Louis Jolliet was born in French Canada in 1645. When he was five years old, his father died and his mother remarried with a successful merchant. His stepfather owned land on the Ile d’Orleans, a small island near the city of Quebec. He went to school at a Jesuit school and he learnt writing, math and Latin, he also learnt to play harpsichord, trumpet and flute. He did well in school, and his teachers said he was quite smart.

During his childhood, Quebec was the center of the French fur trade. The Natives were part of day-to-day life in Quebec, and he grew up knowing a lot about them. He spent much time on Ile d'Orleans, so he began speaking Native American languages at a young age.

In 1672, he was chosen by the two highest officials in New France to lead an expedition to find the Mississippi River. The French knew about the river from their Native American trading partners, but they weren't sure if it emptied into the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean. In May of 1673 a 7-man expedition set off in birch bark canoes. They reached the Mississippi in mid-June. They continued down the Mississippi, but by now they realized that it did not lead to the Pacific Ocean. Since the river continued south, they believed it led into the Gulf of Mexico. They continued traveling as far south on the Mississippi to the border between Arkansas and Louisiana. There, friendly Native Americans warned the explorers that hostile Indians with guns were waiting further south along the river. Not wanting to risk their lives any further, they turned back. On the trip back, they took the Illinois River, which was a shortcut to Lake Michigan. His partner stayed in a Mission at Green Bay and he went home to report what they found.

Discovering the Mississippi was important because the leaders of New France wanted to make a colony there and get more land for New France. Later he got married and had a son. In 1690, he was given an 8000 km2 island as a reward for discovering the Mississippi. He built a fort and set up a successful trading business. In 1693, he was named royal hydrographer. After that he went on several expeditions and in 1700 he disappeared while on a trip to on of his land holdings. Louis Jolliet’s influence can still be seen in mid-western USA and Quebec where there are a few cities and places named after him. Louis’s discoveries could have been found by someone else but it would have taken longer.

I researched Louis Jolliet because my teacher told me to. Before doing this assignment I didn’t know that Louis Jolliet discovered the Mississippi and I also learnt that there are many places named after him. I found it interesting to learn about this man and his discoveries, especially when I read that when he died his body was never found.