken to Mexico City.
Did Robert De La Salle have a wife?
La Salle never married, but has been linked to Madeleine de Roybon d’Allonne, an early colonizer of New France.