Louis Jolliet
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Louis Jolliet |
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) recognized the national historic importance of Louis Jolliet in 1944. Born in Québec City, Louis Jolliet (1654–1700) was a fur trader, seigneur, cartographer and royal hydrographer. He is famous, however, for his role in exploring the North American continent. In 1672 Intendant Talon instructed him to explore the Mississippi River, known to exist from Aboriginal tales, and to determine which sea it flowed into. In the following year, accompanied by Father Marquette (designated by the HSMBC in 1937) and five other people, Jolliet reached the confluence of the Arkansas with the Mississippi proving that the mighty river flowed into the Gulf of Mexico. His voyage continued until 1675.
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Louis Jolliet and Father Marquette’s expedition on the Mississippi Credit: Library and Canada, accession number 1990-553, C-006292 |
On his return to the Saint Lawrence River Valley, he became involved in the fur trade on the North Shore, and was given a concession, which he worked up until 1692. Subsequently, he mapped the shore of Labrador, and in 1697 succeeded Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin as King's Hydrographer and Master of Navigation. Jolliet enjoyed international renown throughout Europe for his discovery of the Mississippi, a key factor behind France's expansion in America.
