• What would living in the Illinois frontier be like in this era?

LaSalle and the Colonization of Illinois

Vocab

• Mutiny– To betray the leader of a group

• Catholic Mission• Church established among non-believing people with the

goal of converting them to Catholicism

• Raiding Party– Attack by an Indian group with the goal of

capturing new tribes members

Rene-Robert Cavalier sieur de LaSalle

• But LaSalle is good enough• French explorer and adventurer• Arrogant and Zealous– Wanted to establish a new French Empire in

America• Beat the Spanish out of Mexico• Never Happened

Henri de Tonti: The Man With an Iron Hand

• Italian adventure and mercenary– Lost a hand in a battle– Replaced with an iron hook• Seen as magical by American Indians

• Only man that LaSalle trusted – LaSalle’s lieutenant

Fort Crevecoeur

• Modern day Peoria• First European structure in Illinois• LaSalle left Tonti in charge to bring back

supplies– Crew quickly mutinies – Nicknamed “Fort Broken Heart”

• Tonti and a few others establish a fort at Starved Rock– Fort St. Louis

Starved Rock-Fort St. Louis

Fort St. Louis

But that comes later

Waiting for LaSalle

• LaSalle left in winter• Tonti builds for St. Louis and offers Illini tribe

protection from their Iroquois enemies• By September Tonti prepares to return to the

Great Lakes• Iroquois attack the Illini– Tonti tries to negotiate peace between the tribes

• Gets stabbed by an Iroquois

• Tonti and some men escape

France Claims North America

• Spring 1682– LaSalle and Tonti make it to the Gulf of Mexico– Claim all between the Appalachians and Rockies

• Then they build the better Fort St. Louis• LaSalle returns to France to gather an army to

repel the Spanish from New Orleans and eventually Mexico– Misses the Mississippi then marches up the coast

of Texas– Men mutiny and kill LaSalle

Tonti Stays in Illinois

• Tonti established a quality fur trade industry in Illinois• Eventually built Fort Pimitoui – Became the strongest French fort in Illinois

• Relations with the Fox Indians deteriorate– Start to move settlements to Southern Illinois

• Recommended the site for the village Cahokia as a Catholic Mission

• Tonti went on to be an important figure in the founding of cities in the lower Mississippi River and exploring Texas

Writing Assignment

• Write an overview of LaSalle and Tonti’s expeditions and establishments in the New World. Must be 6 paragraphs.

• Remember to use your book – Page 11-13