Table of Contents
Where did La Salle have his shipwreck?
Matagorda Bay
First was the excavation in 1996–97 of La Salle’s ill-fated ship La Belle that sank in Matagorda Bay in 1686. La Belle is one of the most important shipwrecks ever discovered in North America.
Where did Robert de La Salle explore?
René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, (born November 22, 1643, Rouen, France—died March 19, 1687, near Brazos River [now in Texas, U.S.]), French explorer in North America who led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed all the region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries for …
Where is the ship La Belle?
The ship instead sailed into Matagorda Bay, only to sink in 1686 where it was found 300 years later and underwent an extraordinary excavation and preservation beginning in 1995. La Belle now is at the center of the Museum’s first-floor exhibition La Belle: The Ship That Changed History.
What was La Salle looking for as he explored Texas?
La Salle was looking for the mouth of the Mississippi River and got lost. Explanation: In 1685, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, established a settlement in Texas due to a geographical error. His exploration party they had found the spot where the Mississippi River connected with the ocean.
How did the La Belle sink?
When a severe storm grounded the ship during the winter of 1686 and a second storm a few days later caused the ship to sink further into the soft sediments of Matagorda Bay, La Belle had to be abandoned and its life ended after only two years of service.
What was Robert de La Salle searching?
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle
| René-Robert Cavelier | |
|---|---|
| Died | March 19, 1687 (aged 43) present day Huntsville, Texas |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | explorer |
| Known for | exploring the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico |
When did Robert La Salle land in Texas?
February 20, 1685
La Salle’s fleet of four ships and 280 men and colonists was plagued with problems from the start, culminating with the failure to find the mouth of the Mississippi, landing instead at Matagorda Bay in present-day Texas on February 20, 1685.
Where is La Salle’s last ship found today?
La Belle was wrecked in present-day Matagorda Bay the following year, dooming La Salle’s Texas colony to failure. The wreckage of La Belle lay forgotten until it was discovered by a team of state archaeologists in 1995….La Belle (ship)
| The hull remains of La Belle undergoing reconstruction | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| France | |
| Name | La Belle |
| Owner | Louis XIV |
What happened to La Salle’s four ships?
In 1684, French King Louis XIV sent explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, across the ocean with four ships and 400 people to North America. Instead, in a series of remarkable circumstances, La Salle lost ships to pirates and disaster, sailed past his destination, and was murdered by his own men.
What was La Salle’s impact on Texas?
The La Salle expedition shifted the focus of Spanish interest from western Texas to eastern Texas. The French began exploring this area, too. Men from La Salle’s colony became explorers and set up settlements in the South and Southwest.