Year: 1968
Type: article
Abstract: The Joliet-Marquette Expedition 1 he Joliet-Marquette expedition is a significant episode in Iowa history, for the first recorded history of eastern Iowa begins with the advent of these two intrepid explorers.The exact date of birth of Joliet, the leader of the expediton, is un certain, but he was baptized at Quebec in 1645, studied in the Jesuit College at Quebec, and was mentioned as a clerk of the church in 1666-1667.Joliet gave up church life in 1667, returned to France for a year, and upon his return was sent to search for copper mines on Lake Superior in 1669.Two years later, in 1671, he was with St. Lusson when that colorful Frenchman took pos session of all the land drained by the Great Lakes.In 1672, the Governor of New France sent Louis Joliet to make certain that the Great River of the W est flowed into the Gulf of California in order that a passage could be opened to the Indies.Joliet was a natural rover -intelligent, experi enced and faithful.As a boy of thirteen he had drawn a map of the Gulf of St. Lawrence that had been placed in the navy office in Paris.He set out alone from Montreal in the fall of 1672 and reached the little mission of St. Ignace on the Straits of Mackinac that December.There Father 416 418 THE PALIMPSEST Jacques Marquette, a young Jesuit priest, joined him on his great adventure.Marquette had received his instructions from Dahlon, his superior, to accompany Joliet and ex tend the gospel among the Indians.Born in Laon, France, in 1637, Marquette entered the Jesuit ser vice in 1654, studied and taught in France from 1654-1666, arriving in Quebec in the latter year.After studying Indian languages at Three Rivers from 1666 to 1668, he was sent to the Ottawa Mission at Sault Sainte Marie.He replaced Allouez at La Pointe in 1669 and went to St. Ignace on the Straits of Mackinac in 1671.It was while at these remote posts (before the arrival of Joliet) that Marquette received invitations from the Illinois and other Indians to bring the gospel to them.After a winter of careful preparation, Joliet and Marquette left St. Ignace on May 17, 1673.The expedition, consisting of Joliet and Marquette and five white companions, paddled silently along the north shore of Lake Michigan and into Green Bay.Only two canoes were needed and their pro visions consisted of Indian corn and smoked meat.The French first visited the Menomonie or "wildrice Indians who dwelt along the lower reaches of Green Bay.The Menomonie tried to dissuade Joliet and Marquette from their hazardous voyage.They represented to me that I would meet Nations who never show mercy to Strangers, but Break Their heads without any cause; and that war was kindled Between
Source: The Palimpsest
Author: William J Petersen
Language: English
Subfield: History
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2889084470