Father Jacques Marquette

Jacques Marquette was born on June 10, 1673. He went to a school run by Jesuit priests. He joined the Jesuit order in 1656 and spent the next 10 years studying and teaching in France. In 1666 Marquette was sent as a missionary to New France (the French colonies in the New World) where he spent 2 years learning 6 Native American languages.

In 1671 he lived with the Huron and Ottawa Indians. These Indians talked a lot about a Great River called the Mississippi, which in their language meant big river. At the time little was known about the geography of North America, so Marquette thought it might flow into the Pacific Ocean, which later became the same idea of La Salle.

Marquette thought it was a great opportunity to spread Christianity among the Indians they may meet on the way to find the river, so in May of 1673 a 7-man expedition set off in birch bark canoes. They traveled west along the north shore of Lake Michigan to Green Bay, then up the Fox River. They reached the Mississippi in mid-June. Marquette and the others 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.

On their way south, they saw the Missouri River, which they thought would lead west to the Pacific Ocean. 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 July 17, 1673 they headed upstream. Paddling against the strong current made it difficult to travel. The Indians told them an easier route so they traveled up the Illinois River that led them to Lake Michigan. Marquette got very ill at this time, and he had to camp for the winter. By 1674 he was well enough to continue his job as missionary, but Marquette died only a few months later on May 18, 1675 as he traveled north to meet with another group of Native Americans.