French explorer; came to New France in 1666 and joined the first expedition to the upper Great Lakes in 1669; envisioning complete French control of the interior, between 1679 and 1682 he constructed posts from Niagara Falls to Peoria, Illinois, and in 1682 journeyed down the Mississippi to its mouth, claiming all the lands that it drained for France; murdered March 19, 1687, in Texas, by mutinous soldiers during a botched colonization effort. View more information elsewhere at wisconsinhistory.org.

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[Source: American Journeys (www.americanjourneys.org), where the most important primary sources related to his career are given; .]