1. In 1673, Jacques Marquette, with Louis Jolliet, an explorer born near Quebec City, was the first European to explore and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River Valley.
28 Facts About Jacques Marquette
1. 2.
Jacques Marquette was the third of six children for Rose de la Salle and Nicolas Marquette.
3.
The Jacques Marquette family had been well-respected for many years, as numerous members had served in the military and taken civil posts.
4.
Jacques Marquette was sent to study at the Jesuit College in Reims at age 9.
5.
Jacques Marquette remained there until he joined the Society of Jesus at age 17.
6.
Jacques Marquette taught for a year at Auxerre, then studied philosophy at Ponta Mousson until 1659.
7.
Jacques Marquette taught at Ponta Mousson, Reims, Charleville, and Langres until 1665.
8.
Jacques Marquette was first sent to the mission of Saint Michel at Sillery.
9.
Jacques Marquette studied the languages and customs of the Algonquin, Abenaki, and Iroquois people that he often tended to at Sillery.
10.
In 1668, Jacques Marquette was moved by his superiors to missions farther up the Saint Lawrence River, then into the western Great Lakes region.
11.
Jacques Marquette noted that the Chippewa were great businessmen and exceptionally skilled at catching whitefish from the rapids in the St Marys River.
12.
In 1669, Jacques Marquette was assigned to replace Allouez at the La Pointe du Saint Esprit mission.
13.
Jacques Marquette was eager to explore this river and asked for permission to take a leave from missionary work, but he first had to attend to an urgent matter.
14.
Jacques Marquette attempted to discourage the imminent war, but most of the men maintained their position.
15.
Jacques Marquette promised those who wanted to avoid the war that he would take them to a new mission and told them to prepare to move east.
16.
Jacques Marquette joined the expedition of Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian explorer.
17.
Jacques Marquette told them of his mission to spread religion to the people along the river.
18.
Jacques Marquette noted that they were pleasant in appearance and temperament, despite their reputation as warriors.
19.
When Jacques Marquette's party left the village, they were accompanied by two Miami that would assist them in finding their way to the Wisconsin River.
20.
Jacques Marquette did accept a calumet that was gifted to him by the chief.
21.
Jacques Marquette attempted to communicate by speaking Huron, but was unsuccessful.
22.
Jacques Marquette used an interpreter to ask about what was south of them.
23.
The Jolliet-Jacques Marquette expedition had traveled to within 435 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.
24.
Jacques Marquette had been returning to his mission at St Ignace, which he had left in 1673, to go exploring in the Mississippi country.
25.
Jacques Marquette had been returning to his mission at St Ignace, which he had left in 1673 to go on an exploring trip to the Mississippi and the Illinois country.
26.
The exact location of Jacques Marquette's death has long been a subject of controversy.
27.
Jacques Marquette is memorialized by various statues, monuments, and historical markers:.
28.
Jacques Marquette has been honored twice on postage stamps issued by the United States:.